World press freedom has sunk to an “all-time low”, according to the 2025 World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF). The France-based non-profit reports that more than half of the global population now lives in countries classified as having a “very serious” press freedom situation.
The overall index score in 2025 averaged 54.7 out of 100 across 180 countries and territories, down from 55.9 last year—enough to shift the global rating into RSF’s “difficult” category. The economic indicator dropped to a record low of 44.1, making it the weakest among the five key categories assessed: politics, law, economy, socio-cultural context, and security.
Economic Survival vs Editorial Independence
RSF highlights a dangerous global trend: media outlets are increasingly struggling to maintain independence while fighting to stay financially afloat. In 92 countries, the majority of RSF survey respondents said that media owners “always” or “often” interfere with editorial decisions.
“The data shows that today’s news media are caught between preserving their editorial independence and ensuring their economic survival,” RSF stated. Financial instability is widespread: in 160 out of 180 countries, media outlets achieve sustainability only “with difficulty”—or not at all. In nearly a third of countries globally, news outlets are closing due to financial distress. This includes the United States (57th, down 2 places), Tunisia (129th, down 11), and Argentina (87th, down 21).
These serious funding cuts are an additional blow to a media economy already weakened by the dominance that tech giants such as Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, and Microsoft hold over information dissemination. These largely unregulated platforms are absorbing an ever-growing share of advertising revenues that once supported journalism. In 2024, total spending on social media advertising reached $247.3 billion, a 14% increase compared to 2023. Moreover, these online platforms often contribute to the spread of manipulated and misleading content, further distorting the information landscape and amplifying disinformation.
Thirty-four countries stand out for the mass closures of their media outlets, which has led to the exile of journalists in recent years. This is especially true in Nicaragua (172nd, down 9 places), Belarus (166th), Iran (176th), Myanmar (169th), Sudan (156th), Azerbaijan (167th) and Afghanistan (175th), the media watchdog said.
Sharp Regional Divides Emerge
Europe remains the region with the highest press freedom, led by Norway (1st)—the only country with “good” scores across all indicators, maintaining its top position for the ninth consecutive year. Estonia (2nd) and Netherlands (3rd) follow closely, overtaking Sweden (4th).
However, Europe is not without challenges. The Eastern Europe–Central Asia region experienced the steepest overall decline worldwide, while even within the EU-Balkans zone, 28 out of 40 countries saw economic scores drop due to the media crisis.
Other regions face even deeper crises:
- The Middle East–North Africa remains the most dangerous for journalists.
- In the Asia-Pacific, 20 out of 32 countries experienced economic score declines.
- Sub-Saharan Africa shows a troubling downward trend in press freedom.
- In the Americas, 22 out of 28 countries saw their economic indicators decline.
In the United States (57th, down 2 places), where the economic indicator has dropped by more than 14 points in just two years, vast regions are turning into news deserts. Local journalism is bearing the brunt of the economic downturn: over 60% of journalists and media experts surveyed by RSF in Arizona, Florida, Nevada, and Pennsylvania said it is “difficult to earn a living wage as a journalist,” while 75% believe that “the average media outlet struggles for economic viability.”
As the global media landscape continues to deteriorate, China, North Korea, and Eritrea remain entrenched at the very bottom of the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, ranked 178th, 179th, and 180th, respectively.
