The UK has dropped to 18th out of 180 countries in the new 2026 World Press Freedom Index, as global press freedom reaches its lowest point in a quarter-century.
The annual report from Reporters Without Borders (RSF) shows that, for the first time, more than half the world’s countries are now classified as "difficult" or "very serious" for journalism — a dramatic increase from just 13.7 per cent in 2002.
Global context:
- Global decline: The average global score for press freedom is at its lowest since the Index began in 2002.
- The minority: Only 1 per cent of the world’s population now lives in a country with "good" press freedom, down from 20 per cent in 2002.
- Legal threats are the fastest-growing danger: 110 out of 180 countries saw their legal environment for journalism worsen in the past year.
- Criminalising journalism: Authoritarian regimes and even some democracies are increasingly using national security laws, anti-terrorism legislation, and abusive lawsuits (SLAPPs) to restrict reporting.
- Big drops: Armed conflict, political violence, and economic pressures are driving steep declines in countries such as Sudan, Yemen, Russia, and the US, which fell seven places this year.
UK in focus:
- The UK’s score: 79.45 (down from 78.89 in 2025), now ranked 18th globally (20th in 2025).
- The UK’s score: 79.45 (down from 78.89 in 2025), now ranked 18th globally (20th in 2025).
- Legal and social indicators: The UK is now 36th for legal environment and 37th for social context.
- Media concentration: Three media companies (News UK, Reach and dmg) dominate the national newspaper market.
- Ongoing controversies: The BBC faces ongoing political pressure. Debates remain over foreign ownership of UK media.
- Economic pressures: Budget cuts and costly libel actions are forcing newsroom closures and deterring investigative reporting, especially among freelancers.
- Government overreach: Police surveillance of journalists and the use of counter-terrorism laws at borders have raised concerns.
- Legal intimidation: Progress on anti-SLAPP protections has stalled, leaving journalists vulnerable.
- Assange case legacy: The release of Julian Assange in 2024 was a rare positive note, but the chilling effect of his five-year detention in a British jail remains.
- Transnational threats: The 2024 stabbing of an Iranian journalist in London highlighted risks for exiled reporters.
- Online and physical abuse: Online abuse, often gendered, is a growing concern, as is the physical safety of journalists covering public disorder.
- Northern Ireland risks: Journalists remain at risk from paramilitary groups and organised crime, with unsolved murders still casting a shadow.
Wider trends:
- Top and bottom: Norway remains the world’s top-ranked country for press freedom; Eritrea is last.
- Biggest change: Syria saw the biggest improvement, climbing 36 places after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
- The Americas in decline: The US, Ecuador, and Peru all dropping in the rankings amid violence and political hostility.
- Trump card: The returning US presidency has accelerated the decline in US press freedom, with the administration censoring government data, targeting critical outlets through lawsuits and regulatory pressure, and attempting to install loyalists in media leadership.
See the full index.
This article was drafted by an AI assistant before it was edited by a human.
