India fell six places to rank 157th out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders’ 2026 World Press Freedom Index, remaining in the organization’s most severe category for media liberty.
The country’s overall score declined from 32.96 in 2025 to 31.96. RSF cited a sharp deterioration in the legal indicator, noting that the criminalization of journalism through misuse of national security statutes and defamation measures has become a global phenomenon affecting more than 60 percent of countries surveyed.
India ranked 160th on the political indicator, 144th on the economic indicator and 158th on the security indicator. Among neighbors, India placed below Nepal, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, but above Myanmar, Afghanistan and China.
RSF said that for the first time since the index began in 2002, more than half of the world’s countries fall into the difficult or very serious categories for press freedom. The average global press freedom score has reached its lowest level in 25 years of the index’s publication. Norway, the Netherlands and Estonia topped the 2026 rankings.
RSF released the 2026 index on April 30, noting that global press freedom scores have never been lower across 180 countries surveyed. Norway led the rankings, while Eritrea, North Korea, China and Iran occupied the bottom positions. India scored 31.96 overall, down from 32.96 in the prior year.
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Sources:
https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/narendra-modi/