US falls below Ukraine in press freedom as global autocracy takes hold

The 2026 World Press Freedom Index from Reporters Without Borders reveals a troubling global trend: for the first time, over half of all countries surveyed fall into the 'difficult' or 'very serious' categories for press freedom. The average score across 180 nations is the lowest in 25 years. The United States dropped seven spots to 64th place, now behind Namibia (23), South Africa (21), Costa Rica (38), and war-torn Ukraine (55). RSF cites President Trump's systematic weaponisation of state institutions—including funding cuts to NPR and PBS, political interference in media ownership, and politically motivated investigations against journalists—as key drivers of this decline. Journalists have also been targeted on the ground during protests, marking one of the most severe crises for press freedom in modern US history.

Nordic countries continue to dominate the top ranks, with Norway leading for the 10th consecutive year, followed by Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and Estonia in the top 10. In Asia, the situation is dire: China ranks 178th, just above North Korea and Eritrea. China is described as 'the world’s largest jailer of journalists,' detaining over 100 currently. Chinese authorities use broadly defined 'pocket crimes' such as 'espionage' or 'subversion' to silence reporters, and can place them in solitary confinement under 'Residential Surveillance at a Designated Location' (RSDL) — so-called 'black prisons' — where they face torture without legal representation. To renew press cards, Chinese journalists must install a propaganda application that collects personal data. The report underscores a global backslide toward autocracy, with the Americas and Asia-Pacific seeing the steepest declines.