WPF Index ranking of India: In the 2026 World Press Freedom Index (WPFIndex) by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), an international non-profit and non-governmental organization, India dropped to 157th out of 180 countries. It is a six-place drop from 2025 (151st). The country has entered the “very serious” category.
Shockingly, globally, the RSF in its report said that press freedom is at a 25-year low. Over half of all countries surveyed were categorised as having “difficult” or “very serious” situations, RSF said.
The report said that the criminalisation of journalism has reached a peak!
“The Index’s legal indicator has seen the most severe decline this year. This score deteriorated in more than 60% of states — 110 out of 180 — between 2025 and 2026. This is notably the case in India (157th), Egypt (169th), Israel (116th), and Georgia (135th). The criminalisation of journalism, which is rooted in circumventing press law and misusing emergency legislation and common law, is proving to be a global phenomenon,” the report said.
WPF Index ranking of India vs its neighbours
If we talk about regional trends, many of India’s neighbors ranked higher, including Nepal (87th) and Pakistan (153rd), reflecting a sharp decline in South Asia.
Top 5 countries in 2026 WPF Index:
Norway leads in freedom of the press (leading for the 10th consecutive year), followed by the Netherlands, Estonia, Denmark, and Sweden.
Bottom 5 countries in 2026 WPF Index:
At the bottom is Eritrea (180th), followed by North Korea, China, Iran, and Saudi Arabia.
Press freedom under US President Donald Trump:
Under U.S. President Donald Trump, press freedom in America has declined. The USA dropped to 64th, while the steepest decline was in Niger, a country in West Africa (-37).
About Reporters Without Borders:
Formed in 1985 (41 years ago), Reporters Without Borders is an international non-profit and non-governmental organization. It is headquartered in Paris and focuses on safeguarding the right to freedom of information.
It also awards annual Press Freedom Prize, created in 1992, to honour courageous and independent journalists who have faced threats or imprisonment for their work and who have challenged the abuse of power.
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About the author: Anurag Sason is an Indian journalist with experience in mainstream journalism. He has worked in newspaper, news agency, TV, news app (short video sharing app) and digital media. He tweets at @AnuragSason
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