Reporters Without Borders (RSF) warned of deteriorating press freedom worldwide in its 2025 rankings released Friday, stating the global situation has reached “an all-time low”.
Scandinavian nations dominate the top positions, with Norway maintaining its first-place ranking for the ninth year in a row. Estonia and the Netherlands follow in second and third respectively, while Sweden (4th), Finland (5th), and Denmark (6th) complete the strong Nordic showing.
Luxembourg experienced a notable decline, falling two places from 11th to 13th in this year’s assessment.
The findings reveal that more than half the world’s population lives in countries where press freedom is considered threatened. Only seven nations – all European – maintain what RSF classifies as “good” press freedom conditions, while China, North Korea, and Eritrea occupy the bottom three positions in the 180-country ranking.
