Where does the United States rank on the World Press Freedom Index?
In RSF's 2026 World Press Freedom Index the United States ranks 64th of 180. Its rank by year since 2013, how the index works, and who ranks first.
In the 2026 World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the United States ranks 64th of 180 countries and territories, with a score of 62.61 out of 100 (RSF, United States). That is seven places lower than its 2025 rank of 57th, and RSF writes that the country "is experiencing a significant and prolonged decline in press freedom" (RSF). This page tracks the press freedom index United States score has received every year since 2013, and how the ranking is calculated.
Where does the United States rank on the World Press Freedom Index in 2026?
The United States is 64th of 180 in the 2026 index, with a global score of 62.61 (RSF). In 2025 it was 57th, with a score of 65.487. RSF's 2026 global analysis lists as one of five findings: "The United States has fallen seven places and other countries in the Americas, such as Ecuador and Peru, have plummeted in the ranking" (RSF, 2026 analysis).
RSF places every country in one of five categories by score. A score from 55 to 70 is "problematic," the category the United States is in for 2026 (RSF methodology). The United States overview and the country profile show the RSF rank beside dated incidents.
United States scores on the five indicators, 2026
RSF gives each country a rank and a score from 0 to 100 on five indicators (RSF):
| Indicator | 2026 rank | 2026 score | |---|---|---| | Political context | 62 | 53.59 | | Economic context | 41 | 55.05 | | Legal framework | 52 | 70.47 | | Sociocultural context | 66 | 64.27 | | Safety | 98 | 69.68 |
In 2025 the United States ranked 41st on the political indicator and 91st on safety, according to RSF (RSF).
How has the United States ranked by year?
RSF's yearly index tables give the following ranks and scores for the United States. RSF describes its current method as applying "from 2022 onwards," so scores before and after 2022 were calculated in different ways (RSF methodology). Canada, the northern neighbour of the United States, is shown for comparison.
| Year | United States rank | United States score | Canada rank | Source | |---|---|---|---|---| | 2013 | 32 | 81.78 | 20 | RSF 2013 | | 2014 | 46 | 76.51 | 18 | RSF 2014 | | 2015 | 49 | 75.59 | 8 | RSF 2015 | | 2016 | 41 | 77.51 | 18 | RSF 2016 | | 2017 | 43 | 76.12 | 22 | RSF 2017 | | 2018 | 45 | 76.27 | 18 | RSF 2018 | | 2019 | 48 | 74.31 | 18 | RSF 2019 | | 2020 | 45 | 76.15 | 16 | RSF 2020 | | 2021 | 44 | 76.07 | 14 | RSF 2021 | | 2022 | 42 | 72.74 | 19 | RSF 2022 | | 2023 | 45 | 71.22 | 15 | RSF 2023 | | 2024 | 55 | 66.59 | 14 | RSF 2024 | | 2025 | 57 | 65.487 | 21 | RSF 2025 | | 2026 | 64 | 62.61 | 20 | RSF 2026 |
What is the World Press Freedom Index?
The World Press Freedom Index is an annual ranking of 180 countries and territories published by Reporters Without Borders, known by its French initials RSF (glossary: RSF). RSF was "founded in 1985 in Montpellier by four journalists," has its international headquarters in Paris and offices in cities including Washington, D.C. (RSF, Who are we). RSF says the purpose of the index "is to compare the level of freedom enjoyed by journalists and media in 180 countries and territories" (RSF methodology).
RSF defines press freedom as "the ability of journalists as individuals and collectives to select, produce, and disseminate news in the public interest independent of political, economic, legal, and social interference and in the absence of threats to their physical and mental safety" (RSF methodology). RSF and other press freedom groups treat a free press as a cornerstone of democracy, on the reasoning that citizens cannot hold elected officials to account without independent reporting on what those political actors do in office.
How is the index calculated?
Each country receives a score from 0 to 100, "with 100 being the best possible score" (RSF methodology). The score combines "a quantitative tally of abuses against media and journalists in connection with their work" with "a qualitative analysis," evidence based on answers from press freedom specialists to an RSF questionnaire available in 25 languages. The five indicators are political context, legal framework, economic context, sociocultural context and safety; "all of the subsidiary scores contribute equally to the global score."
The legal indicator measures, among other things, "the degree to which journalists and media are free to work without censorship or judicial sanctions" and "the ability to protect sources" (RSF methodology); it also weighs journalists' access to information that authorities hold. The safety indicator combines questions about harm to journalists, including violence against reporters, with RSF's count of abuses in the previous year.
Which year does each index measure?
"The Index is a snapshot of the situation during the calendar year (January-December) prior to its publication," RSF writes, though data are updated when "the press freedom situation changes dramatically" between the end of that year and publication (RSF methodology). The 2026 rank of the United States therefore mainly reflects 2025. The September 2026 deactivation of White House hard passes held by CNN, MS NOW and Politico reporters falls after the 2026 index was published (record).
Is the index linked to World Press Freedom Day?
World Press Freedom Day, May 3, was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in December 1993, on the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek (United Nations). The day is a United Nations observance; the index is published by RSF, a non-governmental organization.
Why did the United States fall in the 2026 index?
RSF's United States profile gives its reasons in its own words. On politics, it writes that since returning to the White House in 2025, President Donald Trump "has censored government data, attempted to dismantle US public broadcasters, weaponized independent government agencies to punish media that criticize his actions, halted aid funding for media freedom internationally, sued disfavored outlets, and applied pressure to install cronies to lead others" (RSF).
On the law, RSF writes that "the First Amendment to the US Constitution provides broad protections for the press," but that "the PRESS Act, a federal shield law, failed to pass for a second successive time in 2024," and that "more than a dozen states and communities have proposed or enacted laws" (state and local legislation, rather than federal statute) "to limit journalists' access to public spaces, bar them from legislative meetings, or prevent them from recording the police" (RSF). The First Amendment is the part of the United States Constitution that protects freedom of speech and of the press (glossary).
On safety, RSF cites the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, a database of press freedom incidents in the United States (glossary): "there were more than 170 attacks on journalists in 2025, nearly double" the number recorded last year (RSF). These figures point to a broader pattern of pressure on local and national newsrooms documented throughout RSF's profile. For example, the PRESS Act is one of the measures meant to protect journalists, since a federal shield law would let reporters refuse to reveal confidential sources in court. On the media economy, RSF cites the Medill Local News Initiative's finding that "as many as 50 million Americans lived in 'news deserts' in 2025," meaning many local media outlets have closed and left communities without dedicated coverage.
Dated United States actions in 2025
The record documents the following government actions in 2025, each on its own page with sources: on February 25, the White House took over selection of the presidential press pool (record); on April 25, the Department of Justice rescinded rules limiting subpoenas of journalists (record); on May 1, the president signed Executive Order 14290 directing an end to federal funding for NPR and PBS (record); and from October 15, most news organizations turned in their Pentagon press credentials rather than sign new Department of Defense regulations (record). RSF does not say how much each action weighed in its score.
What does RSF say about the media economy and society in the United States?
RSF writes that "the US media landscape is relatively diverse, especially online, but ownership of traditional and mainstream media is highly concentrated" among a small number of media outlets, a concentration press freedom groups say weakens editorial independence, and that the president "has tried to pressure these companies to soften their stance on him and install his allies in leadership positions" (RSF). On society, it writes that "more Americans have no trust in the media than trust it a fair amount," and adds: "Online harassment, particularly towards women and minorities, is also a serious issue for journalists." It records that "the last journalist to be killed in the course of his work was Dylan Lyons in February of 2023."
What did the 2026 index find worldwide?
RSF's 2026 analysis states that "for the first time in the history of the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) World Press Freedom Index, over half of the world's countries now fall into the 'difficult' or 'very serious' categories for press freedom" (RSF, 2026 analysis), a decline RSF frames as a global press freedom crisis rather than one confined to the countries in its "very serious" category. It says the legal indicator "has declined the most over the past year, a clear sign that journalism is increasingly criminalised worldwide," and RSF ties that global press freedom slide to weakening democracy in a number of member states of international bodies. RSF attributes part of the decline since 2001 to "the expansion of increasingly restrictive legal arsenals," particularly "those linked to national security policies." RSF's editorial director, Anne Bocandé, said the organization's call "starts with ending the criminalisation of journalism: the misuse of national security laws, SLAPPs, and the systematic obstruction of those who investigate, expose and name names." A SLAPP is a lawsuit filed to burden a journalist or outlet with legal costs (glossary: SLAPP).
Which country has the freest press in the world?
Norway ranks first in the 2026 index, with a score of 92.72, and RSF's global press freedom rankings have placed Nordic democracies at the top for years. RSF writes that "Norway holds the top spot for the tenth consecutive year, while Eritrea comes in last for the third year in a row" (RSF, 2026 analysis); Eritrea and North Korea, both one-party states rather than democracies, anchor the bottom of the index most years.
What are the top 10 countries in 2026?
| Rank | Country | Score | |---|---|---| | 1 | Norway | 92.72 | | 2 | Netherlands | 88.92 | | 3 | Estonia | 88.54 | | 4 | Denmark | 88.47 | | 5 | Sweden | 87.61 | | 6 | Finland | 86.22 | | 7 | Ireland | 85.93 | | 8 | Switzerland | 84.83 | | 9 | Luxembourg | 84.14 | | 10 | Portugal | 83.71 |
Source: RSF World Press Freedom Index 2026.
Which countries rank lowest?
The lowest six in 2026 are Afghanistan (175th), Saudi Arabia (176th), Iran (177th), China (178th), North Korea (179th) and Eritrea (180th) (RSF 2026).
How does the United States compare with other countries?
RSF's 2026 ranks for selected countries, set side by side: Germany 14th, the United Kingdom 18th, Canada 20th, France 25th, Australia 33rd, Brazil 52nd, Japan 62nd, the United States 64th, Hungary 74th, Mexico 122nd, India 157th and Russia 172nd (RSF 2026). Worldwide, RSF writes that "in over half of the world's countries and territories (52.2%), the state of press freedom is categorised as 'difficult' or 'very serious,'" a share that was 13.7% in 2002 (RSF, 2026 analysis).
What other measures of press freedom exist?
Other organizations publish their own measures, with their own methods, of press freedom and journalism worldwide, and together they sketch a picture of media governance across many legal systems. Freedom House, a United States-based organization founded in 1941, publishes Freedom in the World, an annual assessment of political rights, civil liberties and the health of democracy in each country it covers. The Committee to Protect Journalists, a non-profit in New York, counts journalists imprisoned and killed each year and offers support to those facing threats or restrictions on their work; the committee's tally is one of several benchmarks observers cite alongside RSF's index. The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker records incidents in the United States. The tactics index groups government actions by type across countries. RSF publishes the World Press Freedom Index annually, so its next edition will show whether the United States' decline continues, levels off or reverses.