Overview

• The 2025 RSF World Press Freedom Index finds press freedom conditions 'bad' in half of the world's countries, with 112 nations recording year-on-year declines.
• Economic instability is identified as a critical factor eroding press freedom, causing media closures in the U.S., Argentina, and Tunisia, and undermining editorial independence globally.
• The Middle East is the most dangerous region for journalists, with all countries rated 'very serious' and over 200 journalist deaths reported in Gaza over an 18-month period.
• Spain achieves its highest-ever ranking, moving from 30th to 23rd place, but remains economically vulnerable, with the weakest economic indicator among democracies.
• RSF highlights the growing influence of oligarchs and political actors over economically fragile media, warning that financial independence is essential for a free press.