RSF Censorship Index
Good Satisfactory Problematic Difficult Very serious
No interactive map for 2002. RSF's pre-2013 index is ranking only.
Earlier methodology: a lower score means more press freedom.
RSF's World Press Freedom Index aims to compare the level of press freedom enjoyed by journalists and media in 180 countries and territories.
Compiled by Reporters Without Borders. Support their work at rsf.org
Press Freedom Ranking (139 countries, free -> censored)
+ #1 Finland 0.5
+ #2 Iceland 0.5
+ #3 Norway 0.5
+ #4 Netherlands 0.5
+ #5 Canada 0.8
+ #6 Ireland 1.0
+ #7 Germany 1.5
+ #8 Portugal 1.5
+ #9 Sweden 1.5
+ #10 Denmark 3.0
+ #11 France 3.2
+ #12 Australia 3.5
+ #13 Belgium 3.5
+ #14 Slovenia 4.0
+ #15 Costa Rica 4.2
+ #18 Hong Kong 4.8
+ #19 Greece 5.0
+ #20 Ecuador 5.5
+ #21 Benin 6.0
+ #23 Uruguay 6.0
+ #24 Chile 6.5
+ #25 Hungary 6.5
+ #27 Austria 7.5
+ #28 Japan 7.5
+ #29 Spain 7.8
+ #30 Poland 7.8
+ #31 Namibia 8.0
+ #32 Paraguay 8.5
+ #33 Croatia 8.8
+ #35 Taiwan 9.0
+ #36 Mauritius 9.5
+ #37 Peru 9.5
+ #38 Bulgaria 9.8
+ #39 South Korea 10.5
+ #40 Italy 11.0
+ #41 Czechia 11.2
+ #42 Argentina 12.0
+ #44 Mali 12.5
+ #45 Romania 13.2
+ #46 Cabo Verde 13.8
+ #47 Senegal 14.0
+ #48 Bolivia 14.5
+ #49 Nigeria 15.5
+ #50 Panama 15.5
- #51 Sri Lanka 15.8
Press freedom issues in Sri Lanka are closely tied to the civil war that ravaged the island until 2009, as well as the still-unpunished crimes of violence against numerous journalists when the Tamil rebellion was being crushed. Journalism is still in danger in this country of 22 million inhabitants, as the media landscape lacks diversity, is highly concentrated and dependent on major political clans.
+ #52 Uganda 17.0
+ #53 Niger 18.5
+ #54 Brazil 18.8
+ #55 Côte d'Ivoire 19.0
+ #56 Lebanon 19.7
+ #57 Indonesia 20.0
+ #58 Comoros 20.5
+ #59 Gabon 20.5
+ #61 Seychelles 20.8
+ #62 Tanzania 21.2
+ #64 Gambia 22.5
+ #65 Madagascar 22.8
+ #65 Thailand 22.8
+ #67 Bahrain 23.0
+ #67 Ghana 23.0
+ #70 Mozambique 23.5
+ #71 Cambodia 24.2
+ #72 Burundi 24.5
+ #73 Mongolia 24.5
+ #74 Sierra Leone 24.5
+ #75 Kenya 24.8
+ #76 Mexico 24.8
+ #77 Venezuela 25.0
+ #78 Kuwait 25.5
+ #79 Guinea 26.0
+ #80 India 26.5
+ #81 Zambia 26.8
+ #82 Palestine 27.0
+ #83 Guatemala 27.2
+ #84 Malawi 27.7
+ #85 Burkina Faso 27.8
+ #86 Tajikistan 28.2
+ #87 Chad 28.8
+ #88 Cameroon 28.8
+ #90 Philippines 29.0
+ #91 Eswatini 29.0
+ #92 Israel 30.0
+ #93 Angola 30.2
+ #94 Guinea Bissau 30.2
+ #95 Algeria 31.0
+ #96 Djibouti 31.2
+ #97 Togo 31.5
+ #98 Kyrgyzstan 31.8
+ #99 Jordan 33.5
+ #100 Türkiye 33.5
+ #101 Azerbaijan 34.5
+ #102 Egypt 34.5
+ #103 Yemen 34.8
+ #104 Afghanistan 35.5
+ #105 Sudan 36.0
+ #106 Haiti 36.5
+ #107 Ethiopia 37.5
+ #108 Rwanda 37.5
+ #109 Liberia 37.8
+ #110 Malaysia 37.8
+ #111 Brunei 38.0
+ #112 Ukraine 40.0
+ #114 Colombia 40.8
+ #115 Mauritania 41.3
+ #116 Kazakhstan 42.0
+ #118 Bangladesh 43.8
+ #119 Pakistan 44.7
+ #120 Uzbekistan 45.0
+ #121 Russia 48.0
+ #122 Iran 48.2
+ #123 Zimbabwe 48.2
+ #124 Belarus 52.2
+ #125 Saudi Arabia 62.5
+ #126 Syria 62.8
+ #127 Nepal 63.0
+ #128 Tunisia 67.8
+ #129 Libya 72.5
+ #130 Iraq 79.0
+ #131 Vietnam 81.2
+ #132 Eritrea 83.7
+ #133 Laos 89.0
+ #134 Cuba 90.2
+ #135 Bhutan 90.8
+ #136 Turkmenistan 91.5
+ #137 Myanmar 96.8
+ #138 China 97.0
+ #139 North Korea 97.5
Murphy's Law