More than half of the world's population lives in countries with a 'very serious' situation," the France-based, non-profit organization said in its report, released on International Press Freedom Day.
Sri Lanka has climbed 11 places in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), now ranking 139 out of 180 countries. Despite the improvement from its 2024 ranking of 150, the country remains in the category where the environment for journalism is classified as “very serious”.
The annual Index, released to mark World Press Freedom Day, highlights persistent challenges for journalists in Sri Lanka. While physical violence against media personnel has seen a slight decline, RSF points out that economic pressure on news outlets is becoming a more insidious threat to press freedom in the country.
RSF said its main index has fallen to its lowest-ever level in the 23 years that it has been tracking press freedom.
The rankings are made by experts after considering the number of violent incidents involving journalists in each country, as well as other relevant data. They assess the situation in a country or territory in five categories: politics, law, economy, socio-culture and security.
“Economic coercion, reduced advertising revenue, and increasing control of media ownership are undermining the independence of journalism,” the report states.
Globally, Norway and Estonia continue to lead the Index as the countries with the freest media environments. At the other end of the scale, China, North Korea, and Eritrea remain the most repressive for journalists, with worsening conditions and state-imposed censorship.
The RSF Index evaluates media freedom based on five indicators: political context, legal framework, economic context, sociocultural context, and safety.
Media watchdogs and civil society groups in Sri Lanka have welcomed the upward movement in ranking but urge continued vigilance and reforms to ensure genuine progress.
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