India Press Freedom Rank has fallen to 157th out of 180 countries in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on 30 April 2026. India was placed in the “very serious” category for press freedom and dropped six places from its 2025 rank of 151.

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What is the World Press Freedom Index?

The World Press Freedom Index is an annual report published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), a Paris-based organisation. The index measures press freedom conditions in 180 countries and territories around the world.

The ranking is prepared using several indicators such as media independence, journalist safety, legal environment, transparency, self-censorship, and media pluralism.

India Press Freedom Rank in Recent Years

India’s position in the World Press Freedom Index has changed in recent years. In 2024, India ranked 159th out of 180 countries. The country improved slightly in 2026 with a rank of 157, but it remained lower than its 2025 position of 151.

The latest ranking shows that India still faces major challenges related to press freedom and journalist safety.

Reasons Behind India’s Ranking Decline

According to RSF, several factors affected India’s ranking in 2026. The report mentioned violence against journalists, political influence on media outlets, and concentrated media ownership.

The organisation also highlighted judicial pressure on independent media and the use of criminal laws such as defamation and national security laws against journalists.

These issues were seen as important reasons for India being placed in the “very serious” category.

Global Press Freedom Situation in 2026

The 2026 World Press Freedom Index showed a worrying global trend. For the first time in the 25-year history of the index, more than half of the countries included in the ranking were placed in either the “difficult” or “very serious” categories.

This indicates that press freedom conditions have weakened in many parts of the world.