Marking a decline of 16 spots since 2019, Pakistan has fallen to 158th place in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
RSF ranked Pakistan in the “very serious situation” category, alongside India, Afghanistan, and Iran. The report cited increasing censorship, political pressure, and growing violence against journalists as key reasons.
The RSF blames increasing censorship, shrinking space for dissent, and frequent threats to journalists as key factors behind Pakistan’s decline in the World Press Freedom Index.
Pakistan remains one of the most dangerous countries for journalists, with several reporters killed every year, often in connection with corruption or illegal activities, and most of these cases remain unsolved, the report stated.
The RSF’s index came just days after Pakistan’s Freedom Network published its own damning report titled “Free speech and public interest journalism under siege.” It pointed to a deepening crisis in Pakistani journalism, with increased attacks, shrinking safety nets for journalists, and the chilling impact of cybercrime laws like the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).
Media experts in Pakistan have repeatedly raised concerns about how these laws are being used to silence dissenting voices and undermine independent journalism.
As the world marks World Press Freedom Day, the RSF’s warning is a stark reminder of the mounting challenges facing the media in Pakistan — and around the globe.
The RSF said 2025 marks a global low for media freedom, with over 60 per cent of countries in decline — but conditions in Pakistan are particularly alarming.
| Rank | Country | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norway | Top-ranked for the ninth year running |
| 2 | Estonia | Significant improvement, now second |
| 3 | Netherlands | Up one spot |
| 4 | Sweden | Dropped one place |
| 5 | Finland | Remained static |
| 6 | Denmark | Fell four spots |
| 8 | Portugal | Lost “good” designation, now “satisfactory” |
| 20 | United Kingdom | “Satisfactory” rating, up three places |
| 31 | Poland | Improved to “satisfactory” |
| 41 | Gabon | Improved to “satisfactory” |
| 53 | Panama | Rose 30 places |
| 57 | United States | Dropped two positions |
| 84 | Paraguay | Jumped 31 places, now “problematic” |
| 93 | Bolivia | Jumped 31 places, still “difficult” |
| 99 | Kosovo | Fell 24 spots |
| 103 | Guinea | Biggest fall, dropped 25 places |
| 135 | Rwanda | Newly classed as “very serious” |
| 140 | Hong Kong | Historic low, now in “very serious” red zone |
| 143 | Uganda | Newly classed as “very serious” |
| 144 | Kyrgyzstan | Fell 24 spots, now “very serious” |
| 145 | Ethiopia | Newly classed as “very serious” |
| 147 | Jordan | Newly classed as “very serious” |
| 149 | Bangladesh | Climbed 16 notches, outshines India and Pakistan |
| 151 | India | Significant decline, “undeclared media emergency” |
| 158 | Pakistan | Growing concerns over media independence |
| 176 | Iran | Among the bottom five |
| 177 | Syria | Among the bottom five |
| 178 | China | Among the bottom five |
| 179 | North Korea | Second lowest |
| 180 | Eritrea | Last place, most repressive |
