The state of press freedom worldwide has never been in such bad shape as it is today, according to an annual survey published by the media watchdog Reporters Without Borders.
Among countries in Central Asia and the Caucasus, Georgia experienced the most erosion of media freedom over the past year.The 25th World Press Freedom Index published by RSF underscored that independent, fact-based journalism is under assault globally. “For the first time in the history of the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) World Press Freedom Index, over half of the world’s countries now fall into the “difficult” or “very serious” categories for press freedom,” RSF said about its annual survey.
Among 180 countries surveyed by RSF, Armenia at 50th ranked the highest among states in Central Asia and the Caucasus.Even so, Armenia experienced significant deterioration in its media environment, according to RSF metrics.
In 2025, the country ranked 34th.All other states in the two regions were ranked in the bottom quartile of the RSF ranking.Georgia ranked 135th in 2026, a 21-point decline over the previous year’s standing.
The country’s Georgian Dream government has embraced authoritarian practices over the past two years, shunning the European Union while strengthening relations with Russia and China.Uzbekistan experienced a slight uptick in press freedom, moving up one spot in 2026 to 147th, compared to the previous year’s ranking.
Kyrgyzstan (146) ranked one spot ahead of Uzbekistan, while Kazakhstan (149) was two spots behind.They were followed by Pakistan (153) and Tajikistan (155).Azerbaijan (171), Turkmenistan (173) and Afghanistan (175) were all deemed among the worst of the worst, in terms of countries with the most restrictive media environments in the world. “Journalism is being asphyxiated by hostile political discourse towards reporters, weakened by a faltering media economy, and squeezed by laws being used as weapons against the press,” RSF states. “The criminalization of journalism, which is rooted in circumventing press law and misusing emergency legislation and common law, is proving to be a global phenomenon.”