India ranks 157th of 180 on press freedom

The RSF 2026 World Press Freedom Index, released 30 April, dropped India six places from 151 in 2025. India now sits below Pakistan (153), Bangladesh (152), and Nepal (87). RSF cites concentrated ownership, violence against journalists, and overt political alignment of outlets.

What follows. India ranks below Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Of its neighbours, only Myanmar (166), Afghanistan (175) and China (178) rank lower in 2026.

The data behind this reading

Press freedom rank, of 180 (1 is best)

2004-2013 average 120; 2014-2026 average 145; latest 157 in 2026. Source, method and every year.

One of 37 readings of the dataset. Data vintage 2026-10-19. Cite as Raman, V.S., Some Perspective: India's Political Economy, 2004-2026, someperspective.info, CC BY 4.0.

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