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.
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This is one of 36 standing analyses drawn from the Some Perspective dataset. It is not dated commentary: it describes a relationship in the data that holds across the series, and it is regenerated whenever the underlying dataset is refreshed. The figures quoted here reflect the 2026-08-15 data vintage.