This world map features how each country’s press is free and unrestricted. The data from this press freedom map is based on the World Press Freedom Index released by international media watchdog Reporters Without Borders.
The scores of each country are based on their media’s acceptance of opinions (pluralism), independence, and the level of abuse and violence within the workplace.
The top countries with the free press are dominated by European countries. Norway leads the pack with a score of 7.8, followed by its neighbors Finland, Denmark, and Sweden, the only countries with a high single-digit score. The Netherlands, Switzerland, and Portugal are the other European nations in the top 10. Completing the list are Jamaica, Costa Rica, and New Zealand.
On the other hand, countries without freedom of the press are mostly in Asia. North Korea is least ranked at number 180 with a score of 85.82.
Learn more about the situation of press freedom around the world through these books:
- Guardians of Liberty: Freedom of the Press and the Nature of News
- Truth in Our Times: Inside the Fight for Press Freedom in the Age of Alternative Facts
- Networked Press Freedom: Creating Infrastructures for a Public Right to Hear
- Securing Democracy: My Fight for Press Freedom and Justice in Bolsonaro’s Brazil
- The People vs. Democracy: Why Our Freedom Is in Danger and How to Save It
Help us out by sharing this map: