Global press freedom suffers sharpest decline in 50 years, report finds
According to the report, press freedom fell most sharply in Afghanistan, Burkina Faso and Myanmar, which are all in a state of war and unrest.
Press freedom has seen its sharpest global decline in 5o years as democracy weakens worldwide, a new report by the Stockholm-based International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) has revealed.
The Global State of Democracy Report 2025, which has been tracking democratic performance in 174 countries since 1975, found that media freedoms have worsened in a quarter of all countries, while democracy has weakened in 94 countries over the past five years.
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"Democracy faces a perfect storm of autocratic resurgence and acute uncertainty, due to massive social and economic changes," said IDEA Secretary General Kevin Casas-Zamora.
"To fight back, democracies need to protect key elements of democracy, like elections and the rule of law, but also profoundly reform government so that it delivers fairness, inclusion and shared prosperity."
According to the report, press freedom fell most sharply in Afghanistan, Burkina Faso and Myanmar, which are all in a state of war and unrest.
The study also highlighted how problems facing the press vary widely depending on the context. South Korea saw the fourth-biggest drop after former president Yoon Suk Yeol used defamation suits to target critical outlets before being removed from office earlier this year.
Elsewhere in New Zealand, media consolidation has concentrated most journalists under just five major employers.
In the Middle East, more than 200 Palestinian journalists have been killed since October 2023, with Israel blocking international media from entering Gaza.
Between 2024 and 2025, both Israel and the Palestinian Authority suspended Al Jazeera's operations, citing national security concerns.
"Between 2024 and 2025, Al Jazeera was targeted by both Israel and the Palestinian Authority, which have suspended the media outlet's operations over alleged national security concerns and tensions over its coverage of certain events," the report notes.
Despite the notable decline in press freedoms, the report also pointed to significant gains. Chile recorded the largest gains in freedom of expression thanks to draft laws aimed at securing journalist safety, while Botswana and South Africa helped Africa account for nearly a quarter of global democratic gains.
However, the report was more critical of the United States, which it listed as a "backsliding" democracy in 2021. It said Washington has since scaled back diplomatic and financial support for democracy promotion, while its domestic institutions have lost symbolic standing.
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