Netherlands climbs to No. 2 in global Press Freedom Index as RSF warns of record-low standards

The Netherlands has climbed to second place in the latest Press Freedom Index, overtaking Estonia as Norway retains the top position, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF). The watchdog warns the global picture is bleak: more than half of the 180 countries assessed now fall within the two worst-performing categories, a low it says it has never previously recorded.

RSF provides no specific explanation for the Netherlands’ improvement but notes pressure on Estonia’s public broadcaster as that country slips from second to third. Estonia, the Nordic countries, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Ireland are rated as having “good” press freedom.

Conditions across Western and Southern Europe are generally “satisfactory,” while much of Eastern Europe—particularly the Balkans—shows a downward trend and is now labelled “problematic.” Beyond Europe, the steepest decline is in Niger, which drops 37 places to 120th, a fall RSF partly attributes to violence in the Sahel region.

The United States falls to 64th, seven places lower than in 2025, with RSF describing “systematic” pressure on journalism during President Donald Trump’s second term, often involving insults, and calling it “one of the most serious crises for press freedom” in U.S.

history. The group points to politically motivated campaigns targeting journalists as examples. Russia ranks 172nd and, according to RSF, is responsible for detaining the highest number of foreign journalists. RSF says both Russia and Belarus (165th) frequently use legislation to undermine journalists and obstruct their work.

Ukraine rises seven places to 55th, which RSF links to the strength of its investigative journalism sector. Syria posts one of the most dramatic changes, moving from 177th in 2025 to 141st. RSF ties the shift to what it describes as a “historical transformation” following the collapse of the Assad regime in late 2024.

Lebanon (115th) also moves up, which RSF attributes to a “renewed political will” and reduced violence against journalists. The Palestinian territories (156th) show a modest improvement, particularly after the ceasefire with Israel, while Israel drops four places to 116th.

At the bottom of the table, Iran (177th) remains near the end, and Eritrea (180th) again finishes last, as in 2025. In the Netherlands, the journalists’ union warns that the strong international ranking masks ongoing concerns.

The Dutch Association of Journalists (NVJ) says the country has long scored relatively poorly on the “safety” dimension of press freedom and reports that violence against journalists increased again in 2025, with more cases of threats, intimidation, and physical assaults.

Incidents have risen for the third consecutive year, according to the NVJ. The safety initiative PersVeilig recorded 262 reports in the past year, while the Press Freedom Monitor notes journalists were among those targeted at demonstrations and sports matches.

RSF’s assessment underscores a widening divide: while a handful of countries remain in the “good” category, the overall environment for independent reporting is deteriorating. In the Netherlands, the NVJ’s findings indicate that day-to-day safety for journalists remains a concern even as the country advances in the global ranking.