Following a declining trend that emerged in 2017, India's press freedom rank dropped further to 161 out of 180 countries surveyed in the World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders in 2023. With a score of 36.6 the South Asian democracy was among regions where the freedom of the press was seriously threatened. The Press Freedom Index score in 2023 was evaluated based on the political, economic, and sociocultural contexts as well as the legal framework and level of safety in a country.
Perils of pursuing journalism in India
Despite constitutional guarantees such as the freedom of speech and expression, journalists and media organizations in India continue to face challenges in reporting issues crucial to upholding democratic values. In the last two decades, over 50 journalists were killed in the country while several others were imprisoned under anti-state charges.
Press freedom in APAC region
The press freedom index varies widely in the Asia-Pacific region, with New Zealand being one of the highest-ranking countries globally. In contrast, the regimes in China and North Korea continue to exercise strict control over the media. Press freedom remains under threat due to censorship, violence against journalists, and government pressure on media outlets not just in the Asia-Pacific region, but around the world.
World Press Freedom Rank of India from 2002 to 2023
Characteristic
Rank on Press Freedom Index
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180 countries and territories scored on a scale from 0 to 100.
Supplementary notes
*Reporters Without Borders assigned a combined score for the years 2011 and 2012.
Note: The methodology employed by the source to evaluate press freedom across the world changed in 2013, and then again in 2022. As of 2022, the scores were categorized as follows:
[85 - 100 points] good,
[70 - 85 points] satisfactory,
[55 - 70 points] problematic,
[40 - 55 points] difficult,
[0 - 40 points] very serious.
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World Bank. (October 26, 2023). World Press Freedom Rank of India from 2002 to 2023 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved July 22, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1364514/india-press-freedom-ranking/
World Bank. "World Press Freedom Rank of India from 2002 to 2023." Chart. October 26, 2023. Statista. Accessed July 22, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1364514/india-press-freedom-ranking/
World Bank. (2023). World Press Freedom Rank of India from 2002 to 2023. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: July 22, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1364514/india-press-freedom-ranking/
World Bank. "World Press Freedom Rank of India from 2002 to 2023." Statista, Statista Inc., 26 Oct 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1364514/india-press-freedom-ranking/
World Bank, World Press Freedom Rank of India from 2002 to 2023 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1364514/india-press-freedom-ranking/ (last visited July 22, 2024)
World Press Freedom Rank of India from 2002 to 2023 [Graph], World Bank, October 26, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1364514/india-press-freedom-ranking/