Freedom of the Press was an annual report on media independence around the world, published between 1980 and 2017 by US-based non-governmental organization Freedom House.[2] It presented measurements of the level of freedom and editorial independence enjoyed by the press in nations and significant disputed territories around the world.
Percentage of countries in each classification by year
Not Free
Partly Free
Free
Methodology
The ratings process involves several dozen analysts (Freedom House staff and consultants) who develop draft ratings using information gathered from professional contacts in a variety of countries, staff and consultant travel, international visitors, the findings of human rights and press freedom organizations, specialists in geographic and geopolitical areas, the reports of governments and multilateral bodies, members of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX) network, and a variety of domestic and international news media. Countries are given a total score from 0 (most free) to 100 (least free) on the basis of a set of 23 methodology questions and 109 indicators divided into three broad categories covering the legal, political, and economic environment. Based on the scores, the countries are then classified as "Free" (0 to 30), "Partly Free" (31 to 60), or "Not Free" (61 to 100). The draft ratings are reviewed on an individual and a comparative basis, compared with the previous year's findings, any major proposed numerical shifts or category changes are subject to more intense scrutiny, and assessments are made to ensure comparability and consistency in the findings from country to country, region to region, and year to year. While there is an element of subjectivity inherent in the rating process, it emphasizes intellectual rigor, recognizes cultural differences, diverse national interests, and varying levels of economic development, and attempts to produce balanced and unbiased ratings.[4]
2017 report
The Freedom of the Press 2017 report covers events that took place between 1 January 2016 and 31 December 2016.[5] It is put on a scale from 0 (most free) to 100 (least free).
| Country | Rank | Score | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
 Norway | 1 | 8 | Free |
 Netherlands | 2 | 11 | Free |
 Sweden | 3 | 11 | Free |
 Belgium | 4 | 12 | Free |
 Denmark | 5 | 12 | Free |
 Finland | 6 | 12 | Free |
 Switzerland | 7 | 13 | Free |
 Luxembourg | 8 | 14 | Free |
 Andorra | 9 | 15 | Free |
 Iceland | 10 | 15 | Free |
 Liechtenstein | 11 | 15 | Free |
 Palau | 12 | 15 | Free |
 Costa Rica | 13 | 16 | Free |
 Estonia | 14 | 16 | Free |
 Monaco | 15 | 16 | Free |
 Marshall Islands | 16 | 17 | Free |
 Portugal | 17 | 17 | Free |
 Saint Lucia | 18 | 17 | Free |
 San Marino | 19 | 17 | Free |
 Canada | 20 | 18 | Free |
 Ireland | 21 | 18 | Free |
 Barbados | 22 | 19 | Free |
 Jamaica | 23 | 19 | Free |
 New Zealand | 24 | 19 | Free |
 Germany | 25 | 20 | Free |
 Czech Republic | 26 | 21 | Free |
 Lithuania | 27 | 21 | Free |
 Micronesia | 28 | 21 | Free |
 Saint Kitts and Nevis | 29 | 21 | Free |
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 30 | 21 | Free |
 Australia | 31 | 22 | Free |
 Austria | 32 | 22 | Free |
 Bahamas | 33 | 23 | Free |
 Cyprus | 34 | 23 | Free |
 Malta | 35 | 23 | Free |
 Slovenia | 36 | 23 | Free |
 United States | 37 | 23 | Free |
 Uruguay | 38 | 24 | Free |
 Dominica | 39 | 25 | Free |
 Taiwan | 40 | 25 | Free |
 Trinidad and Tobago | 41 | 25 | Free |
 United Kingdom | 42 | 25 | Free |
 Vanuatu | 43 | 25 | Free |
 France | 44 | 26 | Free |
 Grenada | 45 | 26 | Free |
 Latvia | 46 | 26 | Free |
 Slovakia | 47 | 26 | Free |
 Belize | 48 | 27 | Free |
 Cape Verde | 49 | 27 | Free |
 Japan | 50 | 27 | Free |
 Solomon Islands | 51 | 27 | Free |
 Tuvalu | 52 | 27 | Free |
 São Tomé and Príncipe | 53 | 28 | Free |
 Spain | 54 | 28 | Free |
 Suriname | 55 | 28 | Free |
 Chile | 56 | 29 | Free |
 Mauritius | 57 | 29 | Free |
 Papua New Guinea | 58 | 29 | Free |
 Samoa | 59 | 29 | Free |
 Kiribati | 60 | 30 | Free |
 Tonga | 61 | 30 | Free |
 Italy | 62 | 31 | Partly Free |
 Namibia | 63 | 32 | Partly Free |
 Ghana | 64 | 33 | Partly Free |
 Israel | 65 | 33 | Partly Free |
 Antigua and Barbuda | 66 | 34 | Partly Free |
 Poland | 67 | 34 | Partly Free |
 South Korea | 68 | 34 | Partly Free |
 Timor-Leste | 69 | 35 | Partly Free |
 Benin | 70 | 37 | Partly Free |
 Mali | 71 | 37 | Partly Free |
 Mongolia | 72 | 37 | Partly Free |
 Guyana | 73 | 38 | Partly Free |
 Romania | 74 | 38 | Partly Free |
 South Africa | 75 | 38 | Partly Free |
 Burkina Faso | 76 | 41 | Partly Free |
 Croatia | 77 | 41 | Partly Free |
 El Salvador | 78 | 41 | Partly Free |
 Panama | 79 | 41 | Partly Free |
 Bulgaria | 80 | 42 | Partly Free |
 Dominican Republic | 81 | 42 | Partly Free |
 Hong Kong | 82 | 42 | Partly Free |
 India | 83 | 43 | Partly Free |
 Fiji | 84 | 44 | Partly Free |
 Greece | 85 | 44 | Partly Free |
 Hungary | 86 | 44 | Partly Free |
 Montenegro | 87 | 44 | Partly Free |
 Philippines | 88 | 44 | Partly Free |
 Botswana | 89 | 45 | Partly Free |
 Malawi | 90 | 45 | Partly Free |
 Peru | 91 | 45 | Partly Free |
 Argentina | 92 | 46 | Partly Free |
 Nauru | 93 | 46 | Partly Free |
 Brazil | 94 | 47 | Partly Free |
 Senegal | 95 | 47 | Partly Free |
 Kosovo | 96 | 48 | Partly Free |
 Mozambique | 97 | 48 | Partly Free |
 Comoros | 98 | 49 | Partly Free |
 Indonesia | 99 | 49 | Partly Free |
 Serbia | 100 | 49 | Partly Free |
 Seychelles | 101 | 49 | Partly Free |
 Georgia | 102 | 50 | Partly Free |
 Albania | 103 | 51 | Partly Free |
 Bosnia and Herzegovina | 104 | 51 | Partly Free |
 Côte d'Ivoire | 105 | 51 | Partly Free |
 Lesotho | 106 | 51 | Partly Free |
 Nigeria | 107 | 51 | Partly Free |
 Haiti | 108 | 52 | Partly Free |
 Nepal | 109 | 52 | Partly Free |
 Niger | 110 | 52 | Partly Free |
 Bolivia | 111 | 53 | Partly Free |
 Mauritania | 112 | 53 | Partly Free |
 Somaliland | 113 | 53 | Partly Free |
 Ukraine | 114 | 53 | Partly Free |
 Sierra Leone | 115 | 54 | Partly Free |
 Tunisia | 116 | 54 | Partly Free |
 Nicaragua | 117 | 55 | Partly Free |
 Lebanon | 118 | 56 | Partly Free |
 Moldova | 119 | 56 | Partly Free |
 Colombia | 120 | 57 | Partly Free |
 Togo | 121 | 57 | Partly Free |
 Bhutan | 122 | 58 | Partly Free |
 Guatemala | 123 | 58 | Partly Free |
 Kenya | 124 | 58 | Partly Free |
 Madagascar | 125 | 58 | Partly Free |
 Tanzania | 126 | 58 | Partly Free |
 Uganda | 127 | 58 | Partly Free |
 Guinea-Bissau | 128 | 59 | Partly Free |
 Paraguay | 129 | 59 | Partly Free |
 Afghanistan | 130 | 60 | Partly Free |
 Congo (Brazzaville) | 131 | 60 | Partly Free |
 Kuwait | 132 | 60 | Partly Free |
 Liberia | 133 | 60 | Partly Free |
 Sri Lanka | 134 | 61 | Not Free |
 Bangladesh | 135 | 62 | Not Free |
 Maldives | 136 | 62 | Not Free |
 Armenia | 137 | 63 | Not Free |
 Zambia | 138 | 63 | Not Free |
 Macedonia | 139 | 64 | Not Free |
 Mexico | 140 | 64 | Not Free |
 Algeria | 141 | 65 | Not Free |
 Pakistan | 142 | 65 | Not Free |
 Cameroon | 143 | 66 | Not Free |
 Ecuador | 144 | 66 | Not Free |
 Guinea | 145 | 66 | Not Free |
 Honduras | 146 | 66 | Not Free |
 Morocco | 147 | 66 | Not Free |
 Kyrgyzstan | 148 | 67 | Not Free |
 Singapore | 149 | 67 | Not Free |
 Jordan | 150 | 68 | Not Free |
 Malaysia | 151 | 69 | Not Free |
 Cambodia | 152 | 70 | Not Free |
 Qatar | 153 | 70 | Not Free |
 South Sudan | 154 | 70 | Not Free |
 Central African Republic | 155 | 71 | Not Free |
 Gabon | 156 | 71 | Not Free |
 Iraq | 157 | 71 | Not Free |
 Oman | 158 | 71 | Not Free |
 Angola | 159 | 73 | Not Free |
 Myanmar | 160 | 73 | Not Free |
 Chad | 161 | 74 | Not Free |
 Zimbabwe | 162 | 74 | Not Free |
 Brunei | 163 | 76 | Not Free |
 Turkey | 164 | 76 | Not Free |
 Djibouti | 165 | 77 | Not Free |
 Egypt | 166 | 77 | Not Free |
 Libya | 167 | 77 | Not Free |
 Thailand | 168 | 77 | Not Free |
 United Arab Emirates | 169 | 78 | Not Free |
 Rwanda | 170 | 79 | Not Free |
 Somalia | 171 | 79 | Not Free |
 Venezuela | 172 | 81 | Not Free |
 Congo (Kinshasa) | 173 | 82 | Not Free |
 Belarus | 174 | 83 | Not Free |
 Russia | 175 | 83 | Not Free |
 Swaziland | 176 | 83 | Not Free |
 Vietnam | 177 | 84 | Not Free |
 Palestine | 178 | 84 | Not Free |
 Burundi | 179 | 85 | Not Free |
 Kazakhstan | 180 | 85 | Not Free |
 Laos | 181 | 85 | Not Free |
 Yemen | 182 | 85 | Not Free |
 Ethiopia | 183 | 86 | Not Free |
 Saudi Arabia | 184 | 86 | Not Free |
 Sudan | 185 | 86 | Not Free |
 Bahrain | 186 | 87 | Not Free |
 China | 187 | 87 | Not Free |
 Tajikistan | 188 | 87 | Not Free |
 The Gambia | 189 | 87 | Not Free |
 Azerbaijan | 190 | 90 | Not Free |
 Iran | 191 | 90 | Not Free |
 Syria | 192 | 90 | Not Free |
 Cuba | 193 | 91 | Not Free |
 Equatorial Guinea | 194 | 91 | Not Free |
 Crimea | 195 | 94 | Not Free |
 Eritrea | 196 | 94 | Not Free |
 Uzbekistan | 197 | 95 | Not Free |
 North Korea | 198 | 98 | Not Free |
 Turkmenistan | 199 | 98 | Not Free |
| Key: | Not Free (scores 61–99) | Partly Free (scores 31–60 | Free (scores 0–30) |
Americas
Asia-Pacific
Eastern Europe, Former Soviet Union
Middle East and North Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa
Western Europe