The Netherlands has jumped to third place in the 2025 Reporters Without Borders (RSF) World Press Freedom Index, standing tall as one of the most press-friendly nations out there.
The RFS Index ranks press freedom in 180 countries and territories, looking at five key factors: politics, law, economy, culture, and safety.
Europe leads, but regions in Eastern Europe suffer
Let’s start with some good news: the Netherlands has climbed to #3 in the global ranking, a strong showing for press freedom.👇
| Rank | Country | Global score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norway | 92.31 |
| 2 | Estonia | 89.46 |
| 3 | Netherlands | 88.64 |
| 4 | Sweden | 88.13 |
| 5 | Finland | 87.18 |
| 6 | Denmark | 86.93 |
| 7 | Ireland | 86.92 |
| 8 | Portugal | 84.26 |
| 9 | Switzerland | 83.98 |
| 10 | Czechia | 83.96 |
But don’t jump for joy just yet, as there’s quite a sombre reason for the Netherlands’ leap in rankings. According to the RFS, it’s largely due to crime reporter Peter de Vries’ assassination that the Netherlands now has strong measures in place to protect journalists.
The global picture is also far less rosy. Economic pressures are hitting newsrooms hard, with financial instability now a major threat to press freedom. 💸
Even in the EU–Balkans region, the top performer globally, seven out of ten countries saw their economic scores drop this year.
The situation is even more worrying in Bosnia, Serbia, and Kosovo, where public service media often experience severe budget cuts and a worrying amount of political control.
Helaas, it truly is a scary time for media independence. 😬
During the global media squeeze, even the US is feeling the pinch
As media giants swallow up more of the market, advertising influence rises, and public funding stays unstable, journalistic independence is swiftly becoming a thing of the past.
The United States is a clear example where journalists are now experiencing a surge in wrongful arrests and physical assault. This has caused the country to plummet 28 spots in the social indicator, now ranking 57th out of 180 nations.
And, as more local news outlets continue to disappear, many journalists say it’s harder than ever to make a living.
With administrations like Trump’s slashing public media funding, politicians continue to add strain to an already-fragile system.
Now, hundreds of outlets barely survive, and millions have lost access to reliable local news. 📉
The takeaway? Legal protections alone aren’t enough. Without financial support, press freedom won’t last.
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