Uzbekistan rises one place in the press freedom ranking.

According to the 2026 Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders, Uzbekistan has risen one place to rank 147th out of 180 countries.

 

On this matter, economist Otabek Bakirov wrote: "Our position has improved by one place compared to the 2025 indicator, but the total points decreased from 35.24 to 34.95. The improvement of our position by one place is related to the fact that the situation regarding freedom of speech in the countries in our cohort has worsened more."

 

The report notes that for the first time in history, more than half of the world's countries have been classified in the "difficult" or "very serious" categories regarding press freedom.

 

Central Asian countries are also on this list.

 

The results for the region are as follows:

 

• Kyrgyzstan — 146th place,
• Uzbekistan — 147th place,
• Kazakhstan — 149th place,
• Tajikistan — 155th place,
• Turkmenistan — 173rd place.

 

According to the analysis, global indicators have dropped to their lowest level in the last 25 years. Since 2001, legal mechanisms restricting access to information have expanded, negatively impacting press freedom even in democratic countries.

 

Over the past year, the legal indicator in particular has sharply declined, indicating the increasing criminalization of journalistic activity.

 

The situation has also become more complicated in the Americas region: the USA dropped seven places in the ranking to 64th place. In Latin American countries, conditions for the media have worsened against a backdrop of violence.

 

According to the report, in nearly 75 percent of the world's countries, the situation regarding press freedom is currently assessed as "problematic" or worse. In 52.2 percent of countries, conditions for media activity are at a "difficult" or "very serious" level. For comparison, in 2002 this figure was 13.7 percent.

 

Among the leaders, Norway has taken first place for the tenth consecutive year. Conversely, Eritrea remains at the bottom of the ranking for the third consecutive year. Syria showed the greatest positive growth, rising by 36 places.

 

The analysis notes that wars and armed conflicts are having a serious impact on press freedom. In particular, the situation has worsened in Iraq, Sudan, and Yemen.

 

Especially against the backdrop of military operations in Gaza, the danger for journalists has increased: since October 2023, more than 220 journalists have been killed in the region, at least 70 of whom were killed while performing their professional duties.

 

Also, Iran ranked 177th, dropping one place, while Russia fell to 172nd place. Ukraine rose by 7 places, recording 55th place.