World Press Freedom Index 2023: India ranks 161 out of 180 countries

World Press Freedom Index 2023

According to the latest report from global media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF), India has slipped to the 161st position out of 180 countries in the 2023 World Press Freedom Index. The report was released by RSF, and it indicates a decline in India’s ranking for press freedom.

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There are more than 100,000 newspapers (including 36,000 weeklies) and 380 TV news channels currently operating in the country. Since January 1, 2023 one journalist was killed in the country while 10 journalists are behind bars. This year’s report shows the number of countries deemed “satisfactory” for their treatment of journalists rising slightly, but so does the number where the situation is “very serious”.

What is World Press Freedom Index?

The World Press Freedom Index is based on five different factors that are used to calculate scores and rank countries. These five sub-indicators include the Political indicator, Economic indicator, Legislative indicator, Social indicator, and Security indicator. Scores are calculated for each of these indicators and used to determine the overall ranking of countries in terms of press freedom.

World Press Freedom Index 2023: India

India’s rank in the Security indicator category is particularly concerning, as it has fallen to 172 out of 180 countries in the 2023 World Press Freedom Index. This means that only eight countries have a worse ranking than India when it comes to ensuring the safety and security of journalists.
In terms of this parameter, India is ranked worse than all other countries except for China, Mexico, Iran, Pakistan, Syria, Yemen, Ukraine, and Myanmar, with Myanmar having the lowest ranking.
India’s performance in the World Press Freedom Index is also poor compared to other countries in South Asia. Bangladesh ranks slightly worse than India at 163, while Pakistan ranks ahead of India at 150.
Surprisingly, even Afghanistan, where the Taliban government is known to restrict independent journalism, has a better ranking than India, at 152. Bhutan has a much better ranking at 90, while Sri Lanka is ranked at 135.

World Press Freedom Index 2023: Globally

Nordic countries like Norway, Ireland, and Denmark ranked top three respectively while Vietnam, China, and North Korea were the bottom three countries on the index.
Russia, where the government has largely completed its quelling of independent media, fell nine places to 164th. Despite the Russian invasion and its own issues with oligarchs, Ukraine rose 27 places to 79th.