World Press Freedom Index 2023: India’s Rank 161

By : Neha Dhyani

Updated : Jun 8, 2023, 11:54

World Press Freedom Index 2023 ranks countries based on their press freedom records and is published by Reporters Without Borders. The ranking is based on factors such as the independence of media, pluralism, and the safety of journalists. World Press Freedom Index measures the freedom of information in 180 countries, including India.

Currently, India’s rank on the Press Freedom Index is 161. In this article, we have shared more details about the World Press Freedom Index 2023, along with India’s rank in the last few years on the index.

What is the World Press Freedom Index?

World Press Freedom Index ranks 180 countries according to the freedom available to journalists. The rankings are determined by a combination of indicators, including constraints on the media, economic pressures, the existence of a state monopoly and abuses. The Press Freedom Index 2023 has ranked India in the 161th spot.

The index shows that India is becoming an unfavorable place for journalists. The World Press Freedom Index measures the freedom of information in 180 countries globally, based on a questionnaire sent to journalists, editors, media lawyers, and experts every year.

World Press Freedom Index 2023 - Ranking

Reporters Without Borders, an NGO working to safeguard the right to freedom of information, annually compiles the Press Freedom Index. This index ranks countries of the world based on press freedom. Check out the World Press Freedom Index 2023 ranking below.

World Press Index 2023 Rank	Country Name	Score
1	Norway	95.18
2	Ireland	89.91
3	Denmark	89.48
4	Sweden	88.15
5	Finland	87.94
6	Netherlands	87.00
7	Lithuania	86.79
8	Estonia	85.31
9	Portugal	84.60
10	East Timor	84.49
11	Liechtenstein	84.47
12	Switzerland	84.40
13	New Zealand	84.23
14	Czech Republic	83.58
15	Canada	83.53
16	Latvia	83.27
17	Slovakia	83.22
18	Iceland	83.19
19	Samoa	82.15
20	Luxembourg	81.98
21	Germany	81.91
22	Namibia	80.91
23	Costa Rica	82.30
24	France	78.72
25	South Africa	78.60
26	United Kingdom	78.51
27	Australia	78.24
28	Moldova	77.62
29	Austria	77.30
30	Trinidad and Tobago	76.54
31	Belgium	76.47
32	Jamaica	75.89
33	Cape Verde	75.72
34	Seychelles	75.71
35	Taiwan	75.54
36	Spain	75.37
37	Andorra	75.05
38	North Macedonia	74.35
39	Montenegro	74.28
40	Argentina	73.36
41	Italy	72.05
42	Croatia	71.95
43	Dominican Republic	71.88
44	Tonga	71.29
45	United States	71.22
46	Gambia	71.06
47	South Korea	70.83
48	Suriname	70.62
49	Armenia	70.61
50	Slovenia	70.59
51	Belize	70.49
52	Uruguay	70.33
53	Romania	69.04
54	Ivory Coast	68.83
55	Cyprus	68.62
56	Kosovo	68.38
57	Poland	67.66
58	Burkina Faso	67.64
59	Papua New Guinea	67.62
60	Guyana	67.50
61	Niger	66.84
62	Ghana	65.93
63	Mauritius	65.56
64	Bosnia and Herzegovina	65.43
65	Botswana	64.61
66	Liberia	64.34
67	Lesotho	64.29
68	Japan	63.95
69	Panama	63.67
70	Togo	63.06
71	Bulgaria	62.98
72	Hungary	62.96
73	Malaysia	62.83
74	Sierra Leone	62.55
75	Comoros	62.25
76	Northern Cyprus	61.73
77	Georgia	61.69
78	Guinea-Bissau	61.57
79	Ukraine	61.19
80	Ecuador	60.51
81	Congo	60.42
82	Malawi	60.34
83	Chile	60.09
84	Malta	59.76
85	Guinea	59.51
86	Mauritania	59.45
87	Zambia	59.41
88	Mongolia	59.33
89	Fiji	59.27
90	Bhutan	59.25
91	Serbia	59.16
92	Brazil	58.67
93	Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States	58.36
94	Gabon	58.12
95	Nepal	57.89
96	Albania	57.86
97	Israel	57.57
98	Central African Republic	57.56
99	Haiti	57.38
100	Maldives	56.93
101	Madagascar	56.66
102	Mozambique	56.13
103	Paraguay	55.96
104	Senegal	55.82
105	Qatar	55.28
106	Thailand	55.24
107	Greece	55.20
108	Indonesia	54.83
109	Chad	53.73
110	Peru	52.74
111	Eswatini	52.66
112	Benin	52.44
113	Mali	52.29
114	Burundi	52.14
115	El Salvador	51.36
116	Kenya	51.15
117	Bolivia	51.09
118	South Sudan	50.62
119	Lebanon	50.46
120	Equatorial Guinea	50.35
121	Tunisia	50.11
122	Kyrgyzstan	49.91
123	Nigeria	49.56
124	DR Congo	48.55
125	Angola	48.30
126	Zimbabwe	48.17
127	Guatemala	48.12
128	Mexico	47.98
129	Singapore	47.88
130	Ethiopia	47.70
131	Rwanda	46.58
132	Philippines	46.21
133	Uganda	46.08
134	Kazakhstan	45.87
135	Sri Lanka	45.85
136	Algeria	45.74
137	Uzbekistan	45.73
138	Cameroon	45.58
139	Colombia	45.32
140	Hong Kong	44.86
141	Somalia	44.24
142	Brunei	44.20
143	Tanzania	44.02
144	Morocco	43.69
145	United Arab Emirates	42.99
146	Jordan	42.79
147	Cambodia	42.02
148	Sudan	40.83
149	Libya	40.22
150	Pakistan	39.95
151	Azerbaijan	39.93
152	Afghanistan	39.75
153	Tajikistan	39.06
154	Kuwait	38.84
155	Oman	37.87
156	Palestine	37.86
157	Belarus	37.17
158	Nicaragua	37.09
159	Venezuela	36.99
160	Laos	36.66
161	India	36.62
162	Djibouti	35.87
163	Bangladesh	35.31
164	Russia	34.77
165	Turkey	33.97
166	Egypt	33.37
167	Iraq	32.94
168	Yemen	32.78
169	Honduras	32.65
170	Saudi Arabia	32.43
171	Bahrain	30.59
172	Cuba	29.00
173	Myanmar	28.26
174	Eritrea	27.86
175	Syria	27.22
176	Turkmenistan	25.82
177	Iran	24.81
178	Vietnam	24.58
179	China	22.97
180	North Korea	21.72

Press Freedom Index 2023 - India’s Rank

According to World Press Freedom Index, India ranks at 161. The index is an essential indicator of media freedom in each country and provides a yardstick for measuring progress in the field. The Press Freedom Index measures the level of freedom journalists and news organisations enjoy in each country and the efforts made by authorities to respect and ensure respect for this freedom.

World Press Freedom Index is compiled by employing 83 questions with approximately 150 NGOs that experts complete throughout the world. It considers the legal framework, the political situation, and how journalists work.
To evaluate the overall level of press freedom in a country termed "country status", its scores in the different areas are weighted according to their importance.
The Press Freedom Index, therefore, reflects the level of impunity enjoyed by those who attack journalists' authorities.

World Press Freedom Index - Factors Considered

While compiling the annual Press Freedom Index, a number of factors are considered before determining a country’s ranking. The criteria used to compile the World Press Freedom Index are

Pluralism, media independence and environment, self-censorship, transparency, and the quality of legislation.
Legal framework.
Transparency of media ownership.
Transparency of funding is also considered while compiling the Press Freedom Index.
Abuse of power by private or public media owners.
Distribution of national revenue from the advertising market or other public subsidies among media.
The independence of regulatory bodies is a key factor considered in the World Press Freedom Index.
The quality of the infrastructure supports the production and distribution of news telephone networks, internet access, etc.

Press Freedom Index - Significance

Each year, Reporters Without Borders releases its World Press Freedom Index, ranking countries by the level of freedom available to their journalists. Freedom of the press is a crucial indicator of the health of any given country and is often a good predictor of future unrest and revolution. Here is why Press Freedom Index is significant.

The report is based on an assessment of media independence that experts worldwide conduct. The criteria used in their analysis include pluralism, media independence, media environment and self-censorship, transparency, and infrastructure.
The World Press Freedom Index only deals with press freedom, but Reporters Without Borders also maintains a list of mainly dictatorial regimes called the "Enemies of the Internet".
Press Freedom Index asks questions about certain factors and ultimately, the index is sent to the relevant authorities in each country- journalists, researchers, jurists and human rights activists.

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FAQs on World Press Freedom Index

Q1. Which Country is Ranked No 1 in the World Press Freedom Index 2023?

Norway is the No 1 country in the World Press Freedom Index 2023. Reporters Without Borders, an NGO working for the right to freedom of information compiles the annual World Press Freedom Index by evaluating the status of press freedom in 180 countries.

Q2. Where India Ranked in the World Press Freedom Index 2023?

India’s rank in the World Press Freedom Index 2023 is 161. Earlier, in 2022 and 2021, India’s rank on the World Press Freedom Index was 150 and 142. India ranks poorly on the Press Freedom Index, indicating that it is growing to become an unfavorable place for journalists.

Q3. Who releases the World Press Freedom Index?

Reporters Without Borders, a non-governmental organization working to safeguard the right to freedom of information compiles and releases the World Press Freedom Index annually. The organization evaluates the status of press freedom in 180 countries around the world before compiling the Press Freedom Index.

Q4. What is India’s last three year’s rank on the World Press Freedom Index?

India’s rank on the World Press Freedom Index has been poor. In 2023, India’s rank on the Index is 161. Earlier, in 2022 and 2021, India’s rank on the World Press Freedom Index was 150 and 142. This indicates that the country is not the ideal place for journalists.

Q5. How many countries are ranked in the World Press Freedom Index ranking?

Reporters Without Borders, the organization that compiles the World Press Freedom Index, ranks 180 countries in the world based on certain factors that indicate press freedom. The top countries on the Press Freedom Index are Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Estonia, and Finland.

Q6. Why is the World Press Freedom Index important?

World Press Freedom Index is important because it indicates the level of freedom that journalists are granted in a country. Freedom of the press is extremely important, especially in a democracy. World Press Freedom Index is therefore, a significant indicator of a country’s press health.