TASHKENT - The international organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has published its 2026 World Press Freedom Index. Uzbekistan ranked 147th out of 180 countries, moving up one place from last year, though its overall score fell from 35.24 to 34.95, Gazeta.uz reports.
RSF assesses the media freedom situation in Uzbekistan as "very challenging." The organization noted that the situation has improved only slightly since 2016, and criticism of the government remains difficult. It also points to continued state control over the media and government influence over parts of the blogosphere.
The Eastern Europe and Central Asia region again ranked second to last in the global ranking in 2026. Among the countries in the region, Kyrgyzstan ranked 146th, Kazakhstan 149th. Armenia ranked 50th, and Georgia fell to 135th.
At the bottom of the list were Belarus (165th), Azerbaijan (171st), Russia (172nd), and Turkmenistan (173rd).
Norway topped the rankings for the tenth year in a row. The top five also included the Netherlands, Estonia, Denmark, and Sweden.
China, North Korea, and Eritrea again occupied the bottom spots.
RSF also noted that for the first time, more than half of the world's countries rated press freedom conditions as "challenging" or "very challenging," and the global average was the lowest in 25 years.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
April 30, 2026