Afghanistan has been ranked 175th out of 180 countries in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), highlighting the country’s severe decline in media independence and journalist safety under Taliban rule.
The country has moved up three spots in Reporters Without Borders’ (RSF) 2025 World Press Freedom Index but despite this modest improvement in ranking, Afghanistan’s overall score declined from 19.09 to 17.88, indicating a further deterioration in press freedom conditions.
According to RSF, the Taliban’s takeover in 2021 marked the collapse of press freedom in Afghanistan. Taliban have imposed sweeping restrictions on independent reporting, curtailed pluralism, and increased repression of journalists—particularly targeting women reporters. Media outlets are now required to air only state-approved content, while dissenting voices have been systematically silenced.
RSF’s assessment is based on five key indicators: political context, economic context, legislative framework, sociocultural factors, and security conditions. In nearly every category, Afghanistan saw sharp declines. Its security ranking was 175th, economic indicator 165th, and legislative indicator 178th—one of the worst globally.
The group noted that Afghan journalists, especially women, face arrest, harassment, and intimidation by the Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. Many female reporters have been pushed out of the profession entirely.
The grim report comes amid a broader global downturn in press freedom. For the first time since RSF began its rankings, the global average score fell into the “difficult” category, a downgrade from the previously “problematic” status. Globally, economic challenges, ownership concentration, political pressure, and declining public trust have further strained independent journalism.
While Norway maintained its position as the world’s best-ranked country for press freedom, RSF reported that nearly one-third of the world’s population lives in countries classified as having a “very serious” press freedom situation—including Afghanistan.
RSF concluded that independent journalism in Afghanistan is facing existential threats, and the international community must do more to protect Afghan media professionals.
