Politics
Mapped: The State of Press Freedom Around the World
View a more detailed version of this map
Mapped: The State of Press Freedom Around the World
View a more detailed version of the above map by clicking here
In many Western countries, it’s easy to take press freedom for granted.
Instances of fake news, clickbait, and hyper-partisan reporting are points of consternation in the modern media landscape, and can sometimes overshadow the greater good that unrestricted journalism provides to society.
Of course, the ability to do that important work can vary significantly around the world. Being an investigative journalist in Sweden comes with a very different set of circumstances and considerations than doing the same thing in a country such as Saudi Arabia or Venezuela.
Today’s map highlights the results of the 2020 Global Press Freedom Index, produced by Reporters Without Borders. The report looks at press freedom in 180 countries and territories.
A Profession Not Without Its Risks
Today, nearly 75% of countries are in categories that the report describes as problematic, difficult, and very serious.
While these negative forces often come in the form of censorship and intimidation, journalism can be a risky profession in some of the more restrictive countries. One example is Mexico, where nearly 60 journalists were killed as a direct result of their reporting over the last decade.
There is good news though: the number of journalists killed last year was the lowest since the report began in 2002.
Even better, press freedom scores increased around the world in the 2020 report.
Press Freedom: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
Here are the scores for all 180 countries and territories covered in the report, sorted by 2020 ranking and score:
Rank (2020) | Country or Region | Score (2020) | Prev. Rank (2019) | Change in Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
#1 | 🇳🇴 Norway | 7.84 | 1 | 0 |
#2 | 🇫🇮 Finland | 7.93 | 2 | 0 |
#3 | 🇩🇰 Denmark | 8.13 | 5 | 2 |
#4 | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 9.25 | 3 | -1 |
#5 | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 9.96 | 4 | -1 |
#6 | 🇯🇲 Jamaica | 10.51 | 8 | 2 |
#7 | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | 10.53 | 10 | 3 |
#8 | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 10.62 | 6 | -2 |
#9 | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | 10.69 | 7 | -2 |
#10 | 🇵🇹 Portugal | 11.83 | 12 | 2 |
#11 | Germany | 12.16 | 13 | 2 |
#12 | Belgium | 12.57 | 9 | -3 |
#13 | Ireland | 12.60 | 15 | 2 |
#14 | Estonia | 12.61 | 11 | -3 |
#15 | Iceland | 15.12 | 14 | -1 |
#16 | Canada | 15.29 | 18 | 2 |
#17 | Luxembourg | 15.46 | 17 | 0 |
#18 | Austria | 15.78 | 16 | -2 |
#19 | Uruguay | 15.79 | 19 | 0 |
#20 | Suriname | 17.50 | 20 | 0 |
#21 | Samoa | 18.25 | 22 | 1 |
#22 | Latvia | 18.56 | 24 | 2 |
#23 | Namibia | 19.25 | 23 | 0 |
#24 | Liechtenstein | 19.52 | 26 | 2 |
#25 | Cape Verde | 20.15 | 25 | 0 |
#26 | Australia | 20.21 | 21 | -5 |
#27 | Cyprus | 20.45 | 28 | 1 |
#28 | Lithuania | 21.19 | 30 | 2 |
#29 | Spain | 22.16 | 29 | 0 |
#30 | Ghana | 22.26 | 27 | -3 |
#31 | South Africa | 22.41 | 31 | 0 |
#32 | Slovenia | 22.64 | 34 | 2 |
#33 | Slovakia | 22.67 | 35 | 2 |
#34 | France | 22.92 | 32 | -2 |
#35 | United Kingdom | 22.93 | 33 | -2 |
#36 | Trinidad and Tobago | 23.22 | 39 | 3 |
#37 | Andorra | 23.23 | 37 | 0 |
#38 | Burkina Faso | 23.47 | 36 | -2 |
#39 | Botswana | 23.56 | 44 | 5 |
#40 | Czech Republic | 23.57 | 40 | 0 |
#41 | Italy | 23.69 | 43 | 2 |
#42 | South Korea | 23.70 | 41 | -1 |
#43 | Taiwan | 23.76 | 42 | -1 |
#44 | OECS | 23.78 | 50 | 6 |
#45 | United States | 23.85 | 48 | 3 |
#46 | Papua New Guinea | 23.93 | 38 | -8 |
#47 | Senegal | 23.99 | 49 | 2 |
#48 | Romania | 25.91 | 47 | -1 |
#49 | Guyana | 26.63 | 51 | 2 |
#50 | Tonga | 27.27 | 45 | -5 |
#51 | Chile | 27.31 | 46 | -5 |
#52 | Fiji | 27.41 | 52 | 0 |
#53 | Belize | 27.50 | 53 | 0 |
#54 | Madagascar | 27.68 | 54 | 0 |
#55 | Dominican Republic | 27.90 | 55 | 0 |
#56 | Mauritius | 28.00 | 58 | 2 |
#57 | Niger | 28.25 | 66 | 9 |
#58 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 28.51 | 63 | 5 |
#59 | Croatia | 28.51 | 64 | 5 |
#60 | Georgia | 28.59 | 60 | 0 |
#61 | Armenia | 28.60 | 61 | 0 |
#62 | Poland | 28.65 | 59 | -3 |
#63 | Seychelles | 28.66 | 69 | 6 |
#64 | Argentina | 28.78 | 57 | -7 |
#65 | Greece | 28.80 | 65 | 0 |
#66 | Japan | 28.86 | 67 | 1 |
#67 | Bhutan | 28.90 | 80 | 13 |
#68 | Ivory Coast | 28.94 | 71 | 3 |
#69 | Malawi | 29.32 | 68 | -1 |
#70 | Kosovo | 29.33 | 75 | 5 |
#71 | Togo | 29.33 | 76 | 5 |
#72 | Tunisia | 29.45 | 72 | 0 |
#73 | Mongolia | 29.61 | 70 | -3 |
#74 | El Salvador | 29.70 | 81 | 7 |
#75 | Comoros | 29.77 | 56 | -19 |
#76 | Panama | 29.78 | 79 | 3 |
#77 | Cyprus North | 29.79 | 74 | -3 |
#78 | East Timor | 29.90 | 84 | 6 |
#79 | Maldives | 29.93 | 98 | 19 |
#80 | Hong Kong | 30.01 | 73 | -7 |
#81 | Malta | 30.16 | 77 | -4 |
#82 | Kyrgyzstan | 30.19 | 83 | 1 |
#83 | Haiti | 30.20 | 62 | -21 |
#84 | Albania | 30.25 | 82 | -2 |
#85 | Sierra Leone | 30.28 | 86 | 1 |
#86 | Lesotho | 30.45 | 78 | -8 |
#87 | Gambia | 30.62 | 92 | 5 |
#88 | Israel | 30.84 | 88 | 0 |
#89 | Hungary | 30.84 | 87 | -2 |
#90 | Peru | 30.94 | 85 | -5 |
#91 | Moldova | 31.16 | 91 | 0 |
#92 | Macedonia | 31.28 | 95 | 3 |
#93 | Serbia | 31.62 | 90 | -3 |
#94 | Guinea-Bissau | 32.06 | 89 | -5 |
#95 | Liberia | 32.25 | 93 | -2 |
#96 | Ukraine | 32.52 | 102 | 6 |
#97 | Mauritania | 32.54 | 94 | -3 |
#98 | Ecuador | 32.62 | 97 | -1 |
#99 | Ethiopia | 32.82 | 110 | 11 |
#100 | Paraguay | 32.97 | 99 | -1 |
#101 | Malaysia | 33.12 | 123 | 22 |
#102 | Lebanon | 33.19 | 101 | -1 |
#103 | Kenya | 33.72 | 100 | -3 |
#104 | Mozambique | 33.79 | 103 | -1 |
#105 | Montenegro | 33.83 | 104 | -1 |
#106 | Angola | 33.92 | 109 | 3 |
#107 | Brazil | 34.05 | 105 | -2 |
#108 | Mali | 34.12 | 112 | 4 |
#109 | Kuwait | 34.30 | 108 | -1 |
#110 | Guinea | 34.34 | 107 | -3 |
#111 | Bulgaria | 35.06 | 111 | 0 |
#112 | Nepal | 35.10 | 106 | -6 |
#113 | Benin | 35.11 | 96 | -17 |
#114 | Bolivia | 35.37 | 113 | -1 |
#115 | Nigeria | 35.63 | 120 | 5 |
#116 | Guatemala | 35.74 | 116 | 0 |
#117 | Nicaragua | 35.81 | 114 | -3 |
#118 | Congo | 36.56 | 117 | -1 |
#119 | Indonesia | 36.82 | 124 | 5 |
#120 | Zambia | 37.00 | 119 | -1 |
#121 | Gabon | 37.20 | 115 | -6 |
#122 | Afghanistan | 37.70 | 121 | -1 |
#123 | Chad | 39.70 | 122 | -1 |
#124 | Tanzania | 40.25 | 118 | -6 |
#125 | Uganda | 40.95 | 125 | 0 |
#126 | Zimbabwe | 40.95 | 127 | 1 |
#127 | Sri Lanka | 41.94 | 126 | -1 |
#128 | Jordan | 42.08 | 130 | 2 |
#129 | Qatar | 42.51 | 128 | -1 |
#130 | Colombia | 42.66 | 129 | -1 |
#131 | United Arab Emirates | 42.69 | 133 | 2 |
#132 | C.A.R. | 42.87 | 145 | 13 |
#133 | Morocco | 42.88 | 135 | 2 |
#134 | Cameroon | 43.28 | 131 | -3 |
#135 | Oman | 43.42 | 132 | -3 |
#136 | Philippines | 43.54 | 134 | -2 |
#137 | Palestine | 44.09 | 137 | 0 |
#138 | South Sudan | 44.49 | 139 | 1 |
#139 | Myanmar | 44.77 | 138 | -1 |
#140 | Thailand | 44.94 | 136 | -4 |
#141 | Swaziland | 45.15 | 147 | 6 |
#142 | India | 45.33 | 140 | -2 |
#143 | Mexico | 45.45 | 144 | 1 |
#144 | Cambodia | 45.46 | 143 | -1 |
#145 | Pakistan | 45.52 | 142 | -3 |
#146 | Algeria | 45.52 | 141 | -5 |
#147 | Venezuela | 45.66 | 148 | 1 |
#148 | Honduras | 48.20 | 146 | -2 |
#149 | Russian Federation | 48.92 | 149 | 0 |
#150 | Congo (DRC) | 49.09 | 154 | 4 |
#151 | Bangladesh | 49.37 | 150 | -1 |
#152 | Brunei | 49.65 | 152 | 0 |
#153 | Belarus | 49.75 | 153 | 0 |
#154 | Turkey | 50.02 | 157 | 3 |
#155 | Rwanda | 50.34 | 155 | 0 |
#156 | Uzbekistan | 53.07 | 160 | 4 |
#157 | Kazakhstan | 54.11 | 158 | 1 |
#158 | Singapore | 55.23 | 151 | -7 |
#159 | Sudan | 55.33 | 175 | 16 |
#160 | Burundi | 55.33 | 159 | -1 |
#161 | Tajikistan | 55.34 | 161 | 0 |
#162 | Iraq | 55.37 | 156 | -6 |
#163 | Somalia | 55.45 | 164 | 1 |
#164 | Libya | 55.77 | 162 | -2 |
#165 | Equatorial Guinea | 56.38 | 165 | 0 |
#166 | Egypt | 56.82 | 163 | -3 |
#167 | Yemen | 58.25 | 168 | 1 |
#168 | Azerbaijan | 58.48 | 166 | -2 |
#169 | Bahrain | 60.13 | 167 | -2 |
#170 | Saudi Arabia | 62.14 | 172 | 2 |
#171 | Cuba | 63.81 | 169 | -2 |
#172 | Laos | 64.28 | 171 | -1 |
#173 | Iran | 64.81 | 170 | -3 |
#174 | Syria | 72.57 | 174 | 0 |
#175 | Vietnam | 74.71 | 176 | 1 |
#176 | Djibouti | 76.73 | 173 | -3 |
#177 | China | 78.48 | 177 | 0 |
#178 | Eritrea | 83.50 | 178 | 0 |
#179 | Turkmenistan | 85.44 | 180 | 1 |
#180 | North Korea | 85.82 | 179 | -1 |
Which countries stood out in this year’s edition of the press freedom rankings?
Norway: Nordic Countries have topped the Press Freedom Index since its inception, and Norway (Rank: #1) in particular is an example for the world. Despite a very free media environment, the government recently mandated a commission to conduct a comprehensive review of the conditions for freedom of speech. Members will consider measures to promote the broadest possible participation in the public debate, and means to hamper the spread of fake news and hate speech.
Malaysia: A new government ushered in a less restrictive era in Malaysia in 2018. Journalists and media outlets that had been blacklisted were able to resume working, and anti-fake news laws that were viewed as problematic were repealed. As a result, Malaysia’s index score has improved by 15 points in the past two years. This is in sharp contrast to neighbor, Singapore, which is ranked 158th out of 180 countries.
Ethiopia: When Abiy Ahmed Ali took power in Africa’s second most populous country in 2018, his government restored access to over 200 news websites and blogs that had been previously blocked. As well, many detained journalists and bloggers were released as the chill over the country’s highly restrictive media environment began to thaw. As a result, Ethiopia (#99) jumped up eleven spots in the Press Freedom Index in 2020.
The Middle East: Though the situation in this region has begun to stabilize somewhat, restrictions still remain – even in relatively safe and stable countries. Both Saudi Arabia (#170) and Egypt (#166) have imprisoned a number of journalists in recent years, and the former is still dealing with the reputational fallout from the assassination of Saudi dissident and Washington Post columnist, Jamal Khashoggi.
China: Sitting near the bottom of the list is China (#176). More than 100 journalists and bloggers are currently detained as the country maintains a tight grip over the press – particularly as COVID-19 began to spread. Earlier this year, the Chinese government also expelled over a dozen journalists representing U.S. publications.
2020: A Pivotal Year for the Press
As the world grapples with a deadly pandemic, a global economic shutdown, and a crucial election year, the media could find itself in the spotlight more than in previous years.
How the stories of 2020 are told will influence our collective future – and how regimes choose to treat journalists under this atypical backdrop will tell us a lot about press freedom going forward.
Politics
Timeline: Cannabis Legislation in the U.S.
At the federal level, cannabis is illegal, but state laws differ. This graphic looks at the timelines of cannabis legislation in the U.S.

Timeline: Cannabis Legislation in the U.S.
At the federal level, cannabis is still considered an illegal substance. That said, individual states do have the right to determine their own laws around cannabis sales and usage.
This visual from New Frontier Data looks at the status of cannabis in every state and the timeline of when medical and/or recreational use became legal.
Cannabis Through the Years
In the U.S., the oldest legalese concerning cannabis dates back to the 1600s—the colony of Virginia required every farm to grow and produce hemp. Since then, cannabis use was fairly wide open until the 1930s when the Marihuana Tax Act was enforced, prohibiting marijuana federally but still technically allowing medical use.
Jumping ahead, the Controlled Substances Act was passed in 1970, classifying cannabis as Schedule I drug—the same category as heroin. This prohibited any use of the substance.
However, the 1970s also saw a counter movement, wherein many states made the move towards decriminalization. Decriminalization means that although possessing cannabis remained illegal, a person would not be subject to jail time or prosecution for possessing certain amounts.
By the 1990s, some of the first states passed laws to allow the medical usage of cannabis, and by 2012 two states in the U.S.—Washington and Colorado—legalized the recreational use of cannabis.
Cannabis Legislation Today and Beyond
The MORE Act (the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act) was passed in the House early 2022, and if made law, it would decriminalize marijuana federally.
“This bill decriminalizes marijuana. Specifically, it removes marijuana from the list of scheduled substances under the Controlled Substances Act and eliminates criminal penalties for an individual who manufactures, distributes, or possesses marijuana.”– U.S. Congress
Cannabis still remains illegal at the federal level, but at the state levels, cannabis is now fully legal (both for medicinal and recreational purposes) in a total of 22 states.
Over 246 million Americans have legal access to some form of marijuana products with high THC levels. Looking to the future, many new cannabis markets are expected to open up in the next few years:
The earliest states expected to open up next for recreational cannabis sales are Minnesota and Oklahoma. There is always a lag between legalization and actual sales, wherein local regulatory bodies and governments set standards. States like Kentucky, on the other hand, aren’t likely to even legalize medicinal cannabis until 2028.
It’s estimated that by 2030, there will be 69 million cannabis consumers in the country, up 33% from 2022.
Overall, the U.S. cannabis market is likely an important one to watch as legal sales hit $30 billion in 2022. By the end of the decade, that number is expected to be anywhere from $58 billion to as much as $72 billion.
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