Syria posts largest jump in RSF 2026 press freedom rankings

Syria records biggest gain in RSF index

Syria rose 36 places in Reporters Without Borders' 2026 World Press Freedom Index to 141st, the largest single-country advance in this edition, after ranking 177th in 2025. RSF linked the improvement to the December 2024 fall of Bashar al-Assad and the ensuing political transition, which moved Syria out of the "black zone" of the most dangerous environments for journalism. The 2026 index also warned that global media freedom is at a 25-year low, with more than half of countries classified as facing "difficult" or "very serious" conditions for the press.

RSF's indicator analysis shows uneven gains for Syria: a 74-place advance in the political indicator (now 103rd), improvements in economic (+72), social (+39) and legislative (+38) indicators, while safety — the weakest area — rose 26 places to 154th. Rights defenders and journalists welcomed the shift but cautioned that freedoms remain fragile amid political instability and economic pressure, and they continue to call for constitutional and legal guarantees for access to information. Commentary from activist Mansour al-Omari highlighted the advance as a milestone while stressing the need for sustained reforms as reported by Enab Baladi

This story has also been reported by: SANA