KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Afghanistan, under Taliban rule, ranked 175th out of 180 countries in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on Thursday, remaining among the world’s worst countries for press freedom.
RSF gave Afghanistan a score of 19.51 out of 100, placing it alongside Iran, Saudi Arabia, China, North Korea, and Eritrea near the bottom of the global ranking. Norway, the Netherlands, and Estonia ranked first, second, and third, respectively.
Iran ranked 177th, down one place from 176th in 2025, while Pakistan ranked 153rd, up five positions from 158th the previous year.
The watchdog said global press freedom has fallen to its lowest level in 25 years, with more than half of countries now classified as facing “difficult” or “very serious” conditions for journalism.
RSF evaluates press freedom using five indicators: political environment, legal framework, economic conditions, sociocultural context and safety of journalists.
Afghanistan ranked 122nd globally before the Taliban takeover in 2021. It fell to 156th in 2022, 152nd in 2023, 178th in 2024, and stands at 175th in both 2025 and 2026.
The organization said Afghanistan’s media sector has been fundamentally reshaped since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021. “The takeover sounded the death knell for press freedom and the safety of journalists, particularly women journalists,” RSF said, adding that the media landscape is now “devoid of pluralism and dissenting voices.”
RSF said that in the first three months after the Taliban takeover, about 43% of media outlets ceased operations, while about two-thirds of an estimated 12,000 journalists left the profession, went into exile, or stopped working in the sector.
The report said women journalists have been disproportionately affected. It estimated that eight out of 10 female journalists are no longer active, while those still working face strict restrictions, including limits on travel, restrictions on appearing in public-facing roles, and reduced access to official information.
RSF said Afghanistan’s remaining media outlets operate under heavy pressure and widespread self-censorship. It said direct criticism of the Taliban is prohibited, and coverage of topics such as women’s rights, religion, minority communities, and human rights is tightly restricted.
In some provinces, journalists are required to submit reports to local Taliban authorities for approval before publication. The report added that Taliban members are embedded in some media organizations to monitor editorial content and enforce compliance.
The watchdog also said surveillance has expanded to digital platforms, with social media activity closely monitored by authorities.
RSF said only a limited number of Afghan media outlets operating in exile continue to provide independent coverage of the country. Inside Afghanistan, audiences with internet access increasingly rely on foreign media or exiled Afghan outlets for independent reporting.
The organization highlighted ongoing security risks for journalists, saying Taliban intelligence and police arbitrarily detain media workers, keep them in isolation, and torture them for periods ranging from days to months.
“Journalists working with foreign media or in exile are particularly targeted and accused of espionage and of presenting a negative image of the Taliban,” RSF said. It added that four journalists are currently in Taliban custody.
Since the takeover, the Taliban have issued more than 20 directives regulating media activity, content approval, and access to information, significantly tightening control over the press.
These measures have led to the near-collapse of Afghanistan’s once-vibrant media sector, with dozens of outlets shut down or silenced and hundreds of journalists and media professionals forced into exile or gone into hiding.
