International IDEA Global State of Democracy Report 2025: Press Freedom in the World is Lowest in 50 Years
Stockholm: Press freedom has declined significantly around the world in the last five years and has reached the lowest level in 50 years. This report has been released by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA), based in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden.
The report says that Burkina Faso, Afghanistan and Myanmar - which are already among the worst performers in press freedom - have recorded the biggest decline. After these three, the fourth biggest decline has been seen in South Korea.
According to the report, the reason for this is "the increase in defamation cases initiated by the government and its political allies against journalists and raids on journalists' residences".
Democracy around the world has weakened, with most countries declining in their performance while #PressFreedom suffered its most far-reaching fall in 50 years, according to @Int_IDEA's #GlobalStateOfDemocracy Report #OutNow.
— International IDEA (@Int_IDEA) September 11, 2025
The #GSoD2025 Report takes on one of the defining… pic.twitter.com/8uYGKJVnnb
The report says that more than half of the world's countries (54%) recorded a decline in one of the five key democracy indicators between 2019 and 2024. Casas-Zamora said, "The most important finding in our report is a very serious decline in press freedom around the world." He said that between 2019 and 2024, it saw "the biggest decline in the last 50 years". The Freedom of Expression, Economic Equality, Credible Elections and Access to Justice indicators also declined.
IDEA Secretary General Kevin Casas-Zamora described the "current state of democracy in the world as worrying. We have never seen such a sharp decline in a key indicator of democratic health." Press freedom declined in 43 countries on all continents, including 15 in Africa and 15 in Europe.
Media reports and footage show Georgian Dream supporters attacking and repeatedly punching demonstrators. Several are reported injured, including women and journalists. #GeorgiaProtests pic.twitter.com/3gdCMiXLpn
— VOiCE OF MEDIA (@voiceofmedia1) September 11, 2025
According to Casas-Zamora, the think tank is concerned about the consolidation of traditional media around the world as well as "the disappearance in many countries of local media that plays a very important role in supporting democratic debate".
The think tank believes that a toxic cocktail is being created regarding the weakening of press freedom. On the one hand, there is heavy-handed intervention from governments, some of which is "a legacy of what happened during the pandemic". On the other hand, "you have a very negative impact of disinformation, some of which is actual propaganda and some of which is used by governments as an excuse to restrict freedom of the press."
