Story: Media and politics

Press freedom in 2011–12

↑↑ ↓↓ Change of more than 10 ranks
↑ ↓ Change of less than 10 ranks
= No change

Rank	Country	Press Freedom Index
1	Finland	-10.00 =
1	Norway	-10.00 =
3	Estonia	-9.00 ↑
3	Netherlands	-9.00 ↓
5	Austria	-8.00 ↑
6	Iceland	-7.00 ↓
6	Luxembourg	-7.00 ↑
8	Switzerland	-6.20 ↓
9	Cape Verde	-6.00 ↑↑
10	Canada	-5.67 ↑↑
10	Denmark	-5.67 ↑
12	Sweden	-5.50 ↓↓
13	New Zealand	-5.33 ↓
14	Czech Republic	-5.00 ↑
15	Ireland	-4.00 ↓
16	Cyprus	-3.00 ↑
	Jamaica	-3.00 ↑↑
	Germany	-3.00 ↑
19	Costa Rica	-2.25 ↑↑
20	Belgium	-2.00 ↓
20	Namibia	-2.00 ↑
22	Japan	-1.00 ↓↓
22	Surinam	-1.00 ↑↑
24	Poland	-0.67 ↑
25	Mali	0.00 ↑
	OECS (Organisation of Eastern Carribean States)	0.00 ↑↑
	Slovakia	0.00 ↑↑
28	United Kingdom	2.00 ↓
29	Niger	2.50 ↑↑
30	Australia	4.00 ↓↓
30	Lithuania	4.00 ↓↓
32	Uruguay	4.25 ↑
33	Portugal	5.33 ↑
34	Tanzania	6.00 ↑
35	Papua New Guinea	9.00 ↑
36	Slovenia	9.14 ↑↑
37	El Salvador	9.30 ↑↑
38	France	9.50 ↑
39	Spain	9.75 =
40	Hungary	10.00 ↓↓
41	Ghana	11.00 ↓↓
42	South Africa	12.00 ↓
42	Botswana	12.00 ↑↑
44	South Korea	12.67 ↓
45	Comoros	13.00 ↑↑
45	Taiwan	13.00 ↑
47	United States of America	14.00 ↓↓
	Argentina	14.00 ↓↓
	Romania	14.00 ↑
50	Latvia	15.00 ↓↓
50	Trinidad and Tobago	15.00 ↓↓
52	Haiti	15.67 ↑
53	Moldova	16.00 ↑↑
54	Hong Kong	17.00 ↓↓
	Mauritius	17.00 ↑↑
	Samoa	17.00 ↑↑
57	United States of America (extra-territorial)	19.00 ↑↑
58	Malta	19.50 ↓↓
	Bosnia and Herzegovina	19.50 ↑
	Guyana	19.50 ↓↓
61	Italy	19.67 ↓↓
62	Central African Republic	20.00 ↑
63	Lesotho	21.00 ↑↑
	Sierra Leone	21.00 ↑↑
	Tonga	21.00 ↑↑
66	Mozambique	21.50 ↑↑
67	Mauritania	22.20 ↑↑
68	Croatia	23.33 ↓↓
68	Burkina Faso	23.33 ↓
70	Bhutan	24.00 ↓
70	Greece	24.00 =
72	Nicaragua	24.33 ↑↑
73	Maldives	25.00 ↓↓
73	Seychelles	25.00 ↓
75	Guinea-Bissau	26.00 ↓
75	Senegal	26.00 ↑↑
77	Armenia	27.00 ↑↑
78	Kuwait	28.00 ↑
79	Togo	28.50 ↓↓
80	Serbia	29.00 ↓↓
	Bulgaria	29.00 ↓↓
	Chile	29.00 ↓
	Paraguay	29.00 ↓↓
84	Kenya	29.50 ↓↓
84	Madagascar	29.50 ↑↑
86	Guinea	30.00 ↑↑
	Kosovo	30.00 ↑
	Timor-Leste	30.00 ↑
	Zambia	30.00 ↓
90	Congo	30.38 ↑↑
91	Benin	31.00 ↓↓
92	Israel (Israeli territory)	31.25 ↓
93	Lebanon	31.50 ↓↓
94	Macedonia	31.67 ↓↓
95	Dominican Republic	33.25 ↑
96	Albania	34.44 ↓↓
97	Cameroon	35.00 ↑↑
97	Guatemala	35.00 ↓↓
99	Brazil	35.33 ↓↓
100	Mongolia	35.75 ↓↓
101	Gabon	36.50 ↑
102	Cyprus (North)	37.00 ↓↓
103	Chad	37.67 ↑
104	Ecuador	38.00 ↓
104	Georgia	38.00 ↓
106	Nepal	38.75 ↑↑
107	Montenegro	39.00 ↓
108	Bolivia	40.00 ↓
108	Kyrgyzstan	40.00 ↑↑
110	Liberia	40.50 ↓↓
111	South Sudan	41.25 =
112	United Arab Emirates	45.00 ↓↓
113	Panama	45.67 ↓↓
114	Qatar	46.00 ↑
115	Peru	51.25 ↓
116	Ukraine	54.00 ↑↑
117	Cambodia	55.00 ↑↑
	Fiji	55.00 ↑↑
	Oman	55.00 ↑
	Venezuela	55.00 ↑↑
	Zimbabwe	55.00 ↑
122	Algeria	56.00 ↑↑
	Tajikistan	56.00 ↑↑
	Malaysia	56.00 ↑↑
125	Brunei	56.20 ↑↑
126	Nigeria	56.40 ↑↑
127	Ethiopia	56.60 ↑↑
128	Jordan	56.80 ↓
129	Bangladesh	57.00 ↓
130	Burundi	57.75 ↓↓
131	India	58.00 ↓
132	Angola	58.43 ↓↓
133	Israel (extra-territorial)	59.00 ↓
134	Tunisia	60.25 ↑↑
135	Singapore	61.00 ↑
135	Honduras	61.00 ↑
137	Thailand	61.50 ↑↑
138	Morocco	63.29 ↓
139	Uganda	64.00 ↓↓
140	Philippines	64.50 ↑↑
141	Gambia	65.50 ↓↓
142	Russia	66.00 ↓
143	Colombia	66.50 ↑
144	Swaziland	67.00 ↑↑
145	Democratic Republic of Congo	67.67 ↑
146	Indonesia	68.00 ↓↓
146	Malawi	68.00 ↓↓
148	Turkey	70.00 ↓↓
149	Mexico	72.67 ↓↓
150	Afghanistan	74.00 ↓
151	Pakistan	75.00 =
152	Iraq	75.36 ↓↓
153	Palestinian Territories	76.00 ↓
154	Kazakhstan	77.50 ↑
154	Libya	77.50 ↑
156	Rwanda	81.00 ↑↑
157	Uzbekistan	83.00 ↑
158	Saudi Arabia	83.25 ↓
159	Côte d’Ivoire	83.50 ↓↓
159	Djibouti	83.50 ↓↓
161	Equatorial Guinea	86.00 ↑
162	Azerbaijan	87.25 ↓↓
163	Sri Lanka	87.50 ↓
164	Somalia	88.33 ↓
165	Laos	89.00 ↑
166	Egypt	97.50 ↓↓
167	Cuba	98.83 ↓
168	Belarus	99.00 ↓↓
169	Burma	100.00 ↑
170	Sudan	100.75 ↑
171	Yemen	101.00 ↓
172	Vietnam	114.00 ↓
173	Bahrain	125.00 ↓↓
174	China	136.00 ↓
175	Iran	136.60 =
176	Syria	138.00 ↓
177	Turkmenistan	140.67 ↓
178	North Korea	141.00 ↓
179	Eritrea	142.00 ↓

This table shows the level of press freedom in 179 countries as rated by the Press Freedom Index for 2011–12. New Zealand scored well, coming 13th, with a score of -5.33. In the index, high scores indicate repression of the media, while negative figures indicate press freedom. In 2011–12 Finland and Norway had the highest level of press freedom, with -10 points each. The Press Freedom Index, compiled annually by the activist group Reporters Without Borders, is constructed from a questionnaire sent to journalists, researchers, jurists and human-rights activists around the world. The assessment of press freedom in each coountry includes violence and threats against journalists, censorship and state intervention. The actions of non-state groups against the media are also considered, along with the level of self-censorship.

Using this item

Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Source: Reporters Without Borders

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page

Kate McMillan, Media and politics – Democracy and freedom of the press, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/interactive/35740/press-freedom-in-2011-12 (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Kate McMillan, published 23 May 2012.