Turkmenistan ranked 173rd out of 180 countries in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index, a slight improvement from 174th place in 2025.
According to the report compiled by Reporters Without Borders (commonly known by its French acronym, RSF), the highest-ranked country in Central Asia was Kyrgyzstan in 146th place, followed by Uzbekistan (147th), Kazakhstan (149th), and Tajikistan (155th). Russia ranked 172nd, just one position above Turkmenistan.
The authors note that Eastern Europe and Central Asia remain the second-worst-performing regions globally in the 2026 index.
“The region is increasingly resembling a vast laboratory of inverted values, where legality is artificial and primarily serves the interests of those in power rather than protecting the right to information,” the report states.
In Kazakhstan, RSF says tightening legal frameworks are combined with indirect pressure, increasing online harassment, and a climate of impunity. Kyrgyzstan, meanwhile, is following a similar trend, with declining legal protections for journalists.
Among the lowest-ranked countries are Belarus, Azerbaijan, Russia, and Turkmenistan, all of which scored particularly poorly in the legal category, with ratings ranging from 22 to 32 out of 100.
More broadly, the report highlights a global decline in press freedom. “For the first time in the history of the index, conditions in more than half of all countries are classified as ‘difficult’ or ‘very serious.’ Over 25 years of observation, the global average has never been this low,” the authors note.
According to RSF, the introduction of laws restricting press freedom, often justified by national security concerns, has contributed to a steady deterioration in media conditions since 2001, affecting not only authoritarian states but also democracies.
“The legal indicator saw the sharpest decline this year, reflecting the growing number of legal proceedings against journalists and media outlets,” the report concludes.
