Ivory Coast improves press freedom ranking, moves up 10 spots to 54th globally
via Abidjan.net8 min read
Ivory Coast has significantly improved its press freedom standing, ranking 54th out of 180 countries in the 2026 report by Reporters Without Borders RSF. The nation achieved a score of 66.27 points, elevating its status from "fairly good" to "good." This marks a notable rebound after a decline of 11 places in 2025, when it was positioned 64th. Ivory Coast stands out as one of the few countries where the population experiences a "good" environment for press freedom, contrasting with a global trend of deteriorating press freedom. RSF's report highlights a worldwide "unprecedented degradation" in press freedom, with over half of the surveyed countries facing "difficult" or "very serious" situations. Specifically, the "Legal" indicator showed the most significant global decline in 2026, indicating an increasing criminalization of journalism. For this indicator, Ivory Coast is ranked 46th with a score of 72.62. The country's scores for other indicators are: Political 46th, 59.50, Economic 39th, 56.01, Social 48th, 73.28, and Security 97th, 69.92. This overall progression is attributed to the rich media landscape and a continuous improvement in the Ivorian media environment. The 2026 RSF report notes that 52.2% of countries now present a worrying situation for the press, compared to only 13.7% in 2002, marking the lowest global press freedom level in 25 years.
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