Global Press Freedom Rankings 2006

Rank

Country

Rating

Status

1

Finland
Iceland

9
9

Free
Free

3

Denmark
Norway
Sweden

10
10
10

Free
Free
Free

6

Belguim
Luxembourg
Netherlands
Switzerland

11
11
11
11

Free
Free
Free
Free

10

Liechtenstein
New Zealand

13
13

Free
Free

12

Andorra
Palau
Portugal

14
14
14

Free
Free
Free

15

Ireland
Marshall Islands

15
15

Free
Free

17

Bahamas
Estonia
Germany
Monaco
St.Vincent & Grenadines
United States

16
16
16
16
16
16

Free
Free
Free
Free
Free
Free

23

Barbados
Jamaica
San Marino

17
17
17

Free
Free
Free

26

Canada
Costa Rica
Lithuania
Malta
St.Lucia

18
18
18
18
18

Free
Free
Free
Free
Free

31

Australia
Dominica
Latvia
United Kingdom

19
19
19
19

Free
Free
Free
Free

35

Czech Republic
Japan
Micronesia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Taiwan

20
20
20
20
20
20

Free
Free
Free
Free
Free
Free

41

Austria
Belize
France
Hungary
Poland
Spain
St. Kitt and Nevis

21
21
21
21
21
21
21

Free
Free
Free
Free
Free
Free
Free

48

Cyprus

22

Free

49

Grenada
Suriname

23
23

Free
Free

51

Mali

24

Free

52

Vanuatu

25

Free

53

Chile
Mauritius
Trinidad & Tobago
Tuvalu

26
26
26
26

Free
Free
Free
Free

57

Guyana
South Africa

27
27

Free
Free

59

Fiji
Ghana
Greece
Israel
Kiribati
Uruguay

28
28
28
28
28
28

Free
Free
Free
Free
Free
Free

65

Hong Kong
Papua New Guinea
Samoa
Sao Tome & Principe

29
29
29
29

Free
Free
Free
Free

69

Benin
Namibia
Nauru
Solomon Islands
South Korea

30
30
30
30
30

Free
Free
Free
Free
Free

74

Cape Verde
Tonga

32
32

Partly Free
Partly Free

76

Bolivia

33

Partly Free

77

Bulgaria
Mongolia

34
34

Partly Free
Partly Free

79

Botswana
Italy

35
35

Partly Free
Partly Free

81

Dominican Republic
India

37
37

Partly Free
Partly Free

83

Antigua & Barbuda
Burkina Faso

38
38

Partly Free
Partly Free

85

Brazil
Croatia
East Timor
Peru

39
39
39
39

Partly Free
Partly Free
Partly Free
Partly Free

89

Philippines
Serbia & Montenegro

40
40

Partly Free
Partly Free

91

Ecuador

41

Partly Free

92

Lesotho

42

Partly Free

93

El Salvador
Mozambique
Panama

43
43
43

Partly Free
Partly Free
Partly Free

96

Nicaragua
Senegal
Romania

44
44
44

Partly Free
Partly Free
Partly Free

99

Argentina
Bosnia-Herzegovina

45
45

Partly Free
Partly Free

101

Comoros
Guinea-Bissau

47
47

Partly Free
Partly Free

103

Mexico
Turkey

48
48

Partly Free
Partly Free

105

Macedonia
Madagascar

49
49

Partly Free
Partly Free

107

Albania
Tanzania
Thailand

50
50
50

Partly Free
Partly Free
Partly Free

 110

Congo (Brazzaville) 

51 

Partly Free 

 111

Honduras
Uganda 

 52
52

Partly Free
Partly Free 

 113

Ukraine 

 53

Partly Free 

 114

Nigeria 

 54 

Partly Free 

 115

Malawi 

55 

Partly Free 

 116

Kuwait
Niger 

 56
56

Partly Free
Partly Free 

 118

Georgia
Mauritania
Paraguay 

 57
57
57

Partly Free
Partly Free
Partly Free 

 121

Guatemala
Kenya
Indonesia
Sri Lanka 

58
58
58
58 

Partly Free
Partly Free
Partly Free
Partly Free 

 125

Sierra Leone 

59 

Partly Free 

 126

Lebanon 
Seychelles

60
60 

Partly Free
Partly Free 

 128

Algeria
Cambodia
Central African Republic
Colombia
Egypt
Jordan
Morocco
Pakistan
Qatar 

 61
61
61
61
61
61
61
61
61

Not Free
Not Free
Not Free
Not Free
Not Free
Not Free
Not Free
Not Free
Not Free 

 137

Armenia
Kyrgyzstan
Liberia
Zambia 

 64
64
64
64

Not Free
Not Free
Not Free
Not Free 

 141

Angola
Bhutan
Cameroon
Cote d'Ivoire
Malaysia
Moldova
United Arab Emirates 

 65
65
65
65
65
65
65

Not Free
Not Free
Not Free
Not Free
Not Free
Not Free
Not Free 

 148

Singapore 

66 

Not Free 

 149

Gabon
Guinea 

67
67 

Not Free
Not Free 

 151

Bangladesh
Haiti 

68
68 

Not Free
Not Free 

 153

Afghanistan
Djibouti 

69
69 

Not Free
Not Free 

 155

Maldives
Oman 

70
70 

Not Free
Not Free 

 157

Iraq 

 71

Not Free 

 158

Bahrain 
Russia
Venezuela

72
72
72 

Not Free
Not Free
Not Free 

 161

Azerbaijan
Chad
The Gambia 

73
73 
73

Not Free
Not Free
Not Free 

164 

Burundi 

74 

Not Free 

 165

Ethiopia
Kazakhstan 

75
75 

Not Free
Not Free 

 167

Tajikistan 

76 

Not Free 

 168

Brunei
Nepal
Swaziland 

77
77
77 

Not Free
Not Free
Not Free 

 171

Togo 

78 

Not Free 

 172

Saudi Arabia
Vietnam

79
79 

Not Free
Not Free 

 174

Congo (Kinshasa) 
Laos
Yemen

81
81
81

Not Free
Not Free
Not Free 

 177

China
Somalia
Tunisia 

83
83
83 

Not Free
Not Free
Not Free 

 180

Iran
Syria 

84
84 

Not Free
Not Free 

 182

Rwanda
Sudan 

85
85 

Not Free
Not Free 

 184

IOT/PA* 

86

Not Free 

 185

Belarus
Equatorial Guinea 

88
88 

Not Free
Not Free 

 187

Uzbekistan
Zimbabwe 

90
90 

Not Free
Not Free 

 189

Eritrea 

91 

Not Free 

 190

Burma 
Cuba
Libya
Turkmenistan 

96
96
96
96

Not Free
Not Free
Not Free 
Not Free 

 194

North Korea 

97 

Not Free 

Status

Number of Countries

Percent of total

Free

73

38%

Partly Free

54

28%

Not Free

67

34%

TOTAL

194

100%