The report, published by Reporters Without Borders, awarded Estonia a score of 89.46 out of a possible 100.

This is an improvement on last year's 86.44, which placed the country 6 out of 180.

"Even though journalists face physical and online threats that encourage self-censorship, they benefit from a protective legal and political environment," this year's index said.  

It said journalists can hold politicians accountable "without fear of persecution."

However, it also pointed out that media companies are "operating within a small market with limited access to funding" and said public broadcaster ERR's "increasingly limited" budget could open the door to "political influence."

ERR's budget is decided annually by the coalition. Earlier this month, the European Broadcasting Union urged the government to introduce a better "adequate, sustainable" model.

Additionally, Reporters Without Borders said Estonia's media "freedom is constrained by legislation protecting against defamation and disclosure of private data."

Commenting on the news, Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform) wrote on social media: "Freedom is invaluable. Independent journalism keeps societies strong and resilient."

Norway took the top spot with a score of 92.31. The Netherlands, Sweden and Finland rounded out the top five.

Looking at the wider region, Lithuania and Latvia were awarded 14th and 15th, respectively. Poland jumped from 47th place to 31st, which the report attributed to the change in government in 2023. Russia ranked 171 and Belarus 166 out of 180.

Minister: Journalists play "key role" in democratic society

"This recognition confirms Estonia's consistent commitment to the promotion of independent journalism and the protection of freedom of speech and opinion," Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) said.

The minister added that press freedom has become particularly important in recent years with the rise in disinformation and deliberately distorted information to create division in societies.

"Estonia knows very well what it means to live in a society where free media is suppressed and the dissemination of different opinions is restricted. This is why we consider it important to promote media pluralism – both in Estonia and internationally," he said.

Tsahkna added that journalists play a "key role" in a democratic society. 

Since July 2023, Estonia has co-chaired the Media Freedom Coalition, and in 2025 it leads the Freedom Online Coalition.

Difficult situation

But while the report was good news for Estonia, the overall situation with global media is ranked as in a "difficult situation" for the first time in the index's history.

"Although physical attacks against journalists are the most visible violations of press freedom, economic pressure is also a major, more insidious problem. The economic indicator on the RSF World Press Freedom Index now stands at an unprecedented, critical low as its decline continued in 2025." it said.

Reporters Without Borders said the index's economic indicator shows that media today are "caught between preserving their editorial independence and ensuring their economic survival."

"Without economic independence, there can be no free press," wrote Anne Bocandé, the organization's editorial director.

She said the media economy "urgently" needs to be restored to a state that is "conducive to journalism and ensures the production of reliable information."

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