The annual index, published by NGO Reporters Without Borders, monitors the state of press freedom in 180 countries around the globe.

This year, Estonia's score was  88.54 out of 100, a slight decline from last year's 89.46.

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

The only countries to score higher were Norway (92.72), which has held the top spot for 10 years, and the Netherlands (88.92), which was in third place in last year's ranking.

Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Ireland, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Portugal rounded out the top 10.

Lithuania and Latvia ranked 15th and 17th, respectively.

Journalism increasingly criminalised 

However, globally, the overall trend is bleak.

Reporters Without Borders said for the first time in 25 years, over half of the world's countries now fall into the "difficult" or "very serious" categories for press freedom.

"The average score of all 180 countries and territories surveyed in the Index has never been so low," it said.

"Since 2001, the expansion of increasingly restrictive legal arsenals — particularly those linked to national security policies — has been steadily eroding the right to information, even in democratic countries. The Index's legal indicator has declined the most over the past year, a clear sign that journalism is increasingly criminalised worldwide."

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!