Two Decades of Press Freedom in the Maldives, Shaped by Power

The Maldives’ press freedom story is not a straight line. It shifts with power.

Over the past two decades, the country’s ranking has risen and fallen alongside changes in leadership, reflecting how deeply the media environment is shaped by those in office. There are moments of progress, where space for journalists widens, followed by periods where that space narrows again under pressure.

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What emerges is a pattern: press freedom in the Maldives has never been fixed. It expands, contracts, and adapts, depending on who governs and how much room they are willing to allow the press.

Progress, Then Pullback

It began at the lower end of the global index in the early 2000s, before rising sharply at the end of the decade to its best-ever positions in 2009 and 2010. That period of improvement, however, proved short-lived. The years that followed saw a gradual slide back into the middle and lower tiers of the index, where the country has largely remained—marked by fluctuations, but no sustained return to its earlier peak.

More recently, the pattern has repeated itself. A modest recovery in the early 2020s, reaching 72nd in 2021, suggested a reopening of space for journalists. But that progress has since reversed, with the Maldives slipping back to 108th in 2026. The overall trend points to a media environment shaped by cycles of opening and restriction—where gains are made, but rarely consolidated, and where press freedom remains closely tied to shifting political conditions rather than long-term stability.

What the Public Stands to Lose

Press freedom matters because it shapes what the public is able to know. When journalists can report without fear, people have access to information that helps them understand how decisions are made, how money is spent, and how power is used. It allows citizens to make informed choices, whether at the ballot box, in their communities, or in their daily lives. Without that flow of independent information, the public is left with only partial truths, or narratives shaped by those in authority.

It also acts as a form of accountability. A free press can question, investigate, and bring attention to issues that might otherwise remain hidden, from corruption and misuse of power to failures in public services. This doesn’t just affect politics; it touches everyday realities, from healthcare to cost of living. When press freedom is limited, that scrutiny weakens, and with it, the public’s ability to demand transparency and fairness. In that sense, press freedom is not only about journalists: it is about the public’s right to know.

No Fixed Ground for Press Freedom

Taken together, the data does not tell a story of steady decline or steady progress. Instead, it reveals a system still in flux.

Press freedom in the Maldives is shaped less by long-term institutional strength and more by the political moment. Each administration leaves its mark—sometimes expanding space, sometimes restricting it—but rarely building conditions that endure beyond its tenure.

That is perhaps the clearest takeaway from two decades of rankings: the Maldives has experienced press freedom, but has yet to secure it.

Until those protections are consistent, beyond leadership, beyond political cycles, the country’s position is likely to continue moving, reflecting not just the state of its media, but the nature of its democracy itself.