Bulgaria has climbed 21 slots in the annual World Press Freedom Index of the Reporters Without Borders – up from 112^th to 91^st position.

“The trio of Nordic countries at the top of the Index – Norway, Denmark and Sweden – continues to serve as a democratic model where freedom of expression flourishes, while Moldova (40th) and Bulgaria (91st) stand out this year thanks to a government change and the hope it has brought for improvement in the situation for journalists even if oligarchs still own or control the media,” Reporters Without Borders writes.

In the 180 countries and territories ranked by Reporters Without Borders, indicators are assessed on the basis of a quantitative survey of press freedom violations and abuses against journalists and media, and a qualitative study based on the responses of hundreds of press freedom experts.

The last time Bulgaria was among the first 100 countries was in 2013.