Beijing: Press freedom has fallen to its lowest level in 25 years, the organization warned Thursday.

According to Qatar News Agency, the group uses a five-tier scale ranging from "good" to "very serious" to assess the press environment across the globe. The latest findings reveal that over half of the countries are now classified as having a "difficult" or "very serious" press environment. This is a significant increase from the 13.7 percent recorded in 2002.

The annual report further highlights a sharp decline in the percentage of the world's population living in countries with a favorable press climate. In 2002, 20 percent of the global population enjoyed a "good" press environment, but this figure has now plummeted to less than 1 percent.

The report attributes this alarming decline to the rise of armed conflicts and tighter restrictions on media activities in recent years, which have collectively contributed to the deterioration of press freedom worldwide.