The 2024 report on global freedom of expression reveals a concerning trend: over half of the world’s population lives in countries facing expression crises. India’s shift into this category drove the increase. While some countries saw positive shifts, such as Brazil and Fiji, others regressed, like Burkina Faso and Ethiopia. Despite individual changes, the overall global landscape for freedom of expression remains stagnant, with no significant improvements. Over the past year, more people experienced declines than advances, a pattern consistent over the last decade, this underscores a critical challenge: the number of countries experiencing declines surpasses those making progress, affecting billions worldwide. Nearly half of the population resides in open countries, while a third lives in crisis. Although there’s been no significant change in Expression and Human Scores over the past year, declines over the last decade have accelerated. Read more here.
Source: ARTICLE 19