Global Free Speech Index 2024

Why in News?

• A recent global survey conducted by The Future of Free Speech has ranked India 24th out of 33 countries in terms of support for free speech.

Key Points:-

• The Global Free Speech Index is conducted by an independent US think tank called "The Future of Free Speech".
• The index evaluates public attitudes towards freedom of expression in 33 countries.
• The 2024 survey highlights global trends, regional variations, and challenges facing free expression around the world.

Key Features of the Index

• Top Performers
  • Norway (87.9) and Denmark (87.0) lead the index.
• Biggest improvements
  • Indonesia (56.8), Malaysia (55.4) and Pakistan (57.0) showed significant progress.
  • However, these countries are still at the bottom of the ranking.
• Decline in support
  • Many democratic countries, including the US, Israel and Japan, have recorded a decline in support for free speech since 2021.
• Authoritarian-leaning nations
  • Countries such as Hungary (85.5) and Venezuela (81.8) scored higher.
  • This shows the discrepancy between government restrictions and public attitudes.

India's performance

• Rank: 24th out of 33 countries.
• Score: 62.6.
• Public perception:-
  • Most Indians believe that freedom of expression has improved.
  • However, indices and experts suggest that the situation has worsened since 2021.
• Contradictions:-
  • Most Indians consider freedom of expression important.
  • But 37% support a ban on criticism of government policies.
  • This is the highest percentage among all countries surveyed.