Afghanistan Among the Worst Countries in the World for Freedom of Speech

The Global Expression annual report shows that Afghanistan ranks 155th out of 161 countries in the world. This represents a 47-place drop in Afghanistan's ranking in terms of freedom of expression over the past five years (2018 to 2023).

In contrast, Denmark tops the ranking.

According to the World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders, Afghanistan is also among the worst countries for journalists to operate in.

The organization's report last month, titled "World Press Freedom Index - Journalism Under Political Pressure in 2024," shows that Afghanistan has fallen 26 places to 178th.

Reporters Without Borders cites the deaths and detentions of journalists in Afghanistan as the reason for this decline.

It is worth noting that since taking power in Afghanistan, the Taliban have imposed severe restrictions on freedom of expression and the media in the country and have cracked down on their critics.

The Global Expression report also shows that in 2023, 53% of the world's population lived in a crisis situation in terms of freedom of expression. Currently, more than 4 billion people in 39 countries are under this crisis, and this figure is still increasing.

In the Global Expression ranking of freedom of expression, after Denmark, Switzerland and Sweden rank second and third, respectively. On the other hand, Turkmenistan, Nicaragua, Eritrea and North Korea have been identified as the four last countries in this ranking, respectively.