The Hindu: India Ranked 24th out of 33 Countries in Free Speech Index

A new global survey by The Future of Free Speech, an independent U.S.-based think tank, has ranked India 24th out of the 33 countries surveyed on the question of support for free speech. Its report, titled ‘Who in the World Supports Free Speech?’ states that “while abstract support for free speech remains strong, commitment to protecting controversial speech is eroding in many parts of the world.”

The survey, conducted in October 2024, also revealed that “more countries have seen declines rather than improvements in free speech support since 2021, with some of the biggest drops occurring in democratic nations like the United States, Israel, and Japan.”

Scandinavia dominated the top rankings, with Norway and Denmark finishing at the apex of the Future of the Free Speech Index with scores of 87.9 and 87.0.

Indonesia (56.8), Malaysia (55.4), and Pakistan (57.0) showed the biggest improvements, though they remained at the lower end of the ranking. India, with a score of 62.6, was placed 24th, between South Africa (66.9) and Lebanon (61.8). At the same time, some authoritarian-leaning nations — such as Hungary (85.5) and Venezuela (81.8) — scored high, “suggesting a disconnect between government restrictions and public attitudes”.