New Reports Expose the Global Toll of Censorship

Two 2025 reports document a growing global decline in freedom of expression and artistic freedom. Article 19's Global Expression Report, published in June, finds that 70% of the world's population has experienced declining expressive freedom over the past decade, with 5.2 billion people living in "crisis" or "highly restricted" conditions. Only 35 of 161 countries remain "open," and for every person who gained expressive freedom, 19 lost it. Freemuse's State of Artistic Freedom report documents censorship, imprisonment and harassment of artists, including in the United States.