More than half of the world’s population resides in areas with significant restrictions on press freedom, with journalists facing potential risks to their safety and freedom. In contrast, only a small percentage of the global population lives in places where press freedom is considered satisfactory.
The 2024 World Press Freedom Index map has identified 36 countries with sizable populations as particularly dangerous for journalists. Among these nations, five of the world’s most populous countries, including India, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Russia, received poor rankings for press freedom.
Interestingly, elections were held in all of these countries either in 2023 or the early months of 2024. However, instead of improving the situation, the elections further exacerbated press freedom violations in these countries, resulting in their continued placement in the lower portion of the World Press Freedom Index rankings.