In many parts of the world, freedom of expression is seen as a fundamental human right. However, the reality of how this right is upheld or violated varies from country to country, especially in Africa.
Globally, freedom of expression is enshrined in international agreements, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that “everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression.” Yet, in practice, the situation is more complex.
In some countries, citizens enjoy broad freedoms to express themselves openly and without fear. In others, this right is often harshly curtailed.
In the last year, 451 million people across 10 countries experienced a deterioration of their freedom of expression; only 335 million people across 5 countries saw improvement. The largest decline over the last year took place in Burkina Faso (-24 points), followed by Mongolia (-10 points) and Senegal (-9 points).
According to the Global Expression Report 2024, freedom of expression in Sub-Saharan Africa remains stagnant. Every other region has seen a significant drop in expression over the last 10 years, but there has been no substantial change in Sub-Saharan Africa.
In the last year, 216 million people across 4 countries experienced a deterioration of their freedom of expression; no countries saw improvement. The largest decline in the region took place in Burkina Faso (-24 points). This was also the largest decline globally.
In the last 5 years, 329 million people across 14 countries experienced a deterioration of their freedom of expression, while only 119 million people across 4 countries saw improvement.
Below are the top 10 African countries with the lowest freedom of expression in 2024:
| Rank | Country | Freedom measure | Global rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eritrea | 1 | 160th |
| 2 | Equatorial Guinea | 4 | 147th |
| 3 | South Sudan | 5 | 145th |
| 4 | Egypt | 6 | 142nd |
| 5 | Eswatini | 7 | 141st |
| 6 | Sudan | 10 | 134th |
| 7 | Burundi | 10 | 133th |
| 8 | Rwanda | 10 | 130th |
| 9 | Algeria | 12 | 129th |
| 10 | Republic of the Congo | 13 | 127th |
