Overview

A new report from Justitia seeks to answer this question based on data from representative surveys of individuals from 33 countries around the world. The surveys were developed by Justitia and implemented by YouGov and some of its international partners in February 2021 (see Appendix for details, including the specific formulation of questions).

Researchers at Justitia created the Free Speech Index, to assess the overall support for free speech in different countries. It is based on answers to eight questions about the willingness to allow controversial types of speech, such as the ability to offend religion and minority groups and to publish information that could destabilize the national economy. The report reveals that people living in the Western world, particularly in the United States and Scandinavia, generally show more support for free speech than elsewhere, a finding in line with previous studies.

Read more about the Index in The Economist or read the full report attached below.