Half the world’s population cannot freely speak their mind according to a new report on freedom of expression.

In its annual report, the advocate group Article 19 found the number of people facing a “crisis” in freedom of speech and information was the highest this century after a sharp rise from 34% in 2022 to 53% in 2023.

“At no point in the last 20 years have so many people been denied the benefits of open societies, like the ability to voice opinions, access a free media or participate in free and open elections,” said Article 19’s executive director Quinn McKew.