Over 90% of the population of the Asia and the Pacific region live in countries which saw a decline in Freedom of Expression scores during one of our key timeframes over the last decade – nearly 400 million people.
Table 21: Average scores for Asia and the Pacific, 2018
| Theme | Score |
| Civic Space | 0.45 |
| Digital | 0.45 |
| Media | 0.46 |
| Protection | 0.49 |
| Transparency | 0.49 |
| Freedom of Expression | 0.46 |
Figure 19: Thematic Scores for Asia and the Pacific
Note: Figure 19 details average thematic scores for Asia and the Pacific
Table 22: Top and bottom five scores for Asia and the Pacific, 2018
| Country | Score |
| New Zealand | 0.89 |
| Australia | 0.86 |
| South Korea | 0.85 |
| Japan | 0.83 |
| Taiwan | 0.81 |
| Average | 0.46 |
| Vietnam | 0.14 |
| Cambodia | 0.10 |
| Thailand | 0.09 |
| China | 0.04 |
| North Korea | 0.00 |
Military and security forces perpetrated human rights violations across the region in 2018, especially around elections, as the security situation for journalists and activists deteriorated. A combination of new cyberlaws, colonial-era penal provisions (such as sedition), and national security measures are wielded to silence communicators and human rights defenders (HRDs) alike.