• In the last year, 4 countries experienced declines: Georgia (16 points), the UK (9), Serbia (7), and Moldova (7). For Georgia and Moldova, this continued the steep downward trajectory from the previous year: Georgia moved lower in the Restricted category, while Moldova moved from Less Restricted to Restricted.

• No countries in the region advanced over the last year.

• While 44% of the regional population resides in Open countries (including 9 of the global top 10 ranked countries for freedom of expression), more than a third (35%) now lives in countries ranked In Crisis.

• Over the last decade, 29 countries in the region experienced declines in freedom of expression (dropping 352 points collectively), but only 4 of these were significant (score drops of at least 20 points): Georgia (43 points), Kyrgyzstan (29 points), Belarus (22 points), and Ukraine (20 points).

• Only 2 countries advanced over the same period, but neither was significant.