The International Publishers Association released a 2026 report, prepared with the Geneva Graduate Institute, analysing freedom to publish in 22 nations across six continents.
Rather than ranking countries, the study offers a framework of four diagnostic lenses—Legal Environment, Political Climate, Structural Enabling Conditions, and the Gap Between Formal and Substantive Freedom—to assess publishing environments.
Key findings show self‑censorship is widespread, occurring anticipatorily or reactively without court orders, leading to works never reaching readers.
The report identifies child‑protection rhetoric as the most versatile tool for restricting both publishing and reading, often combined with political aims targeting LGBTQI+ content, sexuality and ideological dissent.
It also stresses that a robust reading culture is essential; without a strong public demand for books, genuine freedom to publish cannot thrive.
Concluding that formal legal safeguards are necessary but insufficient, the authors highlight a widening divide between what the law permits and what is practically feasible for publishers.