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The Economist Democracy Index

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For overview of democracy indices, see Democracy indices.

The 2024 Economist Intelligence Unit Democracy Index map

The Democracy Index published by the Economist Group is an index measuring the quality of democracy across the world. This quantitative and comparative assessment is centrally concerned with democratic rights and democratic institutions. The methodology for assessing democracy used in this democracy index is according to Economist Intelligence Unit which is part of the Economist Group, a UK-based private company, which publishes the weekly newspaper The Economist. The index is based on 60 indicators grouped into five categories, measuring pluralism, civil liberties, and political culture. In addition to a numeric score and a ranking, the index categorizes each country into one of four regime types: full democracies, flawed democracies, hybrid regimes, and authoritarian regimes. The first Democracy Index report was published in 2006. Reports were published every two years until 2010 and annually thereafter. The index includes 167 countries and territories, of which 165 are sovereign states and 164 are UN member states. Other democracy indices with similar assessments of the state of democracy[1] include V-Dem Democracy indices or Bertelsmann Transformation Index.

Methodology

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As described in the report, the Democracy Index produces a weighted average based on the answers to 60 questions, or indicators, each one with either two or three permitted answers. Most answers are experts' assessments. Some answers are provided by public-opinion surveys from the respective countries. In the case of countries for which survey results are missing, survey results for similar countries and expert assessments are used in order to fill in gaps.[2]

The questions are grouped into five categories:

Each answer is converted to a score, either 0 or 1, or for the three-answer questions, 0, 0.5 or 1. With the exceptions mentioned below, within each category, the scores are added, multiplied by ten, and divided by the total number of questions within the category. There are a few modifying dependencies, which are explained much more precisely than the main rule procedures. In a few cases, an answer yielding zero for one question voids another question; e.g., if the elections for the national legislature and head of government are not considered free (question 1), then the next question, "Are elections... fair?", is not considered, but automatically scored zero. Likewise, there are a few questions considered so important that a low score on them yields a penalty on the total score sum for their respective categories, namely:

  1. "Whether national elections are free and fair";
  2. "The security of voters";
  3. "The influence of foreign powers on government";
  4. "The capability of the civil servants to implement policies".

The five category indices, which are listed in the report, are then averaged to find the overall score for a given country. Finally, the score, rounded to two decimals, decides the regime-type classification of the country.

The report discusses other indices of democracy, as defined, e.g., by Freedom House, and argues for some of the choices made by the team from the Economist Intelligence Unit. In this comparison, a higher emphasis is placed on the public opinion and attitudes, as measured by surveys, but on the other hand, economic living-standards are not weighted as one criterion of democracy (as seemingly some other investigators have done).[3][4]

The report is widely cited in the international press as well as in peer-reviewed academic journals.[5]

Definitions

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  • Full democracies are countries where civil liberties and fundamental political freedoms are not only respected but also reinforced by a political culture conducive to the thriving of democratic principles. These nations have a valid system of governmental checks and balances, an independent judiciary whose decisions are enforced, governments that function adequately, and diverse and independent media. These nations have only limited problems in democratic functioning.[6]
  • Flawed democracies are countries where elections are fair and free and basic civil liberties are honoured but may have issues (e.g. media freedom infringement and minor suppression of political opposition and critics). These countries can have significant faults in other democratic aspects, including underdeveloped political culture, low levels of participation in politics, and issues in the functioning of governance.[6]
  • Hybrid regimes are countries with regular electoral frauds, preventing them from being fair and free democracies. These countries commonly have governments that apply pressure on political opposition, non-independent judiciaries, widespread corruption, harassment and pressure placed on the media, anaemic rule of law, and more pronounced faults than flawed democracies in the realms of underdeveloped political culture, low levels of participation in politics, and issues in the functioning of governance.[6]
  • Authoritarian regimes are countries where political pluralism is nonexistent or severely limited. These nations are often absolute monarchies or dictatorships, may have some conventional institutions of democracy but with meagre significance, infringements and abuses of civil liberties are commonplace, elections (if they take place) are not fair or free (including sham elections), the media is often state-owned or controlled by groups associated with the ruling regime, the judiciary is not independent, and censorship and suppression of governmental criticism are commonplace.[6]

By regime type

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The following table indicates the number of nations and the percentage of world population for each type of regime. Some microstates are not considered in the calculation.

Year 2024[7]
Type of regime Score Countries Proportion of
world population (%)
Number (%)w By types Subtotal
Full democracies[a]
  9.00–10.00
  8.00–8.99
 25 15.0% 6.6% 45%
Flawed democracies[b]
  7.00–7.99
  6.00–6.99
 46 27.5% 38.4%
Hybrid regimes[c]
  5.00–5.99
  4.00–4.99
 36 21.6% 15.7% 54.9%
Authoritarian regimes[d]
  3.00–3.99
  2.00–2.99
  1.00–1.99
  0.00–0.99
 60 35.9% 39.2%

List by region

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The following table lists the average of each country scored by geographic region, as defined by the Economist Democracy Index.

Region Coun­tries 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2008 2006
Western Europe 21 8.38 8.37 8.36 8.23 8.29 8.35 8.35 8.38 8.40 8.42 8.41 8.41 8.44 8.40 8.45 8.61 8.60
North America 2 8.27 8.27 8.37 8.36 8.58 8.59 8.56 8.56 8.56 8.56 8.59 8.59 8.59 8.59 8.63 8.64 8.64
Latin America and the Caribbean 24 5.61 5.68 5.79 5.83 6.09 6.13 6.24 6.26 6.33 6.37 6.36 6.38 6.36 6.35 6.37 6.43 6.37
Eastern Europe and Central Asia 28 5.35 5.37 5.39 5.36 5.36 5.42 5.42 5.40 5.43 5.55 5.58 5.53 5.51 5.50 5.55 5.67 5.76
Asia and Australasia 28 5.31 5.41 5.46 5.62 5.67 5.67 5.67 5.63 5.74 5.74 5.70 5.61 5.56 5.51 5.53 5.58 5.44
Sub-Saharan Africa 44 4.00 4.04 4.14 4.12 4.16 4.26 4.36 4.35 4.37 4.38 4.34 4.36 4.33 4.32 4.23 4.28 4.24
Middle East and North Africa 20 3.12 3.23 3.34 3.41 3.44 3.53 3.54 3.54 3.56 3.58 3.65 3.68 3.73 3.62 3.52 3.48 3.54
World 167 5.17 5.23 5.29 5.28 5.37 5.44 5.48 5.48 5.52 5.55 5.55 5.53 5.52 5.49 5.46 5.55 5.52

The following table lists the number of countries in each of the four democracy classifications.

Year 2024
Rank Region Countries Authoritarian Hybrid regime Flawed democracy Full democracy Average score
1 Western Europe 21 0 1 5 15 8.38
2 North America 2 0 0 1 1 8.27
3 Latin America and the Caribbean 24 4 8 10 2 5.61
4 Asia and Australasia 28 8 6 10 4 5.31
5 Eastern Europe and Central Asia 28 8 5 13 2 5.35
6 Sub-Saharan Africa 44 23 14 6 1 4.00
7 Middle East and North Africa 20 17 2 1 0 3.12
World 167 60 36 46 25 5.17

List by country

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The following table shows each nation's score over the years. The regions are assigned by the Economist Intelligence Unit, and may differ from conventional classifications (for example, Turkey is grouped in Western Europe).

Region 2024 rank Country Regime type 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2008 2006
North America 14  Canada Full democracy 8.69 8.69 8.88 8.87 9.24 9.22 9.15 9.15 9.15 9.08 9.08 9.08 9.08 9.08 9.08 9.07 9.07
28  United States Flawed democracy 7.85 7.85 7.85 7.85 7.92 7.96 7.96 7.98 7.98 8.05 8.11 8.11 8.11 8.11 8.18 8.22 8.22
Western Europe 19  Austria Full democracy 8.28 8.28 8.20 8.07 8.16 8.29 8.29 8.42 8.41 8.54 8.54 8.48 8.62 8.49 8.49 8.49 8.69
34  Belgium Flawed democracy 7.64 7.64 7.64 7.51 7.51 7.64 7.78 7.78 7.77 7.93 7.93 8.05 8.05 8.05 8.05 8.16 8.15
40  Cyprus Flawed democracy 7.38 7.38 7.38 7.43 7.56 7.59 7.59 7.59 7.65 7.53 7.40 7.29 7.29 7.29 7.29 7.70 7.60
7  Denmark Full democracy 9.28 9.28 9.28 9.09 9.15 9.22 9.22 9.22 9.20 9.11 9.11 9.38 9.52 9.52 9.52 9.52 9.52
6  Finland Full democracy 9.30 9.30 9.29 9.27 9.20 9.25 9.14 9.03 9.03 9.03 9.03 9.03 9.06 9.06 9.19 9.25 9.25
26  France Flawed democracy 7.99 8.07 8.07 7.99 7.99 8.12 7.80 7.80 7.92 7.92 8.04 7.92 7.88 7.77 7.77 8.07 8.07
13  Germany Full democracy 8.73 8.80 8.80 8.67 8.67 8.68 8.68 8.61 8.63 8.64 8.64 8.31 8.34 8.34 8.38 8.82 8.82
25  Greece Full democracy 8.07 8.14 7.97 7.56 7.39 7.43 7.29 7.29 7.23 7.45 7.45 7.65 7.65 7.65 7.92 8.13 8.13
4  Iceland Full democracy 9.38 9.45 9.52 9.18 9.37 9.58 9.58 9.58 9.50 9.58 9.58 9.65 9.65 9.65 9.65 9.65 9.71
8  Ireland Full democracy 9.19 9.19 9.13 9.00 9.05 9.24 9.15 9.15 9.15 8.85 8.72 8.68 8.56 8.56 8.79 9.01 9.01
37  Italy Flawed democracy 7.58 7.69 7.69 7.68 7.74 7.52 7.71 7.98 7.98 7.98 7.85 7.85 7.74 7.74 7.83 7.98 7.73
10  Luxembourg Full democracy 8.88 8.81 8.81 8.68 8.68 8.81 8.81 8.81 8.81 8.88 8.88 8.88 8.88 8.88 8.88 9.10 9.10
27  Malta Flawed democracy 7.93 7.93 7.70 7.57 7.68 7.95 8.21 8.15 8.39 8.39 8.39 8.28 8.28 8.28 8.28 8.39 8.39
9  Netherlands Full democracy 9.00 9.00 9.00 8.88 8.96 9.01 8.89 8.89 8.80 8.92 8.92 8.84 8.99 8.99 8.99 9.53 9.66
1  Norway Full democracy 9.81 9.81 9.81 9.75 9.81 9.87 9.87 9.87 9.93 9.93 9.93 9.93 9.93 9.80 9.80 9.68 9.55
23  Portugal Full democracy 8.08 7.75 7.95 7.82 7.90 8.03 7.84 7.84 7.86 7.79 7.79 7.65 7.92 7.81 8.02 8.05 8.16
21  Spain Full democracy 8.13 8.07 8.07 7.94 8.12 8.29 8.08 8.08 8.30 8.30 8.05 8.02 8.02 8.02 8.16 8.45 8.34
3  Sweden Full democracy 9.39 9.39 9.39 9.26 9.26 9.39 9.39 9.39 9.39 9.45 9.73 9.73 9.73 9.50 9.50 9.88 9.88
5  Switzerland Full democracy 9.32 9.14 9.14 8.90 8.83 9.03 9.03 9.03 9.09 9.09 9.09 9.09 9.09 9.09 9.09 9.15 9.02
103  Turkey Hybrid regime 4.26 4.33 4.35 4.35 4.48 4.09 4.37 4.88 5.04 5.12 5.12 5.63 5.76 5.73 5.73 5.69 5.70
17  United Kingdom Full democracy 8.34 8.28 8.28 8.10 8.54 8.52 8.53 8.53 8.36 8.31 8.31 8.31 8.21 8.16 8.16 8.15 8.08
Eastern Europe and Central Asia 66  Albania Flawed democracy 6.20 6.28 6.41 6.11 6.08 5.89 5.98 5.98 5.91 5.91 5.67 5.67 5.67 5.81 5.86 5.91 5.91
82  Armenia Hybrid regime 5.35 5.42 5.63 5.49 5.35 5.54 4.79 4.11 3.88 4.00 4.13 4.02 4.09 4.09 4.09 4.09 4.15
126  Azerbaijan Authoritarian 2.80 2.80 2.87 2.68 2.68 2.75 2.65 2.65 2.65 2.71 2.83 3.06 3.15 3.15 3.15 3.19 3.31
152  Belarus Authoritarian 1.99 1.99 1.99 2.41 2.59 2.48 3.13 3.13 3.54 3.62 3.69 3.04 3.04 3.16 3.34 3.34 3.34
88  Bosnia and Herzegovina Hybrid regime 5.06 5.00 5.00 5.04 4.84 4.86 4.98 4.87 4.87 4.83 4.78 5.02 5.11 5.24 5.32 5.70 5.78
61  Bulgaria Flawed democracy 6.34 6.41 6.53 6.64 6.71 7.03 7.03 7.03 7.01 7.14 6.73 6.83 6.72 6.78 6.84 7.02 7.10
56  Croatia Flawed democracy 6.50 6.50 6.50 6.50 6.50 6.57 6.57 6.63 6.75 6.93 6.93 6.93 6.93 6.73 6.81 7.04 7.04
23  Czech Republic Full democracy 8.08 7.97 7.97 7.74 7.67 7.69 7.69 7.62 7.82 7.94 7.94 8.06 8.19 8.19 8.19 8.19 8.17
21  Estonia Full democracy 8.13 7.96 7.96 7.84 7.84 7.90 7.97 7.79 7.85 7.85 7.74 7.61 7.61 7.61 7.68 7.68 7.74
94  Georgia Hybrid regime 4.70 5.20 5.20 5.12 5.31 5.42 5.50 5.93 5.93 5.88 5.82 5.95 5.53 4.74 4.59 4.62 4.90
54  Hungary Flawed democracy 6.51 6.72 6.64 6.50 6.56 6.63 6.63 6.64 6.72 6.84 6.90 6.96 6.96 7.04 7.21 7.44 7.53
118  Kazakhstan Authoritarian 3.08 3.08 3.08 3.08 3.14 2.94 2.94 3.06 3.06 3.06 3.17 3.06 2.95 3.24 3.30 3.45 3.62
111  Kyrgyzstan Authoritarian 3.52 3.70 3.62 3.62 4.21 4.89 5.11 5.11 4.93 5.33 5.24 4.69 4.69 4.34 4.31 4.05 4.08
33  Latvia Flawed democracy 7.66 7.38 7.37 7.31 7.24 7.49 7.38 7.25 7.31 7.37 7.48 7.05 7.05 7.05 7.05 7.23 7.37
36  Lithuania Flawed democracy 7.59 7.31 7.31 7.18 7.13 7.50 7.50 7.41 7.47 7.54 7.54 7.54 7.24 7.24 7.24 7.36 7.43
71  Moldova Flawed democracy 6.04 6.23 6.23 6.10 5.78 5.75 5.85 5.94 6.01 6.35 6.32 6.32 6.32 6.32 6.33 6.50 6.50
50  Montenegro Flawed democracy 6.73 6.67 6.45 6.02 5.77 5.65 5.74 5.69 5.72 6.01 5.94 5.94 6.05 6.15 6.27 6.43 6.57
62  North Macedonia Flawed democracy 6.28 6.03 6.10 6.03 5.89 5.97 5.87 5.57 5.23 6.02 6.25 6.16 6.16 6.16 6.16 6.21 6.33
39  Poland Flawed democracy 7.40 7.18 7.04 6.80 6.85 6.62 6.67 6.67 6.83 7.09 7.47 7.12 7.12 7.12 7.05 7.30 7.30
72  Romania Hybrid regime 5.99 6.45 6.45 6.43 6.40 6.49 6.38 6.44 6.62 6.68 6.68 6.54 6.54 6.54 6.60 7.06 7.06
150  Russia Authoritarian 2.03 2.22 2.28 3.24 3.31 3.11 2.94 3.17 3.24 3.31 3.39 3.59 3.74 3.92 4.26 4.48 5.02
64  Serbia Flawed democracy 6.26 6.33 6.33 6.36 6.22 6.41 6.41 6.41 6.57 6.71 6.71 6.67 6.33 6.33 6.33 6.49 6.62
42  Slovakia Flawed democracy 7.21 7.07 7.07 7.03 6.97 7.17 7.10 7.16 7.29 7.29 7.35 7.35 7.35 7.35 7.35 7.33 7.40
30  Slovenia Flawed democracy 7.82 7.75 7.75 7.54 7.54 7.50 7.50 7.50 7.51 7.57 7.57 7.88 7.88 7.76 7.69 7.96 7.96
159  Tajikistan Authoritarian 1.83 1.94 1.94 1.94 1.94 1.93 1.93 1.93 1.89 1.95 2.37 2.51 2.51 2.51 2.51 2.45 2.45
161  Turkmenistan Authoritarian 1.66 1.66 1.66 1.66 1.72 1.72 1.72 1.72 1.83 1.83 1.83 1.72 1.72 1.72 1.72 1.72 1.83
92  Ukraine Hybrid regime 4.90 5.06 5.42 5.57 5.81 5.90 5.69 5.69 5.70 5.70 5.42 5.84 5.91 5.94 6.30 6.94 6.94
145  Uzbekistan Authoritarian 2.10 2.12 2.12 2.12 2.12 2.01 2.01 1.95 1.95 1.95 2.45 1.72 1.72 1.74 1.74 1.74 1.85
Latin America and the Caribbean 54  Argentina Flawed democracy 6.51 6.62 6.85 6.81 6.95 7.02 7.02 6.96 6.96 7.02 6.84 6.84 6.84 6.84 6.84 6.63 6.63
103  Bolivia Hybrid regime 4.26 4.20 4.51 4.65 5.08 4.84 5.70 5.49 5.63 5.75 5.79 5.79 5.84 5.84 5.92 6.15 5.98
57  Brazil Flawed democracy 6.49 6.68 6.78 6.86 6.92 6.86 6.97 6.86 6.90 6.96 7.38 7.12 7.12 7.12 7.12 7.38 7.38
29  Chile Flawed democracy 7.83 7.98 8.22 7.92 8.28 8.08 7.97 7.84 7.78 7.84 7.80 7.80 7.54 7.54 7.67 7.89 7.89
60  Colombia Flawed democracy 6.35 6.55 6.72 6.48 7.04 7.13 6.96 6.67 6.67 6.62 6.55 6.55 6.63 6.63 6.55 6.54 6.40
18  Costa Rica Full democracy 8.29 8.29 8.29 8.07 8.16 8.13 8.07 7.88 7.88 7.96 8.03 8.03 8.10 8.10 8.04 8.04 8.04
135  Cuba Authoritarian 2.58 2.65 2.65 2.59 2.84 2.84 3.00 3.31 3.46 3.52 3.52 3.52 3.52 3.52 3.52 3.52 3.52
52  Dominican Republic Flawed democracy 6.62 6.44 6.39 6.45 6.32 6.54 6.54 6.66 6.67 6.67 6.67 6.74 6.49 6.20 6.20 6.20 6.13
85  Ecuador Hybrid regime 5.24 5.41 5.69 5.71 6.13 6.33 6.27 6.02 5.81 5.87 5.87 5.87 5.78 5.72 5.77 5.64 5.64
95  El Salvador Hybrid regime 4.61 4.71 5.06 5.72 5.90 6.15 5.96 6.43 6.64 6.64 6.53 6.53 6.47 6.47 6.47 6.40 6.22
97  Guatemala Hybrid regime 4.55 4.47 4.68 4.62 4.97 5.26 5.60 5.86 5.92 5.92 5.81 5.81 5.88 5.88 6.05 6.07 6.07
69  Guyana Flawed democracy 6.11 6.26 6.34 6.25 6.01 6.15 6.67 6.46 6.25 6.05 5.91 6.05 6.05 6.05 6.05 6.12 6.15
131  Haiti Authoritarian 2.74 2.81 2.81 3.48 4.22 4.57 4.91 4.03 4.02 3.94 3.82 3.94 3.96 4.00 4.00 4.19 4.19
90  Honduras Hybrid regime 4.98 4.98 5.15 5.10 5.36 5.42 5.63 5.72 5.92 5.84 5.84 5.84 5.84 5.84 5.76 6.18 6.25
49  Jamaica Flawed democracy 6.74 7.06 7.13 7.13 7.13 6.96 7.02 7.29 7.39 7.39 7.39 7.39 7.39 7.13 7.21 7.21 7.34
84  Mexico Hybrid regime 5.32 5.14 5.25 5.57 6.07 6.09 6.19 6.41 6.47 6.55 6.68 6.91 6.90 6.93 6.93 6.78 6.67
147  Nicaragua Authoritarian 2.09 2.26 2.50 2.69 3.60 3.55 3.63 4.66 4.81 5.26 5.32 5.46 5.56 5.56 5.73 6.07 5.68
47  Panama Flawed democracy 6.84 6.91 6.91 6.85 7.18 7.05 7.05 7.08 7.13 7.19 7.08 7.08 7.08 7.08 7.15 7.35 7.35
75  Paraguay Hybrid regime 5.92 6.00 5.89 5.86 6.18 6.24 6.24 6.31 6.27 6.33 6.26 6.26 6.26 6.40 6.40 6.40 6.16
78  Peru Hybrid regime 5.69 5.81 5.92 6.09 6.53 6.60 6.60 6.49 6.65 6.58 6.54 6.54 6.47 6.59 6.40 6.31 6.11
48  Suriname Flawed democracy 6.79 6.88 6.95 6.82 6.82 6.98 6.98 6.76 6.77 6.77 6.77 6.77 6.65 6.65 6.65 6.58 6.52
45  Trinidad and Tobago Flawed democracy 7.09 7.16 7.16 7.16 7.16 7.16 7.16 7.04 7.10 7.10 6.99 6.99 6.99 7.16 7.16 7.21 7.18
15  Uruguay Full democracy 8.67 8.66 8.91 8.85 8.61 8.38 8.38 8.12 8.17 8.17 8.17 8.17 8.17 8.17 8.10 8.08 7.96
142  Venezuela Authoritarian 2.25 2.31 2.23 2.11 2.76 2.88 3.16 3.87 4.68 5.00 5.07 5.07 5.15 5.08 5.18 5.34 5.42
Asia and Australasia 167  Afghanistan Authoritarian 0.25 0.26 0.32 0.32 2.85 2.85 2.97 2.55 2.55 2.77 2.77 2.48 2.48 2.48 2.48 3.02 3.06
11  Australia Full democracy 8.85 8.66 8.71 8.90 8.96 9.09 9.09 9.09 9.01 9.01 9.01 9.13 9.22 9.22 9.22 9.09 9.09
100  Bangladesh Hybrid regime 4.44 5.87 5.99 5.99 5.99 5.88 5.57 5.43 5.73 5.73 5.78 5.86 5.86 5.86 5.87 5.52 6.11
79  Bhutan Hybrid regime 5.65 5.54 5.54 5.71 5.71 5.30 5.30 5.08 4.93 4.93 4.87 4.82 4.65 4.57 4.68 4.30 2.62
123  Cambodia Authoritarian 2.94 3.05 3.18 2.90 3.10 3.53 3.59 3.63 4.27 4.27 4.78 4.60 4.96 4.87 4.87 4.87 4.77
145  China Authoritarian 2.11 2.12 1.94 2.21 2.27 2.26 3.32 3.10 3.18 3.14 3.00 3.00 3.00 3.14 3.14 3.04 2.97
81  Fiji Hybrid regime 5.39 5.55 5.55 5.61 5.72 5.85 5.85 5.85 5.64 5.69 5.61 3.61 3.67 3.67 3.62 5.11 5.66
87  Hong Kong Hybrid regime 5.09 5.24 5.28 5.60 5.57 6.02 6.15 6.31 6.42 6.50 6.46 6.42 6.42 5.92 5.92 5.85 6.03
41  India Flawed democracy 7.29 7.18 7.04 6.91 6.61 6.90 7.23 7.23 7.81 7.74 7.92 7.69 7.52 7.30 7.28 7.80 7.68
59  Indonesia Flawed democracy 6.44 6.53 6.71 6.71 6.30 6.48 6.39 6.39 6.97 7.03 6.95 6.82 6.76 6.53 6.53 6.34 6.41
16  Japan Full democracy 8.48 8.40 8.33 8.15 8.13 7.99 7.99 7.88 7.99 7.96 8.08 8.08 8.08 8.08 8.08 8.25 8.15
160  Laos Authoritarian 1.71 1.71 1.77 1.77 1.77 2.14 2.37 2.37 2.37 2.21 2.21 2.21 2.32 2.10 2.10 2.10 2.10
44  Malaysia Flawed democracy 7.11 7.29 7.30 7.24 7.19 7.16 6.88 6.54 6.54 6.43 6.49 6.49 6.41 6.19 6.19 6.36 5.98
53  Mongolia Flawed democracy 6.53 6.48 6.35 6.42 6.48 6.50 6.50 6.50 6.62 6.62 6.62 6.51 6.35 6.23 6.36 6.60 6.60
166  Myanmar Authoritarian 0.96 0.85 0.74 1.02 3.04 3.55 3.83 3.83 4.20 4.14 3.05 2.76 2.35 1.77 1.77 1.77 1.77
96  Nepal Hybrid regime 4.60 4.60 4.49 4.41 5.22 5.28 5.18 5.18 4.86 4.77 4.77 4.77 4.16 4.24 4.24 4.05 3.42
2  New Zealand Full democracy 9.61 9.61 9.61 9.37 9.25 9.26 9.26 9.26 9.26 9.26 9.26 9.26 9.26 9.26 9.26 9.19 9.01
165  North Korea Authoritarian 1.08 1.08 1.08 1.08 1.08 1.08 1.08 1.08 1.08 1.08 1.08 1.08 1.08 1.08 1.08 0.86 1.03
124  Pakistan Authoritarian 2.84 3.25 4.13 4.31 4.31 4.25 4.17 4.26 4.33 4.40 4.64 4.64 4.57 4.55 4.55 4.46 3.92
73  Papua New Guinea Hybrid regime 5.97 6.03 5.97 6.10 6.10 6.03 6.03 6.03 6.03 6.03 6.03 6.36 6.32 6.32 6.54 6.54 6.54
51  Philippines Flawed democracy 6.63 6.66 6.73 6.62 6.56 6.64 6.71 6.71 6.94 6.84 6.77 6.41 6.30 6.12 6.12 6.12 6.48
68  Singapore Flawed democracy 6.18 6.18 6.22 6.23 6.03 6.02 6.38 6.32 6.38 6.14 6.03 5.92 5.88 5.89 5.89 5.89 5.89
32  South Korea Flawed democracy 7.75 8.09 8.03 8.16 8.01 8.00 8.00 8.00 7.92 7.97 8.06 8.06 8.13 8.06 8.11 8.01 7.88
67  Sri Lanka Flawed democracy 6.19 6.17 6.47 6.14 6.14 6.27 6.19 6.48 6.48 6.42 5.69 5.69 5.75 6.58 6.64 6.61 6.58
12  Taiwan Full democracy 8.78 8.92 8.99 8.99 8.94 7.73 7.73 7.73 7.79 7.83 7.65 7.57 7.57 7.46 7.52 7.82 7.82
63  Thailand Flawed democracy 6.27 6.35 6.67 6.04 6.04 6.32 4.63 4.63 4.92 5.09 5.39 6.25 6.55 6.55 6.55 6.81 5.67
46  Timor-Leste Flawed democracy 7.03 7.06 7.06 7.06 7.06 7.19 7.19 7.19 7.24 7.24 7.24 7.24 7.16 7.22 7.22 7.22 6.41
133  Vietnam Authoritarian 2.62 2.62 2.73 2.94 2.94 3.08 3.08 3.08 3.38 3.53 3.41 3.29 2.89 2.96 2.94 2.53 2.75
Middle East and North Africa 110  Algeria Authoritarian 3.55 3.66 3.66 3.77 3.77 4.01 3.50 3.56 3.56 3.95 3.83 3.83 3.83 3.44 3.44 3.32 3.17
138  Bahrain Authoritarian 2.45 2.52 2.52 2.52 2.49 2.55 2.71 2.71 2.79 2.79 2.87 2.87 2.53 2.92 3.49 3.38 3.53
128  Egypt Authoritarian 2.79 2.93 2.93 2.93 2.93 3.06 3.36 3.36 3.31 3.18 3.16 3.27 4.56 3.95 3.07 3.89 3.90
154  Iran Authoritarian 1.96 1.96 1.96 1.95 2.20 2.38 2.45 2.45 2.34 2.16 1.98 1.98 1.98 1.98 1.94 2.83 2.93
126  Iraq Authoritarian 2.80 2.88 3.13 3.51 3.62 3.74 4.06 4.09 4.08 4.08 4.23 4.10 4.10 4.03 4.00 4.00 4.01
31  Israel Flawed democracy 7.80 7.80 7.93 7.97 7.84 7.86 7.79 7.79 7.85 7.77 7.63 7.53 7.53 7.53 7.48 7.48 7.28
115  Jordan Authoritarian 3.28 3.04 3.17 3.49 3.62 3.93 3.93 3.87 3.96 3.86 3.76 3.76 3.76 3.89 3.74 3.93 3.92
130  Kuwait Authoritarian 2.78 3.50 3.83 3.91 3.80 3.93 3.85 3.85 3.85 3.85 3.78 3.78 3.78 3.74 3.88 3.39 3.09
109  Lebanon Authoritarian 3.56 3.56 3.64 3.84 4.16 4.36 4.63 4.72 4.86 4.86 5.12 5.05 5.05 5.32 5.82 5.62 5.82
140  Libya Authoritarian 2.31 1.78 2.06 1.95 1.95 2.02 2.19 2.32 2.25 2.25 3.80 4.82 5.15 3.55 1.94 2.00 1.84
91  Morocco Hybrid regime 4.97 5.04 5.04 5.04 5.04 5.10 4.99 4.87 4.77 4.66 4.00 4.07 4.07 3.83 3.79 3.88 3.90
120  Oman Authoritarian 3.05 3.12 3.12 3.00 3.00 3.06 3.04 3.04 3.04 3.04 3.15 3.26 3.26 3.26 2.86 2.98 2.77
112  Palestine Authoritarian 3.44 3.47 3.86 3.94 3.83 3.89 4.39 4.46 4.49 4.57 4.72 4.80 4.80 4.97 5.44 5.83 6.01
117  Qatar Authoritarian 3.17 3.65 3.65 3.65 3.24 3.19 3.19 3.19 3.18 3.18 3.18 3.18 3.18 3.18 3.09 2.92 2.78
148  Saudi Arabia Authoritarian 2.08 2.08 2.08 2.08 2.08 1.93 1.93 1.93 1.93 1.93 1.82 1.82 1.71 1.77 1.84 1.90 1.92
162  Sudan Authoritarian 1.46 1.76 2.47 2.47 2.54 2.70 2.15 2.15 2.37 2.37 2.54 2.54 2.38 2.38 2.42 2.81 2.90
163  Syria Authoritarian 1.32 1.43 1.43 1.43 1.43 1.43 1.43 1.43 1.43 1.43 1.74 1.86 1.63 1.99 2.31 2.18 2.36
93  Tunisia Hybrid regime 4.71 5.51 5.51 5.99 6.59 6.72 6.41 6.32 6.40 6.72 6.31 5.76 5.67 5.53 2.79 2.96 3.06
119  United Arab Emirates Authoritarian 3.07 3.01 2.90 2.90 2.70 2.76 2.76 2.69 2.75 2.75 2.64 2.52 2.58 2.58 2.52 2.60 2.42
155  Yemen Authoritarian 1.95 1.95 1.95 1.95 1.95 1.95 1.95 2.07 2.07 2.24 2.79 2.79 3.12 2.57 2.64 2.95 2.98
Sub-Saharan Africa 107  Angola Hybrid regime 4.05 4.18 3.96 3.37 3.66 3.72 3.62 3.62 3.40 3.35 3.35 3.35 3.35 3.32 3.32 3.35 2.41
100  Benin Hybrid regime 4.44 4.68 4.28 4.19 4.58 5.09 5.74 5.61 5.67 5.72 5.65 5.87 6.00 6.06 6.17 6.06 6.16
35  Botswana Flawed democracy 7.63 7.73 7.73 7.73 7.62 7.81 7.81 7.81 7.87 7.87 7.87 7.98 7.85 7.63 7.63 7.47 7.60
137  Burkina Faso Authoritarian 2.55 2.73 3.08 3.84 3.73 4.04 4.75 4.75 4.70 4.70 4.09 4.15 3.52 3.59 3.59 3.60 3.72
144  Burundi Authoritarian 2.13 2.13 2.13 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.33 2.33 2.40 2.49 3.33 3.41 3.60 4.01 4.01 4.51 4.51
37  Cape Verde Flawed democracy 7.58 7.65 7.65 7.65 7.65 7.78 7.88 7.88 7.94 7.81 7.81 7.92 7.92 7.92 7.94 7.81 7.43
136  Cameroon Authoritarian 2.56 2.56 2.56 2.56 2.77 2.85 3.28 3.61 3.46 3.66 3.41 3.41 3.44 3.41 3.41 3.46 3.27
164  Central African Republic Authoritarian 1.18 1.18 1.35 1.43 1.32 1.32 1.52 1.52 1.61 1.57 1.49 1.49 1.99 1.82 1.82 1.86 1.61
158  Chad Authoritarian 1.89 1.67 1.67 1.67 1.55 1.61 1.61 1.50 1.50 1.50 1.50 1.50 1.62 1.62 1.52 1.52 1.65
124  Comoros Authoritarian 2.84 3.04 3.20 3.20 3.09 3.15 3.71 3.71 3.71 3.71 3.52 3.52 3.52 3.52 3.41 3.58 3.90
128  Republic of the Congo Authoritarian 2.79 2.79 2.79 2.79 3.11 3.11 3.31 3.25 2.91 2.91 2.89 2.89 2.89 2.89 2.89 2.94 3.19
105  Ivory Coast Hybrid regime 4.22 4.22 4.22 4.22 4.11 4.05 4.15 3.93 3.81 3.31 3.53 3.25 3.25 3.08 3.02 3.27 3.38
156  Democratic Republic of the Congo Authoritarian 1.92 1.68 1.48 1.40 1.13 1.13 1.49 1.61 1.93 2.11 1.75 1.83 1.92 2.15 2.15 2.28 2.76
132  Djibouti Authoritarian 2.70 2.70 2.74 2.74 2.71 2.77 2.87 2.76 2.83 2.90 2.99 2.96 2.74 2.68 2.20 2.37 2.37
156  Equatorial Guinea Authoritarian 1.92 1.92 1.92 1.92 1.92 1.92 1.92 1.81 1.70 1.77 1.66 1.77 1.83 1.77 1.84 2.19 2.09
153  Eritrea Authoritarian 1.97 1.97 2.03 2.03 2.15 2.37 2.37 2.37 2.37 2.37 2.44 2.40 2.40 2.34 2.31 2.31 2.31
134  Eswatini Authoritarian 2.60 2.78 3.01 3.08 3.08 3.14 3.03 3.03 3.03 3.09 3.09 3.20 3.20 3.26 2.90 3.04 2.93
116  Ethiopia Authoritarian 3.24 3.37 3.17 3.30 3.38 3.44 3.35 3.42 3.60 3.83 3.72 3.83 3.72 3.79 3.68 4.52 4.72
143  Gabon Authoritarian 2.18 2.18 3.40 3.40 3.54 3.61 3.61 3.61 3.74 3.76 3.76 3.76 3.56 3.48 3.29 3.00 2.72
99  Gambia Hybrid regime 4.47 4.47 4.47 4.41 4.49 4.33 4.31 4.06 2.91 2.97 3.05 3.31 3.31 3.38 3.38 4.19 4.39
65  Ghana Flawed democracy 6.24 6.30 6.43 6.50 6.50 6.63 6.63 6.69 6.75 6.86 6.33 6.33 6.02 6.02 6.02 5.35 5.35
149  Guinea Authoritarian 2.04 2.21 2.32 2.28 3.08 3.14 3.14 3.14 3.14 3.14 3.01 2.84 2.79 2.79 2.79 2.09 2.02
150  Guinea-Bissau Authoritarian 2.03 2.45 2.56 2.75 2.63 2.63 1.98 1.98 1.98 1.93 1.93 1.26 1.43 1.99 1.99 1.99 2.00
89  Kenya Hybrid regime 5.05 5.05 5.05 5.05 5.05 5.18 5.11 5.11 5.33 5.33 5.13 5.13 4.71 4.71 4.71 4.79 5.08
70  Lesotho Flawed democracy 6.06 6.06 6.19 6.30 6.30 6.54 6.64 6.64 6.59 6.59 6.66 6.66 6.66 6.33 6.02 6.29 6.48
80  Liberia Hybrid regime 5.57 5.57 5.43 5.43 5.32 5.45 5.35 5.23 5.31 4.95 4.95 4.95 4.95 5.07 5.07 5.25 5.22
83  Madagascar Hybrid regime 5.33 5.26 5.70 5.70 5.70 5.64 5.22 5.11 5.07 4.85 4.42 4.32 3.93 3.93 3.94 5.57 5.82
76  Malawi Hybrid regime 5.85 5.85 5.91 5.74 5.74 5.50 5.49 5.49 5.55 5.55 5.66 6.00 6.08 5.84 5.84 5.13 4.97
139  Mali Authoritarian 2.40 2.58 3.23 3.48 3.93 4.92 5.41 5.64 5.70 5.70 5.79 5.90 5.12 6.36 6.01 5.87 5.99
108  Mauritania Authoritarian 3.96 4.14 4.03 4.03 3.92 3.92 3.82 3.82 3.96 3.96 4.17 4.17 4.17 4.17 3.86 3.91 3.12
20  Mauritius Full democracy 8.23 8.14 8.14 8.08 8.14 8.22 8.22 8.22 8.28 8.27 8.17 8.17 8.17 8.04 8.04 8.04 8.04
113  Mozambique Authoritarian 3.38 3.51 3.51 3.51 3.51 3.65 3.85 4.02 4.02 4.60 4.66 4.77 4.88 4.90 4.90 5.49 5.28
58  Namibia Flawed democracy 6.48 6.52 6.52 6.52 6.52 6.43 6.25 6.31 6.31 6.31 6.24 6.24 6.24 6.24 6.23 6.48 6.54
141  Niger Authoritarian 2.26 2.37 3.73 3.22 3.29 3.29 3.76 3.76 3.96 4.62 4.02 4.08 4.16 4.16 3.38 3.41 3.54
106  Nigeria Hybrid regime 4.16 4.23 4.23 4.11 4.10 4.12 4.44 4.44 4.50 3.85 3.76 3.77 3.77 3.83 3.47 3.53 3.52
114  Rwanda Authoritarian 3.34 3.30 3.10 3.10 3.10 3.16 3.35 3.19 3.07 3.07 3.25 3.38 3.36 3.25 3.25 3.71 3.82
74  Senegal Hybrid regime 5.93 5.48 5.72 5.53 5.67 5.81 6.15 6.15 6.21 6.08 6.15 6.15 6.09 5.51 5.27 5.37 5.37
102  Sierra Leone Hybrid regime 4.32 4.32 5.03 4.97 4.86 4.86 4.66 4.66 4.55 4.55 4.56 4.64 4.71 4.51 4.51 4.11 3.57
43  South Africa Flawed democracy 7.16 7.05 7.05 7.05 7.05 7.24 7.24 7.24 7.41 7.56 7.82 7.90 7.79 7.79 7.79 7.91 7.91
86  Tanzania Hybrid regime 5.20 5.35 5.10 5.10 5.10 5.16 5.41 5.47 5.76 5.58 5.77 5.77 5.88 5.64 5.64 5.28 5.18
121  Togo Authoritarian 2.99 2.99 2.99 2.80 2.80 3.30 3.10 3.05 3.32 3.41 3.45 3.45 3.45 3.45 3.45 2.43 1.75
98  Uganda Hybrid regime 4.49 4.49 4.55 4.48 4.94 5.02 5.20 5.09 5.26 5.22 5.22 5.22 5.16 5.13 5.05 5.03 5.14
77  Zambia Hybrid regime 5.73 5.80 5.80 5.72 4.86 5.09 5.61 5.68 5.99 6.28 6.39 6.26 6.26 6.19 5.68 5.25 5.25
122  Zimbabwe Authoritarian 2.98 3.04 2.92 2.92 3.16 3.16 3.16 3.16 3.05 3.05 2.78 2.67 2.67 2.68 2.64 2.53 2.62

Components

[edit]

The following table shows the five parameters that made up the score of each nation in 2024 and the changes that had occurred since 2023.[8]

Year 2024
Rank Δ Rank Country Regime type Overall score Δ Score Elec­toral pro­cess
and plura­lism 		Func­tioning
of govern­ment 		Poli­tical
partici­pation 		Poli­tical
cul­ture 		Civil
liber­ties
Full democracies
1 Steady  Norway Full democracy 9.81 Steady 10.00 9.64 10.00 10.00 9.41
2 Steady  New Zealand Full democracy 9.61 Steady 10.00 9.29 10.00 8.75 10.00
3 Increase 1  Sweden Full democracy 9.39 Steady 9.58 9.64 8.33 10.00 9.41
4 Decrease 1  Iceland Full democracy 9.38 Decrease 0.07 10.00 8.93 8.89 9.38 9.71
5 Increase 3  Switzerland Full democracy 9.32 Increase 0.18 9.58 9.29 8.33 10.00 9.41
6 Decrease 1  Finland Full democracy 9.30 Steady 10.00 9.64 7.78 9.38 9.71
7 Decrease 1  Denmark Full democracy 9.28 Steady 10.00 9.29 8.33 9.38 9.41
8 Decrease 1  Ireland Full democracy 9.19 Steady 10.00 8.21 8.33 10.00 9.41
9 Steady  Netherlands Full democracy 9.00 Steady 9.58 8.93 8.33 8.75 9.41
10 Increase 1  Luxembourg Full democracy 8.88 Increase 0.07 10.00 9.29 6.67 8.75 9.71
11 Increase 3  Australia Full democracy 8.85 Increase 0.19 10.00 8.57 7.22 8.75 9.71
12 Decrease 2  Taiwan Full democracy 8.78 Decrease 0.14 10.00 8.57 7.78 8.13 9.41
13 Decrease 1  Germany Full democracy 8.73 Decrease 0.07 9.58 8.21 8.33 8.13 9.41
14 Decrease 1  Canada Full democracy 8.69 Steady 10.00 8.21 8.89 7.50 8.82
15 Decrease 1  Uruguay Full democracy 8.67 Increase 0.01 10.00 9.29 7.78 6.88 9.41
16 Steady  Japan Full democracy 8.48 Increase 0.08 9.58 8.93 6.67 8.13 9.12
17 Increase 1  United Kingdom Full democracy 8.34 Increase 0.06 9.58 7.50 8.33 6.88 9.41
18 Decrease 1  Costa Rica Full democracy 8.29 Steady 9.58 7.50 7.78 6.88 9.71
19 Decrease 1  Austria Full democracy 8.28 Steady 9.58 7.50 8.89 6.88 8.53
20 Steady  Mauritius Full democracy 8.23 Increase 0.09 9.58 7.86 6.11 8.75 8.82
21 Increase 6  Estonia Full democracy 8.13 Increase 0.17 10.00 8.57 6.67 6.88 8.53
22 Increase 2  Spain Full democracy 8.13 Increase 0.06 9.58 7.50 7.22 7.50 8.82
23 Increase 3  Czech Republic Full democracy 8.08 Increase 0.11 9.58 6.43 7.78 7.50 9.12
24 Increase 8  Portugal Full democracy 8.08 Increase 0.33 9.58 7.14 6.11 8.75 8.82
25 Decrease 5  Greece Full democracy 8.07 Decrease 0.07 10.00 6.79 7.22 7.50 8.82
Flawed democracies
26 Decrease 3  France Flawed democracy 7.99 Decrease 0.08 9.58 7.50 7.78 6.88 8.24
27 Increase 1  Malta Flawed democracy 7.93 Steady 9.17 7.14 6.67 8.13 8.53
28 Increase 1  United States Flawed democracy 7.85 Steady 9.17 6.43 8.89 6.25 8.53
29 Decrease 4  Chile Flawed democracy 7.83 Decrease 0.15 9.58 7.86 6.67 5.63 9.41
30 Increase 1  Slovenia Flawed democracy 7.82 Increase 0.07 9.58 7.50 7.22 6.25 8.53
31 Decrease 1  Israel Flawed democracy 7.80 Steady 9.58 7.50 9.44 6.88 5.59
32 Decrease 10  South Korea Flawed democracy 7.75 Decrease 0.34 9.58 7.50 7.22 5.63 8.82
33 Increase 4  Latvia Flawed democracy 7.66 Increase 0.28 10.00 7.14 6.67 6.25 8.24
34 Increase 2  Belgium Flawed democracy 7.64 Steady 9.58 8.21 5.00 6.88 8.53
35 Decrease 2  Botswana Flawed democracy 7.63 Decrease 0.10 9.58 6.43 6.11 7.50 8.53
36 Increase 3  Lithuania Flawed democracy 7.59 Increase 0.28 10.00 7.14 6.67 5.63 8.53
37 Decrease 2  Cape Verde Flawed democracy 7.58 Decrease 0.07 9.17 6.64 6.67 6.88 8.53
38 Decrease 3  Italy Flawed democracy 7.58 Decrease 0.11 9.58 7.14 7.22 6.88 7.06
39 Increase 2  Poland Flawed democracy 7.40 Increase 0.22 10.00 6.43 6.67 6.25 7.65
40 Decrease 3  Cyprus Flawed democracy 7.38 Steady 9.17 5.36 6.67 6.88 8.82
41 Steady  India Flawed democracy 7.29 Increase 0.11 8.67 7.50 7.22 6.88 6.18
42 Increase 2  Slovakia Flawed democracy 7.21 Increase 0.14 10.00 6.07 6.11 5.63 8.24
43 Increase 4  South Africa Flawed democracy 7.16 Increase 0.11 9.17 6.79 7.78 5.00 7.06
44 Decrease 4  Malaysia Flawed democracy 7.11 Decrease 0.18 9.58 7.14 6.67 6.25 5.88
45 Decrease 2  Trinidad and Tobago Flawed democracy 7.09 Decrease 0.07 9.58 6.79 6.11 5.63 7.35
46 Decrease 1  Timor-Leste Flawed democracy 7.03 Decrease 0.03 9.58 6.07 5.56 6.88 7.06
47 Increase 1  Panama Flawed democracy 6.84 Decrease 0.07 9.58 5.71 7.22 3.75 7.94
48 Increase 1  Suriname Flawed democracy 6.79 Decrease 0.09 9.58 5.36 6.67 5.00 7.35
49 Decrease 4  Jamaica Flawed democracy 6.74 Decrease 0.32 8.75 6.43 5.00 5.00 8.53
50 Increase 2  Montenegro Flawed democracy 6.73 Increase 0.06 8.75 7.14 6.67 3.75 7.35
51 Increase 2  Philippines Flawed democracy 6.63 Decrease 0.03 8.75 4.64 8.33 4.38 7.06
52 Increase 9  Dominican Republic Flawed democracy 6.62 Increase 0.18 9.17 5.00 7.22 4.38 7.35
53 Increase 6  Mongolia Flawed democracy 6.53 Increase 0.05 8.75 5.71 6.67 5.63 5.88
54 Steady  Argentina Flawed democracy 6.51 Decrease 0.11 9.17 5.00 6.11 3.75 8.53
55 Decrease 4  Hungary Flawed democracy 6.51 Decrease 0.21 8.75 5.71 4.44 6.88 6.76
56 Increase 2  Croatia Flawed democracy 6.50 Steady 9.17 6.07 6.11 4.38 6.76
57 Decrease 6  Brazil Flawed democracy 6.49 Decrease 0.19 9.58 5.00 6.11 5.00 6.76
58 Decrease 1  Namibia Flawed democracy 6.48 Decrease 0.04 7.42 5.36 6.67 5.00 7.94
59 Decrease 3  Indonesia Flawed democracy 6.44 Decrease 0.09 7.92 6.79 7.22 5.00 5.29
60 Decrease 5  Colombia Flawed democracy 6.35 Decrease 0.20 9.17 5.71 6.11 3.13 7.65
61 Increase 1  Bulgaria Flawed democracy 6.34 Decrease 0.07 8.75 5.36 5.56 4.38 7.65
62 Increase 10  North Macedonia Flawed democracy 6.28 Increase 0.25 8.75 6.07 6.11 3.13 7.35
63 Steady  Thailand Flawed democracy 6.27 Decrease 0.08 6.50 5.00 8.33 5.63 5.88
64 Steady  Serbia Flawed democracy 6.26 Decrease 0.07 7.83 5.71 6.67 3.75 7.35
65 Steady  Ghana Flawed democracy 6.24 Decrease 0.06 8.33 4.64 6.11 6.25 5.88
66 Steady  Albania Flawed democracy 6.20 Decrease 0.08 7.00 5.71 5.00 6.25 7.06
67 Increase 3  Sri Lanka Flawed democracy 6.19 Increase 0.02 7.00 4.29 7.22 6.25 6.18
68 Increase 1  Singapore Flawed democracy 6.18 Steady 5.33 7.14 4.44 7.50 6.47
69 Decrease 2  Guyana Flawed democracy 6.11 Decrease 0.15 6.92 6.07 6.11 5.00 6.47
70 Increase 1  Lesotho Flawed democracy 6.06 Steady 9.17 3.79 5.56 5.63 6.18
71 Decrease 3  Moldova Flawed democracy 6.04 Decrease 0.19 6.50 5.36 7.22 4.38 6.76
Hybrid regimes
72 Decrease 12  Romania Hybrid regime 5.99 Decrease 0.46 8.25 5.36 5.56 3.75 7.06
73 Decrease 1  Papua New Guinea Hybrid regime 5.97 Decrease 0.06 6.92 6.07 3.89 5.63 7.35
74 Increase 9  Senegal Hybrid regime 5.93 Increase 0.45 7.42 5.36 4.44 6.25 6.18
75 Decrease 1  Paraguay Hybrid regime 5.92 Decrease 0.08 8.33 5.36 6.67 1.88 7.35
76 Steady  Malawi Hybrid regime 5.85 Steady 7.00 4.29 5.56 6.25 6.18
77 Increase 1  Zambia Hybrid regime 5.73 Decrease 0.07 7.92 3.29 5.00 6.88 5.59
78 Decrease 1  Peru Hybrid regime 5.69 Decrease 0.12 8.75 5.71 5.00 2.50 6.47
79 Increase 2  Bhutan Hybrid regime 5.65 Increase 0.11 8.75 5.93 3.89 5.00 4.71
80 Decrease 1  Liberia Hybrid regime 5.57 Steady 7.83 2.71 6.11 5.63 5.59
81 Decrease 1  Fiji Hybrid regime 5.39 Decrease 0.16 6.58 5.00 4.44 5.63 5.29
82 Increase 2  Armenia Hybrid regime 5.35 Decrease 0.07 7.92 4.29 6.11 3.13 5.29
83 Increase 4  Madagascar Hybrid regime 5.33 Increase 0.07 6.58 3.93 6.11 5.63 4.41
84 Increase 6  Mexico Hybrid regime 5.32 Increase 0.18 6.92 5.00 7.22 1.88 5.59
85 Steady  Ecuador Hybrid regime 5.24 Decrease 0.17 8.75 5.00 5.56 1.88 5.00
86 Steady  Tanzania Hybrid regime 5.20 Decrease 0.15 4.42 5.00 5.00 6.88 4.71
87 Increase 1  Hong Kong Hybrid regime 5.09 Decrease 0.15 2.75 4.00 3.89 6.88 7.94
88 Increase 6  Bosnia and Herzegovina Hybrid regime 5.06 Increase 0.06 7.00 3.64 5.00 3.75 5.88
89 Increase 3  Kenya Hybrid regime 5.05 Steady 3.50 5.36 6.67 5.63 4.12
90 Increase 5  Honduras Hybrid regime 4.98 Steady 8.75 3.93 4.44 2.50 5.29
91 Increase 2  Morocco Hybrid regime 4.97 Decrease 0.05 5.25 4.29 5.56 5.63 4.12
92 Decrease 1  Ukraine Hybrid regime 4.90 Decrease 0.16 5.17 2.71 7.22 5.00 4.41
93 Decrease 11  Tunisia Hybrid regime 4.71 Decrease 0.80 3.42 3.93 5.56 5.63 5.00
94 Decrease 5  Georgia Hybrid regime 4.70 Decrease 0.50 5.67 3.21 5.56 3.75 5.59
95 Increase 1  El Salvador Hybrid regime 4.61 Decrease 0.10 6.17 3.21 5.56 3.13 5.00
96 Increase 2  Nepal Hybrid regime 4.60 Steady 4.83 5.36 5.00 2.50 5.29
97 Increase 3  Guatemala Hybrid regime 4.55 Increase 0.08 6.08 3.93 5.00 1.88 5.88
98 Increase 1  Uganda Hybrid regime 4.49 Steady 3.42 3.57 3.89 6.88 4.71
99 Increase 1  Gambia Hybrid regime 4.47 Steady 4.42 4.29 3.89 5.63 4.12
100 Decrease 25  Bangladesh Hybrid regime 4.44 Decrease 1.43 6.08 2.57 5.00 5.00 3.53
101 Decrease 3  Benin Hybrid regime 4.44 Decrease 0.24 1.75 5.36 4.44 6.25 4.41
102 Increase 1  Sierra Leone Hybrid regime 4.32 Steady 4.83 2.86 3.89 5.00 5.00
103 Increase 3  Bolivia Hybrid regime 4.26 Increase 0.06 4.33 3.93 5.56 1.88 5.59
104 Decrease 1  Turkey Hybrid regime 4.26 Decrease 0.07 3.50 4.64 6.11 5.00 2.06
105 Steady  Ivory Coast Hybrid regime 4.22 Steady 4.33 2.86 4.44 5.63 3.82
106 Decrease 2  Nigeria Hybrid regime 4.16 Decrease 0.07 5.17 3.57 3.89 3.75 4.41
107 Steady  Angola Hybrid regime 4.05 Decrease 0.13 4.50 2.86 5.56 5.00 2.35
Authoritarian regimes
108 Steady  Mauritania Authoritarian regime 3.96 Decrease 0.18 3.50 3.21 5.56 3.13 4.41
109 Increase 3  Lebanon Authoritarian regime 3.56 Steady 3.08 0.79 6.67 3.13 4.12
110 Steady  Algeria Authoritarian regime 3.55 Decrease 0.11 3.08 2.50 3.33 5.00 3.82
111 Decrease 2  Kyrgyzstan Authoritarian regime 3.52 Decrease 0.18 3.42 1.86 3.89 3.13 5.29
112 Increase 3  Palestine Authoritarian regime 3.44 Decrease 0.03 1.58 0.00 8.33 3.75 3.53
113 Steady  Mozambique Authoritarian regime 3.38 Decrease 0.13 1.67 1.43 5.56 5.00 3.24
114 Increase 3  Rwanda Authoritarian regime 3.34 Increase 0.04 1.42 4.29 3.33 5.00 2.65
115 Increase 7  Jordan Authoritarian regime 3.28 Increase 0.24 3.08 2.86 4.44 2.50 3.53
116 Steady  Ethiopia Authoritarian regime 3.24 Decrease 0.13 0.42 2.86 6.11 5.63 1.18
117 Decrease 6  Qatar Authoritarian regime 3.17 Decrease 0.48 0.00 3.93 2.78 5.63 3.53
118 Increase 2  Kazakhstan Authoritarian regime 3.08 Decrease 0.03 0.50 3.21 5.00 3.75 2.94
119 Increase 6  United Arab Emirates Authoritarian regime 3.07 Increase 0.06 0.00 4.29 2.78 5.63 2.65
120 Decrease 1  Oman Authoritarian regime 3.05 Decrease 0.07 0.08 3.57 2.78 5.00 3.82
121 Increase 5  Togo Authoritarian regime 2.99 Steady 0.92 2.14 3.33 5.63 2.94
122 Steady  Zimbabwe Authoritarian regime 2.98 Decrease 0.06 0.00 2.50 4.44 5.00 2.94
123 Decrease 2  Cambodia Authoritarian regime 2.94 Decrease 0.11 0.00 2.36 5.00 5.00 2.35
124 Decrease 2  Comoros Authoritarian regime 2.84 Decrease 0.20 0.83 2.21 3.89 3.75 3.53
125 Decrease 6  Pakistan Authoritarian regime 2.84 Decrease 0.41 0.83 4.29 2.78 2.50 3.82
126 Increase 4  Azerbaijan Authoritarian regime 2.80 Steady 0.50 2.50 3.33 5.00 2.65
127 Increase 2  Iraq Authoritarian regime 2.80 Decrease 0.08 4.83 0.00 6.11 1.88 1.18
128 Increase 3  Republic of the Congo Authoritarian regime 2.79 Steady 0.00 2.50 4.44 3.75 3.24
129 Decrease 1  Egypt Authoritarian regime 2.79 Decrease 0.14 0.42 2.86 3.89 5.00 1.76
130 Decrease 16  Kuwait Authoritarian regime 2.78 Decrease 0.72 0.92 3.21 2.78 3.75 3.24
131 Decrease 2  Haiti Authoritarian regime 2.74 Decrease 0.07 0.00 0.29 2.78 5.63 5.00
132 Increase 2  Djibouti Authoritarian regime 2.70 Steady 0.00 1.64 3.89 5.63 2.35
133 Increase 3  Vietnam Authoritarian regime 2.62 Steady 0.00 3.93 2.78 3.75 2.65
134 Decrease 2  Eswatini Authoritarian regime 2.60 Decrease 0.18 0.00 1.64 2.78 5.63 2.94
135 Steady  Cuba Authoritarian regime 2.58 Decrease 0.07 0.00 2.86 3.33 3.75 2.94
136 Increase 2  Cameroon Authoritarian regime 2.56 Steady 0.33 2.14 3.89 4.38 2.06
137 Decrease 4  Burkina Faso Authoritarian regime 2.55 Decrease 0.18 0.00 2.14 3.33 3.75 3.53
138 Increase 1  Bahrain Authoritarian regime 2.45 Decrease 0.07 0.42 2.36 3.33 4.38 1.76
139 Decrease 2  Mali Authoritarian regime 2.40 Decrease 0.18 0.00 0.00 5.00 4.38 2.65
140 Increase 17  Libya Authoritarian regime 2.31 Increase 0.53 1.25 0.00 3.89 3.75 2.65
141 Steady  Niger Authoritarian regime 2.26 Decrease 0.11 0.33 1.14 1.67 3.75 4.41
142 Steady  Venezuela Authoritarian regime 2.25 Decrease 0.06 0.00 1.07 5.00 3.13 2.06
143 Increase 3  Gabon Authoritarian regime 2.18 Steady 0.83 1.14 2.22 3.75 2.94
144 Increase 3  Burundi Authoritarian regime 2.13 Steady 0.00 0.00 3.89 5.00 1.76
145 Increase 3  China Authoritarian regime 2.11 Decrease 0.01 0.00 3.21 3.33 3.13 0.88
146 Increase 2  Uzbekistan Authoritarian regime 2.10 Decrease 0.02 0.00 1.86 2.78 5.00 0.88
147 Decrease 4  Nicaragua Authoritarian regime 2.09 Decrease 0.17 0.00 2.14 2.78 3.75 1.76
148 Steady  Saudi Arabia Authoritarian regime 2.08 Steady 0.00 3.57 2.22 3.13 1.47
149 Decrease 4  Guinea Authoritarian regime 2.04 Decrease 0.17 0.00 0.43 3.33 4.38 2.06
150 Decrease 10  Guinea-Bissau Authoritarian regime 2.03 Decrease 0.42 2.17 0.00 2.78 3.13 2.06
151 Decrease 6  Russia Authoritarian regime 2.03 Decrease 0.19 0.00 2.14 2.22 3.75 2.06
152 Decrease 1  Belarus Authoritarian regime 1.99 Steady 0.00 0.79 3.33 4.38 1.47
153 Decrease 1  Eritrea Authoritarian regime 1.97 Steady 0.00 2.14 0.56 6.88 0.29
154 Decrease 1  Iran Authoritarian regime 1.96 Steady 0.00 2.50 3.33 2.50 1.47
155 Decrease 1  Yemen Authoritarian regime 1.95 Steady 0.00 0.00 3.89 5.00 0.88
156 Increase 4  Democratic Republic of the Congo Authoritarian regime 1.92 Increase 0.24 2.08 0.43 2.78 3.13 1.18
157 Steady  Equatorial Guinea Authoritarian regime 1.92 Steady 0.00 0.43 3.33 4.38 1.47
158 Increase 3  Chad Authoritarian regime 1.89 Increase 0.22 0.00 0.00 3.33 3.75 2.35
159 Decrease 4  Tajikistan Authoritarian regime 1.83 Decrease 0.11 0.00 2.21 1.67 4.38 0.88
160 Decrease 1  Laos Authoritarian regime 1.71 Steady 0.00 2.86 1.67 3.75 0.29
161 Increase 1  Turkmenistan Authoritarian regime 1.66 Steady 0.00 0.79 2.22 5.00 0.29
162 Decrease 4  Sudan Authoritarian regime 1.46 Decrease 0.30 0.00 0.00 1.11 5.63 0.59
163 Steady  Syria Authoritarian regime 1.32 Decrease 0.11 0.00 0.00 2.22 4.38 0.00
164 Steady  Central African Republic Authoritarian regime 1.18 Steady 0.00 0.00 1.67 1.88 2.35
165 Steady  North Korea Authoritarian regime 1.08 Steady 0.00 2.50 1.67 1.25 0.00
166 Steady  Myanmar Authoritarian regime 0.96 Increase 0.11 0.00 0.00 1.67 3.13 0.00
167 Steady  Afghanistan Authoritarian regime 0.26 Decrease 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.25 0.00


Unincluded countries

[edit]

Below is a list of every UN member state that is currently not included in the Democracy Index.[9][10]

Recent changes

[edit]

In 2016, the United States was downgraded from a full democracy to a flawed democracy;[11] its score, which had been declining for some years, crossed the threshold from 8.05 in 2015 to 7.98 in 2016. The report stated that this was caused by myriad factors dating back to at least the late 1960s which have eroded Americans' trust in governmental institutions.[12][13] Nigeria was also upgraded from an authoritarian regime to a hybrid regime.

The 2017 Democracy Index registered, at the time, the worst year for global democracy since 2010–11. Asia was the region with the largest decline since 2016. Venezuela was downgraded from a hybrid regime to an authoritarian regime. In China, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), further entrenched his power by writing his contribution to the CCP's ideology, dubbed Xi Jinping Thought, into the party's constitution. Moldova was downgraded from a flawed democracy to a hybrid regime as a result of problematic elections. By contrast, Armenia was re-upgraded from an authoritarian regime to a hybrid regime as a result of constitutional changes that shifted power from the presidency to parliament.[14] In 2017, the Gambia was upgraded again from an authoritarian regime to a hybrid regime after Yahya Jammeh, who was president from 1996 to 2017, was defeated by Adama Barrow, an opposition candidate in the 2016 presidential elections.

In 2019, France, Portugal and Chile were upgraded from flawed democracies to full democracies. In fact, this was not a new experience for the former two, which suffered from the eurozone crisis many years before. By contrast, Malta was downgraded from a full democracy to a flawed democracy. Thailand and Albania were upgraded from hybrid regimes to flawed democracies.[15] Algeria was upgraded again from an authoritarian regime to a hybrid regime.

In 2020, Taiwan was upgraded from flawed democracy to full democracy following judicial reforms,[16] and soared to 11th (8.94) position from its previous position at 33rd (7.73), surpassing Switzerland, which ranked 12th. Japan and South Korea were also upgraded again to a full democracy, while France and Portugal were once again relegated to flawed democracies. Hong Kong was downgraded from a flawed democracy to a hybrid regime. Algeria was downgraded again from a hybrid regime to an authoritarian regime. The Economist Intelligence Unit noted that democracy "was dealt a major blow in 2020".[17] Almost 70% of countries covered by the Democracy Index recorded a decline in their overall score, as most of them imposed lockdowns and other restrictions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to some arresting journalists and citizens accused of spreading COVID-19 misinformation. The global average score fell to its lowest level since the index began in 2006.

In 2021, both the global and regional average scores continued downward trends, with the exception of the Central and Eastern Europe region. Spain and Chile were downgraded from full democracies to flawed democracies, while Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, and Tunisia were downgraded from flawed democracies to hybrid regimes. Haiti, Lebanon, and Kyrgyzstan were downgraded from hybrid regimes to authoritarian regimes. In addition, Moldova, Montenegro, and North Macedonia were upgraded from hybrid regimes to flawed democracies, whereas Mauritania was upgraded from authoritarian to hybrid regime. For the first time, two countries displaced North Korea as the lowest-ranked states in the Democracy Index – in Myanmar, the elected government was overthrown in a military coup, and protests were suppressed by the junta, which ultimately resulted in its score going down by 2.02 points; Afghanistan, as a result of the 2021 Taliban offensive and subsequent takeover of government, registered the lowest score of any state ever recorded on the Democracy Index at 0.32.

In 2022, the global average score stagnated, with the lifting of COVID-related restrictions being largely canceled out by other negative developments globally.

In 2023, the global average score deteriorated further, with most declines occurring in authoritarian and hybrid regimes, with the former becoming more entrenched and the latter struggling to democratize. The threshold for each color has also been changed from greater than the integer to greater than or equal to.[18]

In 2024, the global average once again trended downwards, largely due to continued and expanded crackdowns in dissent in authoritarian regimes. The average score for democracies remained the same, despite 2024 being a major election year. One of the most notable declines was South Korea's decline from a full democracy to a flawed democracy, which was majorly a result of President Yoon-Suk Yeol's Declaration of Martial Law in December 2024.

Criticism

[edit]

Investment analyst Peter Tasker has criticised the Democracy Index for lacking transparency and accountability beyond the numbers. To generate the index, the Economist Intelligence Unit has a scoring system in which various experts are asked to answer 60 questions and assign each reply a number, with the weighted average deciding the ranking. However, the final report does not indicate what kinds of experts, nor their number, nor whether the experts are employees of the Economist Intelligence Unit or independent scholars, nor the nationalities of the experts.[19]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ (2006–2021)
      9.01–10.00
      8.01–9.00
  2. ^ (2006–2021)
      7.01–8.00
      6.01–7.00
  3. ^ (2006–2021)
      5.01–6.00
      4.01–5.00
  4. ^ (2006–2021)
      3.01–4.00
      2.01–3.00
      1.01–2.00
      0.00–1.00

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Geissel, Brigitte; Kneuer, Marianne; Lauth, Hans-Joachim (2016). "Measuring the quality of democracy: Introduction". International Political Science Review. 37 (5). Sage Publications: 571–579. doi:10.1177/0192512116669141. ISSN 0192-5121. JSTOR 26556872. S2CID 151808737. Retrieved 2023-04-03.
  2. ^ Democracy Index 2023 - Age of conflict. The Economist Intelligence Unit. 15 February 2024. pp. 65–77. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
  3. ^ "Democracy Index 2010: Democracy in retreat" (PDF). Economist Intelligence Unit. 6 December 2010. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 December 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
  4. ^ "Democracy Index 2006" (PDF). The World in 2007. 15 November 2006. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
  5. ^ Manaev, Oleg; Manayeva, Natalie; Dzmitry, Yuran (1 December 2011). "More State than Nation: Lukashenko's Belarus". Journal of International Affairs. 65 (1): 93–113. Archived from the original on 21 December 2016. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
  6. ^ a b c d "Democracy Index 2015: Democracy in an age of anxiety" (PDF). The Economist Intelligence Unit. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
  7. ^ "Democracy Index 2024". EIU.com. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
  8. ^ "Democracy Index 2024 - What's wrong with representative democracy?" (PDF). Economist Intelligence Unit. 2025.
  9. ^ "Democracy Index 2023: Age of conflict" (PDF). Economist Intelligence Unit. 2024. p. 3.
  10. ^ "Member States". UN. United Nations. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  11. ^ Karlis, Nicole (31 January 2018). "New report classifies US as a "flawed democracy" - Partisanship and Trump were to blame for the US's dismal ranking in the Economist's annual Democracy Index report". Salon. Archived from the original on 16 February 2018. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
  12. ^ Eshe Nelson (25 January 2017). "The US has been downgraded to a "flawed democracy," but not just because of Trump". Quartz. Archived from the original on 1 October 2017. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
  13. ^ "Declining trust in government is denting democracy". The Economist. 25 January 2017. Archived from the original on 14 July 2017. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  14. ^ "Democracy Index 2017: Free speech under attack". eiu.com. The Economist Intelligence Unit. Archived from the original on 31 January 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  15. ^ "Democracy Index 2019 A year of democratic setbacks and popular protest". EIU.com. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  16. ^ "Taiwan most democratic country in East Asia: The Economist". 3 February 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
  17. ^ "Democracy Index 2020: In sickness and in health?". EIU.com. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  18. ^ "The Economist Group - EIU's 2023 Democracy Index: Conflict and polarisation drive a new low for global democracy".
  19. ^ Tasker, Peter (25 February 2016). "Peter Tasker: The flawed 'science' behind democracy rankings". Nikkei Asia. Archived from the original on 2019-02-23. Retrieved 2019-02-22.
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