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T.he is long The decline of global democracy stalled in 2022, according to latest edition democracy index from our sister company EIUThe annual survey ranks the state of democracy in 167 countries out of 10 out of 5, based on five indicators: electoral processes and pluralism, functioning of government, political participation, democratic political culture, and civil liberties. I am evaluating. According to the latest edition, nearly half (45.3%) of the world’s population lives in some form of democracy, while over a third (36.9%) is under authoritarian rule (see map ). A global score of 5.29 out of 10, up only 0.01 from the previous year, represents stagnation rather than the likely reversal of the democratic recession that began in 2016.
One reason for the expected recovery is the lifting of pandemic-related restrictions in 2022. Scores for 2020 and 2021 have been lowered due to widespread suppression of personal liberties, originally intended to protect people from covid-19. However, the improvement in 2022 has been offset. By negative developments elsewhere. Moreover, China, which makes up nearly one-fifth of her world population, only ended its COVID-19 measures in December, trapping tens of millions of its citizens for months throughout the year. The government has abandoned its zero covid policy after widespread protests against it. But the state’s repressive response to the protests has cut China’s democracy score to 1.94 out of 10, the lowest since the index was launched in 2006.
Russia has suffered the most democratic decline of any country in the world, dropping 22 spots to 146th. Vladimir Putin’s ambitions to restore Russia’s imperial status have been fiercely opposed by the West, but condemnation by non-Western countries is by no means universal. About two-thirds of people live in countries where the government is neutral or pro-Russian. Putin’s propaganda machine is trying to convince the Southern Hemisphere that the Western goal is to “divide and destroy” Russia. In Russia itself, the country has taken a firm hold on the media and cracked down on anti-war demonstrators, bringing his score to an all-time low of 2.28.
Polarization remains the greatest threat to American democracy, but historically high voter turnout in November’s midterm elections and widespread rejection of candidates who still deny the results of the 2020 presidential election have put the The country score is stable at 7.85. Further south, a failed coup by Peruvian (and subsequently ousted) President Pedro Castillo undermined an already fragile democracy. The index now classifies the Peruvian government as a “hybrid government” rather than a democracy.
Elsewhere, multiple coups have seen Burkina Faso drop 16 places in the rankings. Failed coup attempts in Guinea-Bissau, Sao Tome and Principe and The Gambia stalled sub-Saharan Africa’s democracy score for the second year in a row.
Western Europe, with 8 of the top 10 countries in the index, was the only region to record a notable improvement in 2022. The region’s score recovered to pre-pandemic levels, and Norway maintained its long-held top position in the rankings. Her four other Nordic countries follow closely in the rankings. (New Zealand came in second to her in the world rankings.) Turkey, the only ‘hybrid regime’ in the region, has registered a rapid decline over the past decade. The country faces significant elections this summer that could determine its democratic status. Despite global improvements, democracy remains under threat.■
