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Global democracy edges up after long decline

Source: economist.com

TL;DR

The Economist Intelligence Unit's Democracy Index 2025 shows global democracy stabilising after years of decline.
Global score rose by 0.02 points, with nearly three-quarters of countries steady or improved.[[1]](https://www.economist.com/interactive/democracy-index-2025)
Latin America saw the biggest regional gains from higher political participation, while the US declined further.[[1]](https://www.economist.com/interactive/democracy-index-2025)

The story at a glance

The interactive from The Economist covers the EIU's Democracy Index 2025, which grades 167 countries on a 0-10 scale and sorts them into full democracies, flawed democracies, hybrid regimes, and authoritarian regimes. Norway tops the list for the 16th year, with New Zealand second and Nordic countries dominant. It comes out now to highlight a modest uptick after eight years of global democratic recession, driven by steadier scores in most places. This follows events like wars, coups, and curbs on liberties that had worsened trends.[[1]](https://www.economist.com/interactive/democracy-index-2025)

Key points

Global index rose 0.02 points from 2024, one of the largest gains since 2012; nearly 75% of countries held steady or improved.[[1]](https://www.economist.com/interactive/democracy-index-2025)[[2]](https://www.eiu.com/n/campaigns/democracy-index-2025)
Norway stays number one; New Zealand second; other Nordics (Denmark up to third, up four places) fill top spots; Canada rose five places to ninth on high election turnout.[[1]](https://www.economist.com/interactive/democracy-index-2025)
Latin America and the Caribbean had the strongest regional improvement after nine years of decline, with scores up in over half the countries due to more political participation.[[1]](https://www.economist.com/interactive/democracy-index-2025)
Romania moved from hybrid regime to flawed democracy; improvements often in the middle rankings.[[1]](https://www.economist.com/interactive/democracy-index-2025)
United States fell 0.2 points, staying a flawed democracy amid polarisation, efforts to redraw electoral boundaries, military use against protests, and media curbs.[[1]](https://www.economist.com/interactive/democracy-index-2025)
Potential for gains elsewhere from youth protests in places like Nepal, Kenya, and Madagascar.[[1]](https://www.economist.com/interactive/democracy-index-2025)

Details and context

The index draws on 60 indicators across five categories: electoral process and pluralism, functioning of government, political participation, political culture, and civil liberties. It has tracked a long slide in democracy since 2006, linked to real-world problems like coups in Africa and contested elections. This year's modest rise points to stabilisation, not a full rebound, with full democracies and authoritarians showing stability while flawed and hybrid regimes see movement.[[1]](https://www.economist.com/interactive/democracy-index-2025)

Higher voter turnout helped risers like Canada and Romania, sometimes as a pushback against nationalist politics. The US decline ties to government dysfunction and Trump-era influences, like the Department of Government Efficiency. Latin America's shift breaks a streak of backsliding, boosted by younger voters.[[1]](https://www.economist.com/interactive/democracy-index-2025)

Key quotes

"The scores of nearly three-quarters of countries held steady or improved over the past year, and the global index rose by 0.02 points—one of the biggest increases since 2012." — EIU via The Economist[[1]](https://www.economist.com/interactive/democracy-index-2025)

"The long decline in global democracy may be easing a little. But in America, it is not abating." — The Economist[[1]](https://www.economist.com/interactive/democracy-index-2025)

Why it matters

Democracy's health shapes risks from wars, coups, and rights curbs that affect global stability and economies. For citizens and firms, it means steadier governance in most places but watch for US-style polarisation spreading risks to investment and trade. Keep an eye on youth turnout and regional shifts like Latin America, though volatility in flawed regimes could reverse gains.[[1]](https://www.economist.com/interactive/democracy-index-2025)