Overview of Democratic Countries
To really get what’s going on with democratic countries, you’ve got to have a handle on democracy itself and the many ways it shows up across the globe.
Definition of Democracy
You’re looking at a democracy when folks use their voting power to steer the ship of governance. This idea kicks back to the Greeks with “demos” (the people) and “kratos” (power/rule). What you find in a democracy? Free elections, civil liberties, active participation from citizens, and laws that are there for everybody (Pew Research Center).
Types of Democracies
Not every democracy runs the same show. Here’s the rundown:
-
Full Democracies: These places are the real deal with not just fair voting but also strong freedoms, a lively political vibe, and governments that do their job. Finland, Norway, and New Zealand are in this camp. The Democracy Index counts 24 such places, with just 8% of people worldwide enjoying total democracy (World Population Review) (Visual Capitalist).
-
Flawed Democracies: Think of them as democracies with a sprinkle of hiccups. They vote and uphold freedoms, but they’re shaky on governance and political action. The United States? Yep, considered flawed with a 7.85 out of 10 score, holding the 30th spot globally in 2022. There are about 50 such nations, hosting 37% of the world’s folks (World Population Review) (Visual Capitalist).
-
Hybrid Regimes: Here, even if there’s voting, it’s often sketchy at best, with leadership and freedoms taking a backseat. Recent updates say there are 34 such setups (World Population Review).
-
Authoritarian Regimes: Welcome to the land where opposition is rare and control is tough, with personal freedoms almost non-existent. We’re talking about 59 countries here (World Population Review).
| Type of Democracy | Number of Countries | Percentage of World Population |
|---|---|---|
| Full Democracies | 24 | 8% |
| Flawed Democracies | 50 | 37% |
| Hybrid Regimes | 34 | N/A |
| Authoritarian Regimes | 59 | 55% |
Want to check out more about these democracy types and how they tick? Swing by the list of countries by hdi or list of countries by gdp.
Grasping these different democracy styles lets you get how varied and complex things are when it comes to running a country in this setup.
Ratings of Democratic Countries
Let’s chat about the Democracy Index, which piles countries into neat little boxes based on how democratic they are. The folks from the Economist Intelligence Unit do the heavy lifting on this one, looking into how elections are run and how much freedom people actually have. So, let’s break it down: you’ve got your full democracies, the kinda shaky flawed ones, the mix-bag hybrid regimes, and then your authoritarian, “my way or the highway” spots.
Full Democracies
These are the gold star kids of the democratic world. Governments are doing their jobs, folks enjoy their freedoms, and elections don’t look like a circus. In 2023, 24 countries got this badge of honor, says the World Population Review. Basically, these places have their act together more than others when it comes to politics, participation, and respecting the values of democratic life.
The Cool Kids:
- Norway
- Iceland
- Sweden
- New Zealand
| Country | Democracy Score |
|---|---|
| Norway | 9.87 |
| Iceland | 9.65 |
| Sweden | 9.39 |
| New Zealand | 9.26 |
Flawed Democracies
Now, these countries have elections and they ain’t denying anyone their basic rights outright. But they’ve got their issues, maybe with the way they govern, or how engaged folks are in politics. The United States is chilling here with a score of 7.85, sitting at 30th worldwide, according to Visual Capitalist. There are 50 such nations in 2023.
In This gang:
- United States
- India
- Brazil
- South Africa
| Country | Democracy Score |
|---|---|
| United States | 7.85 |
| India | 7.23 |
| Brazil | 6.96 |
| South Africa | 7.24 |
Hybrid Regimes
Hybrid regimes give you a little bit of both—a sprinkle of democracy and a heaping spoon of autocracy. Elections might happen, but don’t expect them to be squeaky clean. Governance can be a dumpster fire, and political engagement is iffy at best. There are 34 of these mixed-bag countries in 2023, says the World Population Review.
Running the Show:
- Bangladesh
- Ukraine
- Nigeria
- Turkey
| Country | Democracy Score |
|---|---|
| Bangladesh | 5.99 |
| Ukraine | 5.69 |
| Nigeria | 4.94 |
| Turkey | 4.37 |
Authoritarian Regimes
For authoritarian regimes, forget political freedom, media plays by the rules, and civil liberties are more like civil privileges. Power is snug in centralized governance where voting, if it’s even a thing, won’t make a difference. Democracy scores dropped here in 2023, with 59 countries hanging out in this territory (Wikipedia).
Usual Suspects:
- North Korea
- Saudi Arabia
- China
- Russia
| Country | Democracy Score |
|---|---|
| North Korea | 1.08 |
| Saudi Arabia | 2.08 |
| China | 2.26 |
| Russia | 3.24 |
Getting these classifications is like peeking behind the curtain at how democracy works (or doesn’t) globally. For extra curiosity or planning a trip, check out other lists like the list of european countries, list of african countries, and list of asian countries.
Democracy Index Insights
The Democracy Index takes a close look at the health of democracy around the world by looking at different factors. Here, we’ll explore the categories of indicators that judge democratic stability and see how the COVID-19 pandemic has shaped democratic countries.
Categories of Indicators
The Economist Intelligence Unit, backed by info from the World Population Review, has the scoop on democracy in 167 countries using 60 indicators in five main areas:
- Electoral Process and Pluralism: It checks if elections are fair and free.
- Functioning of Government: Looks at how well governments work, including transparency and resource control.
- Political Participation: Tracks things like voter turnout and people getting involved in politics.
- Political Culture: Considers public attitudes about democracy and political setups.
- Civil Liberties: Thinks about rights like free speech, press, and getting together.
These categories are key in understanding democracy as laid out by the Center for High Impact Philanthropy.
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Electoral Process | Rates election fairness and freedom |
| Functioning of Government | Rates government transparency and effectiveness |
| Political Participation | Tracks voter turnout and political engagement |
| Political Culture | Looks at societal views on democracy |
| Civil Liberties | Considers rights like freedom of speech and assembly |
Impact of COVID-19 on Democracies
COVID-19 hit democracies with some surprises. To stop the virus spread, governments put in tough rules that messed with civil liberties, government work, and people getting involved in politics. Reports from International IDEA say many democracies saw drops in Rule of Law and civil liberties during this time.
A few standout impacts:
- Restriction of Civil Liberties: Lockdowns nailed down movement and assembly rights.
- Functioning of Government: Emergency measures sometimes led to power grabs, leaving legislatures out.
- Political Participation: Keeping distance affected large gatherings and voting, causing some areas to see fewer votes cast.
Even with these hurdles, some democracies rolled with it by using online governance to keep the wheels turning and stay connected with citizens. COVID-19 showed both strengths and cracks in democratic systems.
If you’re curious for a closer look at how democracies have fared, check out our articles on the list of developed countries and the list of south american countries.
Digging into these indicators and seeing how events like COVID-19 have played out gives a fuller picture of global democracy today. This insight helps us to see changes over time and think about where democracy’s headed next.
Global Trends in Democracy
Peeking into global democracy gives us a look at how democratic values are shifting. Here, we uncover trends like the dips in democratic performance, threats to liberties, and struggles with human rights.
Declines in Democratic Performance
Democracy around the world has seen better days. Since 2006, global averages for democracy scores dove from 5.52 to 5.29, according to the smart folks at the Economist Intelligence Unit (Visual Capitalist). Countries are wrestling with big headaches like coups and crumbling governments, which mess up those democracy ratings (International IDEA).
The Democracy Index gives 167 countries a report card based on five areas:
- Elections and variety of options
- How well the government runs
- People’s involvement in politics
- Political vibes or culture
- Basic freedoms
Turns out, some of these elements are really feeling the pressure.
| Year | Global Average Democracy Score |
|---|---|
| 2006 | 5.52 |
| 2023 | 5.29 |
Challenges to Civil Liberties
Basic freedoms like speech, gathering in groups, and press are taking a hit worldwide. Rights are being pushed back more than moved forward, thanks to nosey governments and collapsing states (International IDEA).
Judicial independence is under attack everywhere. Even places doing okay, like Canada, see their legal systems being toyed with by government’s hand in judge-appointing (International IDEA). This meddling messes up fairness and basic freedoms.
Rights Protection and Exercise
Keeping and using rights is a hot topic. The Democracy Index gives a full view of how countries are dealing here. Europeans lead in playing by the rules, but even they’ve slipped a bit. Austria and Hungary, for instance, have seen their standings drop (International IDEA).
| Country | Rule of Law Ranking Change |
|---|---|
| Austria | Big drop |
| Hungary | Big drop |
To catch where countries stand in democracy and other stuff, check out:
- list of european countries
- list of african countries
- list of asian countries
- list of developed countries
Grasping these global trends helps us get what’s happening with governance and political freedom around the world.
Democratic Status Changes
Upgrades and Downgrades in 2020
In 2020, we saw some big moves in how countries ranked democratically. Taiwan got a boost from a shaky democracy to one that ticks all the boxes, thanks to some solid courtroom upgrades. Not far behind, Japan and South Korea stepped it up to full democracy status too. Meanwhile, France and Portugal had to face the music and went back down to being flawed democracies.
Things really went south for Hong Kong, dropping from flawed democracy to a hybrid regime, and Algeria slid down the slope into an authoritarian setup. Lots of these changes were blamed on shaky politics and government reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic. The smart folks at Economist Intelligence Unit found out that about 70% of the world’s countries saw their scores take a hit during this year.
Table 1: Changes in Democratic Status for Selected Countries in 2020
| Country | Previous Status | New Status |
|---|---|---|
| Taiwan | Flawed Democracy | Full Democracy |
| Japan | Flawed Democracy | Full Democracy |
| South Korea | Flawed Democracy | Full Democracy |
| France | Full Democracy | Flawed Democracy |
| Portugal | Full Democracy | Flawed Democracy |
| Hong Kong | Flawed Democracy | Hybrid Regime |
| Algeria | Hybrid Regime | Authoritarian |
(Source: Wikipedia)
Status Changes in 2021
Rolling into 2021, more countries saw their democratic statuses take a hit. Spain and Chile slipped from being full democracies to just flawed. Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, and Tunisia weren’t so lucky either, tipping from flawed democracies to hybrid regimes. Haiti, Lebanon, and Kyrgyzstan had even rougher times moving to full-on authoritarian regimes.
However, it wasn’t all doom and gloom. Moldova, Montenegro, and North Macedonia crawled up from hybrid to flawed democracies. Mauritania had a slight uptick too, escaping from authoritarian grips to a hybrid regime. Unfortunately, Myanmar and Afghanistan hit rock bottom on the Democracy Index due to political messes and military coups.
Table 2: Changes in Democratic Status for Selected Countries in 2021
| Country | Previous Status | New Status |
|---|---|---|
| Spain | Full Democracy | Flawed Democracy |
| Chile | Full Democracy | Flawed Democracy |
| Ecuador | Flawed Democracy | Hybrid Regime |
| Mexico | Flawed Democracy | Hybrid Regime |
| Paraguay | Flawed Democracy | Hybrid Regime |
| Tunisia | Flawed Democracy | Hybrid Regime |
| Haiti | Hybrid Regime | Authoritarian |
| Lebanon | Hybrid Regime | Authoritarian |
| Kyrgyzstan | Hybrid Regime | Authoritarian |
| Moldova | Hybrid Regime | Flawed Democracy |
| Montenegro | Hybrid Regime | Flawed Democracy |
| North Macedonia | Hybrid Regime | Flawed Democracy |
| Mauritania | Authoritarian | Hybrid Regime |
(Source: Wikipedia)
Analysis of 2023 Democracy Trends
Jumping to 2023, democracy around the globe seemed to be on a bit of a downtrend. The Economist Intelligence Unit’s average score for democracy got lower, with the worst drops in authoritarian and hybrid regimes. Authoritarian regimes dug in deeper, and hybrid regimes saw more troubles in getting democratic.
A tweak in 2023 saw changes in count criteria, making the cut-off more precise in deciding who falls where in the Democracy Index. As per the latest scoop from the Economist Intelligence Unit and Visual Capitalist, just around 8% of the world chilled in full democracies, while a hefty 37% had to deal with flawed ones, and a whopping 55% found themselves with no democratic say at all. Tough gig for democracy, dropping from a score of 5.52 to 5.29 since ’06.
Table 3: Global Population Distribution by Democracy Status in 2023
| Democracy Status | Percentage of World Population |
|---|---|
| Full Democracies | 8% |
| Flawed Democracies | 37% |
| Non-Democratic (Hybrid & Authoritarian) | 55% |
For more on how different places are being shaken by these shifts, check out the Visual Capitalist analysis.
These ups and downs give a sense of the ever-changing story of democracy worldwide. Dig more into this topic with our lists of African countries, European countries, Asian countries, and beyond.