Democracy Index 2022

The average global index score stagnated in 2022. Despite expectations of a rebound after the lifting of pandemic-related restrictions, the score was almost unchanged, at 5.29 (on a 0-10 scale), compared with 5.28 in 2021. The positive effect of the restoration of individual freedoms was cancelled out by negative developments globally. The scores of more than half of the countries measured by the index either stagnated or declined. Western Europe was a positive outlier, being the only region whose score returned to pre-pandemic levels.

Alongside an explanation of the changes in the global rankings and an in-depth regional review, the latest edition of EIU’s Democracy Index report explores why democracy failed in Russia, how this led to the current war and why democracy in Ukraine is tied to its fight for sovereignty.

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Democracy in the doldrums

EIU’s Democracy Index provides a snapshot of the state of democracy in 165 independent states and two territories.

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How EIU measures democracy

Indicators

The Democracy Index is based on 60 indicators, grouped into five categories: electoral process and pluralism, civil liberties, functioning of government, political participation and political culture.

Ratings

Countries are given a rating on a zero to ten scale, and the overall index is the average of the five total category scores.

Types of regimes

Each country is then grouped into four types of regimes, based on their average score: “full democracies”, “flawed democracies”, “hybrid regimes” and “authoritarian regimes”.

Previous editions

democracy index 2021

The China challenge

In 2021 the Democracy Index registered its biggest annual decline since 2010 as pandemic-related restrictions continued to constrain individual freedoms and led to major regional setbacks.

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democracy index 2020

In sickness and in health?

Democracy was dealt a major blow in 2020. Almost 70% of the countries covered by the index recorded a decline in their overall score as governments imposed curbs on civil liberties in the face of the covid-19 pandemic.

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Watch our on-demand webinar

In this on-demand webinar, the editor of the Democracy Index report, Joan Hoey, and EIU’s global forecasting director, Agathe Demarais, discuss this year’s global rankings.

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