According to the Global State of Democracy 2025 report by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), 2024 marked the ninth consecutive year in which more countries experienced democratic decline than improvement. The erosion of democratic quality affects countries in all world regions.
Out of 173 countries assessed, 94 (54%) experienced declines in at least one area of democratic factors such as representation and the rule of law, when compared with their performance five years earlier. Only 55 countries (32%) recorded improvements. The report warns that even long-standing democracies such as the USA and India are showing signs of strain, with setbacks in representation, rights, and the rule of law.
Over five years, 54% of countries registered a decline and only 32% an improvement
Capture and backsliding through authoritarian tactics
Representation, an aggregate measure of six indicators, fell to its lowest level since 2001. In the year of 2024, with 74 national elections around the world, seven times more countries declined than advanced in this category. At the same time, the legitimacy of election results is openly questioned, even in established democracies, weakening trust in democratic competition.
The report underscores troubling tactics that reflect how democratic institutions are being “captured” and hollowed out from within, threatening democratic resilience even in older democracies. While elections and parliaments remain in place, their credibility and effectiveness are increasingly undermined (as in Hungary). In a growing number of countries (such as Georgia or Turkey), electoral integrity is eroding through the manipulation of rules, biased administration, or harassment of opposition candidates.
Rights and freedoms exposed to old and new threats
The most comprehensive decline was observed in the protection of rights. Press freedom declined in 43 countries, nearly one quarter of those assessed. The report notes that this is the biggest drop since the dataset began in 1975, marking a severe challenge to public accountability through censorship, intimidation, or political capture of independent journalism.
The biggest decline was observed in press freedom
Freedom of expression, access to justice, and economic equality also came under pressure in the majority of countries. Civic freedoms are shrinking, with protests facing criminalization and activists exposed to new risks even in the more established democracies such as the UK, the report finds. In some contexts, universities and academic voices are subjected to pressure or restrictions, curtailing spaces for open debate.
The rule of law continues to be one of the weakest areas, with 71 countries classified as low-performing. Declines were most concentrated in judicial independence, and several European states accounted for a significant share of these setbacks. Participation through voting did show more engagement and resilience, with most countries maintaining stable levels of civic engagement.
Worldwide trends and challenges
Africa accounted for the largest share of declines, followed by Europe. At the same time, there are also positive examples with Botswana and Fiji seeing significant electoral improvements, while Poland and Brazil registered progress in parliamentary effectiveness. In parts of Asia, there is also improvements, like in Taiwan, which is globally often seen as a model country for digitalisation of democracy.
The report this time includes a discussion of the interplay between migration and democracy. With 304 million people now living outside their country of birth, expanding voting rights for citizens abroad is identified as a key pathway to strengthening inclusion and resilience. The report notes that members of religious and ethnic communities can not only strengthen ties between citizens and their home countries but also help spread democratic practices across borders and help democracies adapt to more mobile and interconnected societies.
The report’s conceptual framework is based on 154 indicators and aggregated data from 22 different sources. International IDEA’s Democracy Tracker program since 2022 provides monthly updates on democracy-related developments in 173 countries.
