More than two thirds of people worldwide say it is very important to have democracy in their country, while respondents in most countries identify improving living standards and well-being as democracy’s main purpose, according to the Democracy Perception Index 2026. The survey also found widespread pessimism about the national direction many individual countries were taking, especially in democracies and in Europe.
The annual survey, released by Nira Data in collaboration with the Alliance of Democracies Foundation, is based on interviews with more than 94,000 respondents in 98 countries, representing more than 90 percent of the world’s population.
“What we see is not declining demand, but rising expectations: citizens are looking for systems that deliver security, stability, and economic progress. This growing disconnect between democratic ideals and lived reality is a defining challenge for leaders today”, Nira Data’s CEO Nico Jaspers noted in the survey report’s foreword.
Almost everywhere, majorities consider democracy either extremely or very important
In almost every country included in the poll, a majority said democracy was either “extremely” or “very” important. Support was highest in Greece, Hungary and Sweden, and lowest in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam. At the same time, more respondents said their country was moving in the wrong direction. The report finds that pessimism is especially pronounced in democracies. France, Germany, Lebanon, Puerto Rico and Nigeria were among the countries where responses on national direction were most negative. China recorded the most positive responses, followed by El Salvador, Kuwait, Algeria and Belarus.
Asked about the main purpose of democracy, respondents in most countries prioritized material and social outcomes. Improving living standards and well-being was the top answer in 62 percent of the countries surveyed. Promoting a fair and peaceful society was the leading answer in 18 percent of countries, freely choosing the government in 10 percent, and protecting individual rights and freedoms in 9 percent.
The report also ranks countries according to how citizens perceive democratic life in their own country based on eight questions covering elections, freedom of speech, political pluralism, civic education, separation of powers, the rule of law, government transparency and peaceful transitions of power. Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Switzerland received the highest overall scores. Slovakia, Yemen, Paraguay, Ukraine and Cameroon were at the bottom of the ranking.
China, Oman and Vietnam are among the non-democracies receiving high scores from their own citizens, with ratings driven in particular by positive views of the rule of law, civic education and peaceful transitions of power. The report cautions, however, that the index measures public perceptions as reported by respondents, not actual democratic conditions in the countries concerned. In countries with restricted media and limited political competition, favorable answers may rather reflect the state-controlled information and narratives citizens are exposed to.
Government transparency was the weakest dimension worldwide
Government transparency was the weakest dimension worldwide. Across the countries surveyed, many respondents said their governments withhold important information from the public. The report also found weak confidence in checks and balances in a number of countries, with respondents doubting that courts would stop governments if they violated the law.
The survey report also covers public attitudes toward security and defense, major global conflicts, the rules-based international order, and global perceptions of countries like the United States, China and Russia. On average, 50 percent of respondents agreed that countries should follow international law and agreements even when this limits their freedom of action, while 31 percent disagreed. Strengthening alliances was the most common answer when respondents were asked how their country should protect itself against threats.
Support for military preparedness was highest in countries close to active or recent conflict. Military investment was the top security priority in 18 countries, mainly in the Middle East and North Africa and parts of Asia-Pacific. Willingness to fight if attacked was highest in the Middle East and North Africa, at 62 percent among people aged 18 to 55, and lowest in Europe, at 37 percent. Global perception of the United States has dropped 11 points in the past year alone according to the report. It is now one of the most negatively viewed countries in the world.
The survey was conducted from 19 March to 21 April 2026 and published ahead of the Copenhagen Democracy Summit held by the Alliance of Democracies Foundation on 12 May 2026.