The Great Democracy Check of Nations – Who Lies to Us, Oppresses Us, or Truly Lets Us Live Freely!
An article by
First of all:
Out of 167 countries, Germany ranks 13th and is classified as a full democracy.
In 2024, the United States ranked 28th and was categorized as a flawed democracy.
It is expected that due to Trump’s activities, the U.S. will drop significantly in the rankings.
Depending on further undemocratic actions, the U.S. could potentially fall as low as 100th place.
What is the Democracy Index?
The Democracy Index, published by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), reveals how democratic a country really is – or if it just pretends to be!
60 questions, 5 categories, 1 truth – each year, the EIU assesses 167 countries based on clear criteria:
• Electoral process and pluralism: Are elections fair and free?
• Functioning of government: Is the government transparent and accountable?
• Political participation: Can citizens participate freely and effectively?
• Political culture: Is democracy seen as a given?
• Civil liberties: Are freedom of speech, press, and assembly protected?
At the end, each country receives a score between 0 and 10. The higher the score, the more democratic the country. Based on the score, countries fall into one of four categories:
• 8.01–10.00: Full democracy
• 6.01–8.00: Flawed democracy
• 4.01–6.00: Hybrid regime
• 0.00–4.00: Authoritarian regime
Significant shifts are expected in 2025. Some trends are already emerging.
| Rank | Country | Index Score | Classification |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norway | 9.81 | Full democracy |
| 2 | New Zealand | 9.61 | Full democracy |
| 3 | Sweden | 9.39 | Full democracy |
| 4 | Iceland | 9.38 | Full democracy |
| 5 | Switzerland | 9.32 | Full democracy |
| 6 | Finland | 9.30 | Full democracy |
| 7 | Denmark | 9.28 | Full democracy |
| 8 | Ireland | 9.19 | Full democracy |
| 9 | Netherlands | 9.00 | Full democracy |
| 10 | Luxembourg | 8.88 | Full democracy |
| 11 | Australia | 8.85 | Full democracy |
| 12 | Taiwan | 8.78 | Full democracy |
| 13 | Germany | 8.73 | Full democracy |
| 14 | Canada | 8.69 | Full democracy |
| 15 | Uruguay | 8.67 | Full democracy |
| 16 | Japan | 8.48 | Full democracy |
| 17 | United Kingdom | 8.34 | Full democracy |
| 18 | Costa Rica | 8.29 | Full democracy |
| 19 | Austria | 8.28 | Full democracy |
| 20 | Mauritius | 8.23 | Full democracy |
| 21= | Estonia | 8.13 | Full democracy |
| 21= | Spain | 8.13 | Full democracy |
| 23= | Czech Republic | 8.08 | Full democracy |
| 23= | Portugal | 8.08 | Full democracy |
| 25 | Greece | 8.07 | Full democracy |
| 26 | France | 7.99 | Flawed democracy |
| 27 | Malta | 7.93 | Flawed democracy |
| 28 | United States | 7.85 | Flawed democracy |
| 29 | Chile | 7.83 | Flawed democracy |
| 30 | Slovenia | 7.82 | Flawed democracy |
| 31 | Israel | 7.80 | Flawed democracy |
| 32 | South Korea | 7.75 | Flawed democracy |
| 33 | Latvia | 7.66 | Flawed democracy |
| 34 | Belgium | 7.64 | Flawed democracy |
| 35 | Botswana | 7.63 | Flawed democracy |
| 36 | Lithuania | 7.59 | Flawed democracy |
| 37= | Cape Verde | 7.58 | Flawed democracy |
| 37= | Italy | 7.58 | Flawed democracy |
| 39 | Poland | 7.40 | Flawed democracy |
| 40 | Cyprus | 7.38 | Flawed democracy |
| 41 | India | 7.29 | Flawed democracy |
| 42 | Slovakia | 7.21 | Flawed democracy |
| 43 | South Africa | 7.16 | Flawed democracy |
| 44 | Malaysia | 7.11 | Flawed democracy |
| 45 | Trinidad and Tobago | 7.09 | Flawed democracy |
| 46 | Timor-Leste | 7.03 | Flawed democracy |
| 47 | Panama | 6.84 | Flawed democracy |
| 48 | Suriname | 6.79 | Flawed democracy |
| 49 | Jamaica | 6.74 | Flawed democracy |
| 50 | Montenegro | 6.73 | Flawed democracy |
| Rank | Country | Index Score | Classification |
|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | Philippines | 6.63 | Flawed democracy |
| 52 | Dominican Republic | 6.62 | Flawed democracy |
| 53 | Mongolia | 6.53 | Flawed democracy |
| 54= | Argentina | 6.51 | Flawed democracy |
| 54= | Hungary | 6.51 | Flawed democracy |
| 56 | Croatia | 6.50 | Flawed democracy |
| 57 | Brazil | 6.49 | Flawed democracy |
| 58 | Namibia | 6.48 | Flawed democracy |
| 59 | Indonesia | 6.44 | Flawed democracy |
| 60 | Colombia | 6.35 | Flawed democracy |
| 61 | Bulgaria | 6.34 | Flawed democracy |
| 62 | North Macedonia | 6.28 | Flawed democracy |
| 63 | Thailand | 6.27 | Flawed democracy |
| 64 | Serbia | 6.26 | Flawed democracy |
| 65 | Ghana | 6.24 | Flawed democracy |
| 66 | Albania | 6.20 | Flawed democracy |
| 67 | Sri Lanka | 6.19 | Flawed democracy |
| 68 | Singapore | 6.18 | Flawed democracy |
| 69 | Guyana | 6.11 | Flawed democracy |
| 70 | Lesotho | 6.06 | Flawed democracy |
| 71 | Moldova | 6.04 | Flawed democracy |
| 72 | Romania | 5.99 | Hybrid regime |
| 73 | Papua New Guinea | 5.97 | Hybrid regime |
| 74 | Senegal | 5.93 | Hybrid regime |
| 75 | Paraguay | 5.92 | Hybrid regime |
| 76 | Malawi | 5.85 | Hybrid regime |
| 77 | Zambia | 5.73 | Hybrid regime |
| 78 | Peru | 5.69 | Hybrid regime |
| 79 | Bhutan | 5.65 | Hybrid regime |
| 80 | Liberia | 5.57 | Hybrid regime |
| 81 | Fiji | 5.39 | Hybrid regime |
| 82 | Armenia | 5.35 | Hybrid regime |
| 83 | Madagascar | 5.33 | Hybrid regime |
| 84 | Mexico | 5.32 | Hybrid regime |
| 85 | Ecuador | 5.24 | Hybrid regime |
| 86 | Tanzania | 5.20 | Hybrid regime |
| 87 | Hong Kong | 5.09 | Hybrid regime |
| 88 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 5.06 | Hybrid regime |
| 89 | Kenya | 5.05 | Hybrid regime |
| 90 | Honduras | 4.98 | Hybrid regime |
| 91 | Morocco | 4.97 | Hybrid regime |
| 92 | Ukraine | 4.90 | Hybrid regime |
| 93 | Tunisia | 4.71 | Hybrid regime |
| 94 | Georgia | 4.70 | Hybrid regime |
| 95 | El Salvador | 4.61 | Hybrid regime |
| 96 | Nepal | 4.60 | Hybrid regime |
| 97 | Guatemala | 4.55 | Hybrid regime |
| 98 | Uganda | 4.49 | Hybrid regime |
| 99 | Gambia | 4.47 | Hybrid regime |
| 100= | Bangladesh | 4.44 | Hybrid regime |
| 100= | Benin | 4.44 | Hybrid regime |
| Rank | Country | Index Score | Classification |
|---|---|---|---|
| 101 | Not listed (skipped) | – | – |
| 102 | Sierra Leone | 4.32 | Hybrid regime |
| 103= | Bolivia | 4.26 | Hybrid regime |
| 103= | Turkey | 4.26 | Hybrid regime |
| 105 | Ivory Coast | 4.22 | Hybrid regime |
| 106 | Nigeria | 4.16 | Hybrid regime |
| 107 | Angola | 4.05 | Hybrid regime |
| 108 | Mauritania | 3.96 | Authoritarian regime |
| 109 | Lebanon | 3.56 | Authoritarian regime |
| 110 | Algeria | 3.55 | Authoritarian regime |
| 111 | Kyrgyzstan | 3.52 | Authoritarian regime |
| 112 | Palestine | 3.44 | Authoritarian regime |
| 113 | Mozambique | 3.38 | Authoritarian regime |
| 114 | Rwanda | 3.34 | Authoritarian regime |
| 115 | Jordan | 3.28 | Authoritarian regime |
| 116 | Ethiopia | 3.24 | Authoritarian regime |
| 117 | Qatar | 3.17 | Authoritarian regime |
| 118 | Kazakhstan | 3.08 | Authoritarian regime |
| 119 | United Arab Emirates | 3.07 | Authoritarian regime |
| 120 | Oman | 3.05 | Authoritarian regime |
| 121 | Togo | 2.99 | Authoritarian regime |
| 122 | Zimbabwe | 2.98 | Authoritarian regime |
| 123 | Cambodia | 2.94 | Authoritarian regime |
| 124= | Comoros | 2.84 | Authoritarian regime |
| 124= | Pakistan | 2.84 | Authoritarian regime |
| 126= | Azerbaijan | 2.80 | Authoritarian regime |
| 126= | Iraq | 2.80 | Authoritarian regime |
| 128= | Republic of Congo (Brazzaville) | 2.79 | Authoritarian regime |
| 128= | Egypt | 2.79 | Authoritarian regime |
| 130 | Kuwait | 2.78 | Authoritarian regime |
| 131 | Haiti | 2.74 | Authoritarian regime |
| 132 | Djibouti | 2.70 | Authoritarian regime |
| 133 | Vietnam | 2.62 | Authoritarian regime |
| 134 | Eswatini | 2.60 | Authoritarian regime |
| 135 | Cuba | 2.58 | Authoritarian regime |
| 136 | Cameroon | 2.56 | Authoritarian regime |
| 137 | Burkina Faso | 2.55 | Authoritarian regime |
| 138 | Bahrain | 2.45 | Authoritarian regime |
| 139 | Mali | 2.40 | Authoritarian regime |
| 140 | Libya | 2.31 | Authoritarian regime |
| 141 | Niger | 2.26 | Authoritarian regime |
| 142 | Venezuela | 2.25 | Authoritarian regime |
| 143 | Gabon | 2.18 | Authoritarian regime |
| 144 | Burundi | 2.13 | Authoritarian regime |
| 145 | China | 2.11 | Authoritarian regime |
| 146 | Uzbekistan | 2.10 | Authoritarian regime |
| 147 | Nicaragua | 2.09 | Authoritarian regime |
| 148 | Saudi Arabia | 2.08 | Authoritarian regime |
| 149 | Guinea | 2.04 | Authoritarian regime |
| 150= | Guinea-Bissau | 2.03 | Authoritarian regime |
| 150= | Russia | 2.03 | Authoritarian regime |
| Rank | Country | Index Score | Classification |
|---|---|---|---|
| 151 | Not listed (skipped) | – | – |
| 152 | Belarus | 1.99 | Authoritarian regime |
| 153 | Eritrea | 1.97 | Authoritarian regime |
| 154 | Iran | 1.96 | Authoritarian regime |
| 155 | Yemen | 1.95 | Authoritarian regime |
| 156= | Democratic Republic of Congo | 1.92 | Authoritarian regime |
| 156= | Equatorial Guinea | 1.92 | Authoritarian regime |
| 158 | Chad | 1.89 | Authoritarian regime |
| 159 | Tajikistan | 1.83 | Authoritarian regime |
| 160 | Laos | 1.71 | Authoritarian regime |
| 161 | Turkmenistan | 1.66 | Authoritarian regime |
| 162 | Sudan | 1.46 | Authoritarian regime |
| 163 | Syria | 1.32 | Authoritarian regime |
| 164 | Central African Republic | 1.18 | Authoritarian regime |
| 165 | North Korea | 1.08 | Authoritarian regime |
| 166 | Myanmar | 0.96 | Authoritarian regime |
| 167 | Afghanistan | 0.25 | Authoritarian regime |
