The Global State of Democracy

The history of modern democracy

Today, there are only a few countries in the world which can point to a fairly long and stable history of democratic governance. The United States is often considered the oldest democracy in the modern world, with its Constitution from 1789.

In the century following the founding of the United States, countries like Canada, New Zealand and several Western European countries followed suit, but it was not until after the Second World War that the idea of democracy took root worldwide.

In the 1960s and 1970s, after the colonial period had ended, the world experienced a global wave of people demanding a more democratic form of government, and throughout the 20th century, democracy continued to grow in popularity and legitimacy around the world.

The state of global democracy

However, events in the 21st century have raised concerns about a global democratic backslide. The overall state of democracy in the world has been declining since 2015, with many countries experiencing erosion of democratic norms and institutions, increasing polarisation, and a rise in authoritarianism and populism.

In Britain, the Brexit referendum in 2016 brought on a democratic crisis. The same year, the United States went through a very divisive election, in which there were strong allegations of Russian interference. In addition to Donald Trump being elected, other conservative strongmen have also risen to power, destabilizing democratic institutions in their countries. As a result, democracy scores across the globe have gone down.

The EIU Democracy Index

Every year, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) publishes the Democracy Index, rating the state of democracy in 167 countries around the world. Countries are sorted into one of four categories: full democracies, flawed democracies, hybrid regimes and authoritarian regimes.

The report has shown over the years that the state of global democracy is in decline. The average global score remains historically low, reflecting a long-term trend of democratic stagnation and backsliding. In many Western countries, democratic institutions and processes have been eroded. In 2016, the United States was downgraded from being a full democracy to being a flawed democracy. This was a result of a sharp fall in popular confidence in the functioning of the government and public institutions. According to EIU, this development predated and aided the election of Donald Trump the same year.

Similar concerns have been observed in parts of Europe. Hungary has experienced sustained democratic backsliding, particularly regarding judicial independence, media freedom, and the rule of law. While Poland previously followed a similar trajectory, recent developments suggest that there are some signs of improvement. If you take a look at the EU as a whole, you will find that only around half of the countries are categorised as full democracies.

Over the past few years, some countries have stood out as having a particularly negative development. China remains firmly classified as an authoritarian regime, with consistently low scores in civil liberties and political pluralism. In the 2025 EIU report, Russia recorded the biggest decline in score of any country in the world. Its invasion of Ukraine was accompanied by all-out repression and censorship at home. Russia has been on a trajectory away from democracy for a long time and is now firmly entrenched as an authoritarian state.

Concerns about democratic backsliding are often linked to the rise of populist and nationalist political movements. Leaders such as Jair Bolsonaro (Brazil), Viktor Orbán (Hungary), Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (Turkey), Narendra Modi (India), and Donald Trump (United States) have, in different ways, been associated with challenges to liberal democratic norms and institutions. Nationalist politicians are often elected as a result of a rising income inequality between people and a feeling of marginalisation, both resulting in declining trust in government institutions. Political trust is the glue of democracy.

Norway topping the list

With regard to Norway, the country remains in a very strong position, even as it is not entirely unaffected by broader global trends. The EIU Democracy Index consistently ranks Norway as the most democratic country in the world, followed closely by other Nordic countries and Western democracies. This is largely due to the high level of trust among citizens and in public institutions—levels that are significantly higher than in most other countries.

At the same time, there are also emerging divisions within Norwegian society which could, over time, challenge this stability if not addressed. It is therefore important not to take democratic institutions and freedoms for granted, even in well-functioning democracies.