state of Democracy
Is Democracy in decline?
According to V-Dem, an organization monitoring the democratic state worldwide, the quality of democratic regimes has eroded in recent years to such an extent that the global balance of democracy has deteriorated to the situation it was in about 35 years ago. According to the Economist’s Democracy Index of 2023: “It was an inauspicious year for democracy with the average global score falling to its lowest level since the index began in 2006. Less than 8% of the world’s population live in a full democracy, while almost 40% live under authoritarian rule — a share that has been creeping up in recent years.”
Why is 2024 important?
2024 will be the year of the democratic paradox. On the one hand, with more than half of humanity living in a country holding a nationwide vote, this year will probably see a record high number of voters across the globe. More than 60 elections are expected around the world: from India in the east to Mexico in the west, from Iceland in the north to South Africa in the south, throughout the European Union, and of course – in the USA. This year would have been celebrated as a democratic triumph if it wasn’t for the rising fears of a democratic deterioration. It could be a turning point for better and for worse, depending on whether citizens are able to improve or simply maintain their democracies.