Democracy Index 2018

January 12, 2019 Alex

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The Democracy Index is a measurement tool used to assess the level of democracy in countries around the world. It’s produced by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), a research and analysis division of The Economist Group. The Democracy Index provides a comprehensive evaluation of the state of democracy in each country based on a range of indicators.

The index was first introduced in 2006 and has been updated annually since then. It aims to provide a nuanced view of democracy by considering various aspects beyond just the presence of free elections. The index ranks countries on a scale from 0 to 10, with 0 being the least democratic and 10 being the most democratic.

The Democracy Index takes into account the following five categories of indicators:

Electoral Process and Pluralism: This category evaluates the fairness and competitiveness of elections, as well as the participation of citizens in the political process.
Civil Liberties: This category assesses the extent to which individuals have the freedom to express themselves, their rights to assemble and associate, and their access to independent media.
Functioning of Government: This category looks at the effectiveness of government institutions, their transparency, and their ability to deliver public goods and services.
Political Participation: This category examines the level of political engagement and activism among citizens, including voter turnout and involvement in civil society organizations.
Political Culture: This category considers the degree to which citizens are politically informed and engaged, as well as the presence of political tolerance and consensus.

Based on the scores in these categories, countries are classified into one of four regime types:

Full Democracies: Countries with high scores across all indicators, indicating a robust democratic system.
Flawed Democracies: These countries have democratic institutions but may experience some shortcomings in specific areas.
Hybrid Regimes: These countries exhibit a mix of democratic and authoritarian characteristics, often with irregularities in elections or limited civil liberties.
Authoritarian Regimes: These countries have weak or nonexistent democratic institutions and very limited political freedoms.

In 2018, according to The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index, there were 20 countries classified as “Full Democracies.” These countries were considered to have strong democratic institutions, high levels of political participation, and a robust rule of law.

Democracy Index 2018 — *The Economist Intelligence Unit*

In 2018, it was the only one of 5 categories in the Democracy Index to register an improvement. At a global level, political participation has, in fact, been improving in the index throughout the past decade. In 2018, the improvement was enough to halt the slide in the Democracy Index for the first time in three years.