The Economist Democracy Index

Methodology

• electoral process and pluralism
• functioning of government
• political participation
• political culture
• civil liberties

1. "Whether national elections are free and fair";
2. "The security of voters";
3. "The influence of foreign powers on government";
4. "The capability of the civil servants to implement policies".

Definitions

• Full democracies are countries where civil liberties and fundamental political freedoms are not only respected but also reinforced by a political culture conducive to the thriving of democratic principles. These nations have a valid system of governmental checks and balances, an independent judiciary whose decisions are enforced, governments that function adequately, and diverse and independent media. These nations have only limited problems in democratic functioning.
• Flawed democracies are countries where elections are fair and free and basic civil liberties are honoured, but may have issues. These countries can have significant faults in other democratic aspects, including an underdeveloped political culture, low levels of participation in politics, and issues in the functioning of governance.
• Hybrid regimes are countries with regular electoral fraud, preventing them from being fair and free democracies. These countries commonly have non-independent judiciaries, widespread corruption, and weak rule of law. Political opponents and the media face harassment and pressure from governments. These countries have a less-developed political culture, lower levels of participation in politics, and more pronounced issues in the functioning of governance compared to flawed democracies.
• Authoritarian regimes are countries where political pluralism is nonexistent or severely limited. These nations are often absolute monarchies or dictatorships and may have some conventional institutions of democracy but with meagre significance. Infringements and abuses of civil liberties are commonplace, elections are not fair or free, the media is often state-owned or controlled by groups associated with the ruling regime, the judiciary is not independent, and censorship and suppression of governmental criticism are commonplace.

By regime type

List by region

List by country

Region	2024 rank	Country	Regime type	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015	2014	2013	2012	2011	2010	2008	2006
Asia and Australasia	167		Authoritarian	0.25	0.26	0.32	0.32	2.85	2.85	2.97	2.55	2.55	2.77	2.77	2.48	2.48	2.48	2.48	3.02	3.06
Asia and Australasia	11		Full democracy	8.85	8.66	8.71	8.90	8.96	9.09	9.09	9.09	9.01	9.01	9.01	9.13	9.22	9.22	9.22	9.09	9.09
Asia and Australasia	100		Hybrid regime	4.44	5.87	5.99	5.99	5.99	5.88	5.57	5.43	5.73	5.73	5.78	5.86	5.86	5.86	5.87	5.52	6.11
Asia and Australasia	79		Hybrid regime	5.65	5.54	5.54	5.71	5.71	5.30	5.30	5.08	4.93	4.93	4.87	4.82	4.65	4.57	4.68	4.30	2.62
Asia and Australasia	123		Authoritarian	2.94	3.05	3.18	2.90	3.10	3.53	3.59	3.63	4.27	4.27	4.78	4.60	4.96	4.87	4.87	4.87	4.77
Asia and Australasia	145		Authoritarian	2.11	2.12	1.94	2.21	2.27	2.26	3.32	3.10	3.18	3.14	3.00	3.00	3.00	3.14	3.14	3.04	2.97
Asia and Australasia	81		Hybrid regime	5.39	5.55	5.55	5.61	5.72	5.85	5.85	5.85	5.64	5.69	5.61	3.61	3.67	3.67	3.62	5.11	5.66
Asia and Australasia	87		Hybrid regime	5.09	5.24	5.28	5.60	5.57	6.02	6.15	6.31	6.42	6.50	6.46	6.42	6.42	5.92	5.92	5.85	6.03
Asia and Australasia	41		Flawed democracy	7.29	7.18	7.04	6.91	6.61	6.90	7.23	7.23	7.81	7.74	7.92	7.69	7.52	7.30	7.28	7.80	7.68
Asia and Australasia	59		Flawed democracy	6.44	6.53	6.71	6.71	6.30	6.48	6.39	6.39	6.97	7.03	6.95	6.82	6.76	6.53	6.53	6.34	6.41
Asia and Australasia	16		Full democracy	8.48	8.40	8.33	8.15	8.13	7.99	7.99	7.88	7.99	7.96	8.08	8.08	8.08	8.08	8.08	8.25	8.15
Asia and Australasia	160		Authoritarian	1.71	1.71	1.77	1.77	1.77	2.14	2.37	2.37	2.37	2.21	2.21	2.21	2.32	2.10	2.10	2.10	2.10
Asia and Australasia	44		Flawed democracy	7.11	7.29	7.30	7.24	7.19	7.16	6.88	6.54	6.54	6.43	6.49	6.49	6.41	6.19	6.19	6.36	5.98
Asia and Australasia	53		Flawed democracy	6.53	6.48	6.35	6.42	6.48	6.50	6.50	6.50	6.62	6.62	6.62	6.51	6.35	6.23	6.36	6.60	6.60
Asia and Australasia	166		Authoritarian	0.96	0.85	0.74	1.02	3.04	3.55	3.83	3.83	4.20	4.14	3.05	2.76	2.35	1.77	1.77	1.77	1.77
Asia and Australasia	96		Hybrid regime	4.60	4.60	4.49	4.41	5.22	5.28	5.18	5.18	4.86	4.77	4.77	4.77	4.16	4.24	4.24	4.05	3.42
Asia and Australasia	2		Full democracy	9.61	9.61	9.61	9.37	9.25	9.26	9.26	9.26	9.26	9.26	9.26	9.26	9.26	9.26	9.26	9.19	9.01
Asia and Australasia	165		Authoritarian	1.08	1.08	1.08	1.08	1.08	1.08	1.08	1.08	1.08	1.08	1.08	1.08	1.08	1.08	1.08	0.86	1.03
Asia and Australasia	124		Authoritarian	2.84	3.25	4.13	4.31	4.31	4.25	4.17	4.26	4.33	4.40	4.64	4.64	4.57	4.55	4.55	4.46	3.92
Asia and Australasia	73		Hybrid regime	5.97	6.03	5.97	6.10	6.10	6.03	6.03	6.03	6.03	6.03	6.03	6.36	6.32	6.32	6.54	6.54	6.54
Asia and Australasia	51		Flawed democracy	6.63	6.66	6.73	6.62	6.56	6.64	6.71	6.71	6.94	6.84	6.77	6.41	6.30	6.12	6.12	6.12	6.48
Asia and Australasia	68		Flawed democracy	6.18	6.18	6.22	6.23	6.03	6.02	6.38	6.32	6.38	6.14	6.03	5.92	5.88	5.89	5.89	5.89	5.89
Asia and Australasia	32		Flawed democracy	7.75	8.09	8.03	8.16	8.01	8.00	8.00	8.00	7.92	7.97	8.06	8.06	8.13	8.06	8.11	8.01	7.88
Asia and Australasia	67		Flawed democracy	6.19	6.17	6.47	6.14	6.14	6.27	6.19	6.48	6.48	6.42	5.69	5.69	5.75	6.58	6.64	6.61	6.58
Asia and Australasia	12		Full democracy	8.78	8.92	8.99	8.99	8.94	7.73	7.73	7.73	7.79	7.83	7.65	7.57	7.57	7.46	7.52	7.82	7.82
Asia and Australasia	63		Flawed democracy	6.27	6.35	6.67	6.04	6.04	6.32	4.63	4.63	4.92	5.09	5.39	6.25	6.55	6.55	6.55	6.81	5.67
Asia and Australasia	46		Flawed democracy	7.03	7.06	7.06	7.06	7.06	7.19	7.19	7.19	7.24	7.24	7.24	7.24	7.16	7.22	7.22	7.22	6.41
Asia and Australasia	133		Authoritarian	2.62	2.62	2.73	2.94	2.94	3.08	3.08	3.08	3.38	3.53	3.41	3.29	2.89	2.96	2.94	2.53	2.75
Eastern Europe and Central Asia	66		Flawed democracy	6.20	6.28	6.41	6.11	6.08	5.89	5.98	5.98	5.91	5.91	5.67	5.67	5.67	5.81	5.86	5.91	5.91
Eastern Europe and Central Asia	82		Hybrid regime	5.35	5.42	5.63	5.49	5.35	5.54	4.79	4.11	3.88	4.00	4.13	4.02	4.09	4.09	4.09	4.09	4.15
Eastern Europe and Central Asia	126		Authoritarian	2.80	2.80	2.87	2.68	2.68	2.75	2.65	2.65	2.65	2.71	2.83	3.06	3.15	3.15	3.15	3.19	3.31
Eastern Europe and Central Asia	152		Authoritarian	1.99	1.99	1.99	2.41	2.59	2.48	3.13	3.13	3.54	3.62	3.69	3.04	3.04	3.16	3.34	3.34	3.34
Eastern Europe and Central Asia	88		Hybrid regime	5.06	5.00	5.00	5.04	4.84	4.86	4.98	4.87	4.87	4.83	4.78	5.02	5.11	5.24	5.32	5.70	5.78
Eastern Europe and Central Asia	61		Flawed democracy	6.34	6.41	6.53	6.64	6.71	7.03	7.03	7.03	7.01	7.14	6.73	6.83	6.72	6.78	6.84	7.02	7.10
Eastern Europe and Central Asia	56		Flawed democracy	6.50	6.50	6.50	6.50	6.50	6.57	6.57	6.63	6.75	6.93	6.93	6.93	6.93	6.73	6.81	7.04	7.04
Eastern Europe and Central Asia	23		Full democracy	8.08	7.97	7.97	7.74	7.67	7.69	7.69	7.62	7.82	7.94	7.94	8.06	8.19	8.19	8.19	8.19	8.17
Eastern Europe and Central Asia	21		Full democracy	8.13	7.96	7.96	7.84	7.84	7.90	7.97	7.79	7.85	7.85	7.74	7.61	7.61	7.61	7.68	7.68	7.74
Eastern Europe and Central Asia	94		Hybrid regime	4.70	5.20	5.20	5.12	5.31	5.42	5.50	5.93	5.93	5.88	5.82	5.95	5.53	4.74	4.59	4.62	4.90
Eastern Europe and Central Asia	54		Flawed democracy	6.51	6.72	6.64	6.50	6.56	6.63	6.63	6.64	6.72	6.84	6.90	6.96	6.96	7.04	7.21	7.44	7.53
Eastern Europe and Central Asia	118		Authoritarian	3.08	3.08	3.08	3.08	3.14	2.94	2.94	3.06	3.06	3.06	3.17	3.06	2.95	3.24	3.30	3.45	3.62
Eastern Europe and Central Asia	111		Authoritarian	3.52	3.70	3.62	3.62	4.21	4.89	5.11	5.11	4.93	5.33	5.24	4.69	4.69	4.34	4.31	4.05	4.08
Eastern Europe and Central Asia	33		Flawed democracy	7.66	7.38	7.37	7.31	7.24	7.49	7.38	7.25	7.31	7.37	7.48	7.05	7.05	7.05	7.05	7.23	7.37
Eastern Europe and Central Asia	36		Flawed democracy	7.59	7.31	7.31	7.18	7.13	7.50	7.50	7.41	7.47	7.54	7.54	7.54	7.24	7.24	7.24	7.36	7.43
Eastern Europe and Central Asia	71		Flawed democracy	6.04	6.23	6.23	6.10	5.78	5.75	5.85	5.94	6.01	6.35	6.32	6.32	6.32	6.32	6.33	6.50	6.50
Eastern Europe and Central Asia	50		Flawed democracy	6.73	6.67	6.45	6.02	5.77	5.65	5.74	5.69	5.72	6.01	5.94	5.94	6.05	6.15	6.27	6.43	6.57
Eastern Europe and Central Asia	62		Flawed democracy	6.28	6.03	6.10	6.03	5.89	5.97	5.87	5.57	5.23	6.02	6.25	6.16	6.16	6.16	6.16	6.21	6.33
Eastern Europe and Central Asia	39		Flawed democracy	7.40	7.18	7.04	6.80	6.85	6.62	6.67	6.67	6.83	7.09	7.47	7.12	7.12	7.12	7.05	7.30	7.30
Eastern Europe and Central Asia	72		Hybrid regime	5.99	6.45	6.45	6.43	6.40	6.49	6.38	6.44	6.62	6.68	6.68	6.54	6.54	6.54	6.60	7.06	7.06
Eastern Europe and Central Asia	150		Authoritarian	2.03	2.22	2.28	3.24	3.31	3.11	2.94	3.17	3.24	3.31	3.39	3.59	3.74	3.92	4.26	4.48	5.02
Eastern Europe and Central Asia	64		Flawed democracy	6.26	6.33	6.33	6.36	6.22	6.41	6.41	6.41	6.57	6.71	6.71	6.67	6.33	6.33	6.33	6.49	6.62
Eastern Europe and Central Asia	42		Flawed democracy	7.21	7.07	7.07	7.03	6.97	7.17	7.10	7.16	7.29	7.29	7.35	7.35	7.35	7.35	7.35	7.33	7.40
Eastern Europe and Central Asia	30		Flawed democracy	7.82	7.75	7.75	7.54	7.54	7.50	7.50	7.50	7.51	7.57	7.57	7.88	7.88	7.76	7.69	7.96	7.96
Eastern Europe and Central Asia	159		Authoritarian	1.83	1.94	1.94	1.94	1.94	1.93	1.93	1.93	1.89	1.95	2.37	2.51	2.51	2.51	2.51	2.45	2.45
Eastern Europe and Central Asia	161		Authoritarian	1.66	1.66	1.66	1.66	1.72	1.72	1.72	1.72	1.83	1.83	1.83	1.72	1.72	1.72	1.72	1.72	1.83
Eastern Europe and Central Asia	92		Hybrid regime	4.90	5.06	5.42	5.57	5.81	5.90	5.69	5.69	5.70	5.70	5.42	5.84	5.91	5.94	6.30	6.94	6.94
Eastern Europe and Central Asia	146		Authoritarian	2.10	2.12	2.12	2.12	2.12	2.01	2.01	1.95	1.95	1.95	2.45	1.72	1.72	1.74	1.74	1.74	1.85
Latin America and the Caribbean	54		Flawed democracy	6.51	6.62	6.85	6.81	6.95	7.02	7.02	6.96	6.96	7.02	6.84	6.84	6.84	6.84	6.84	6.63	6.63
Latin America and the Caribbean	103		Hybrid regime	4.26	4.20	4.51	4.65	5.08	4.84	5.70	5.49	5.63	5.75	5.79	5.79	5.84	5.84	5.92	6.15	5.98
Latin America and the Caribbean	57		Flawed democracy	6.49	6.68	6.78	6.86	6.92	6.86	6.97	6.86	6.90	6.96	7.38	7.12	7.12	7.12	7.12	7.38	7.38
Latin America and the Caribbean	29		Flawed democracy	7.83	7.98	8.22	7.92	8.28	8.08	7.97	7.84	7.78	7.84	7.80	7.80	7.54	7.54	7.67	7.89	7.89
Latin America and the Caribbean	60		Flawed democracy	6.35	6.55	6.72	6.48	7.04	7.13	6.96	6.67	6.67	6.62	6.55	6.55	6.63	6.63	6.55	6.54	6.40
Latin America and the Caribbean	18		Full democracy	8.29	8.29	8.29	8.07	8.16	8.13	8.07	7.88	7.88	7.96	8.03	8.03	8.10	8.10	8.04	8.04	8.04
Latin America and the Caribbean	135		Authoritarian	2.58	2.65	2.65	2.59	2.84	2.84	3.00	3.31	3.46	3.52	3.52	3.52	3.52	3.52	3.52	3.52	3.52
Latin America and the Caribbean	52		Flawed democracy	6.62	6.44	6.39	6.45	6.32	6.54	6.54	6.66	6.67	6.67	6.67	6.74	6.49	6.20	6.20	6.20	6.13
Latin America and the Caribbean	85		Hybrid regime	5.24	5.41	5.69	5.71	6.13	6.33	6.27	6.02	5.81	5.87	5.87	5.87	5.78	5.72	5.77	5.64	5.64
Latin America and the Caribbean	95		Hybrid regime	4.61	4.71	5.06	5.72	5.90	6.15	5.96	6.43	6.64	6.64	6.53	6.53	6.47	6.47	6.47	6.40	6.22
Latin America and the Caribbean	97		Hybrid regime	4.55	4.47	4.68	4.62	4.97	5.26	5.60	5.86	5.92	5.92	5.81	5.81	5.88	5.88	6.05	6.07	6.07
Latin America and the Caribbean	69		Flawed democracy	6.11	6.26	6.34	6.25	6.01	6.15	6.67	6.46	6.25	6.05	5.91	6.05	6.05	6.05	6.05	6.12	6.15
Latin America and the Caribbean	131		Authoritarian	2.74	2.81	2.81	3.48	4.22	4.57	4.91	4.03	4.02	3.94	3.82	3.94	3.96	4.00	4.00	4.19	4.19
Latin America and the Caribbean	90		Hybrid regime	4.98	4.98	5.15	5.10	5.36	5.42	5.63	5.72	5.92	5.84	5.84	5.84	5.84	5.84	5.76	6.18	6.25
Latin America and the Caribbean	49		Flawed democracy	6.74	7.06	7.13	7.13	7.13	6.96	7.02	7.29	7.39	7.39	7.39	7.39	7.39	7.13	7.21	7.21	7.34
Latin America and the Caribbean	84		Hybrid regime	5.32	5.14	5.25	5.57	6.07	6.09	6.19	6.41	6.47	6.55	6.68	6.91	6.90	6.93	6.93	6.78	6.67
Latin America and the Caribbean	147		Authoritarian	2.09	2.26	2.50	2.69	3.60	3.55	3.63	4.66	4.81	5.26	5.32	5.46	5.56	5.56	5.73	6.07	5.68
Latin America and the Caribbean	47		Flawed democracy	6.84	6.91	6.91	6.85	7.18	7.05	7.05	7.08	7.13	7.19	7.08	7.08	7.08	7.08	7.15	7.35	7.35
Latin America and the Caribbean	75		Hybrid regime	5.92	6.00	5.89	5.86	6.18	6.24	6.24	6.31	6.27	6.33	6.26	6.26	6.26	6.40	6.40	6.40	6.16
Latin America and the Caribbean	78		Hybrid regime	5.69	5.81	5.92	6.09	6.53	6.60	6.60	6.49	6.65	6.58	6.54	6.54	6.47	6.59	6.40	6.31	6.11
Latin America and the Caribbean	48		Flawed democracy	6.79	6.88	6.95	6.82	6.82	6.98	6.98	6.76	6.77	6.77	6.77	6.77	6.65	6.65	6.65	6.58	6.52
Latin America and the Caribbean	45		Flawed democracy	7.09	7.16	7.16	7.16	7.16	7.16	7.16	7.04	7.10	7.10	6.99	6.99	6.99	7.16	7.16	7.21	7.18
Latin America and the Caribbean	15		Full democracy	8.67	8.66	8.91	8.85	8.61	8.38	8.38	8.12	8.17	8.17	8.17	8.17	8.17	8.17	8.10	8.08	7.96
Latin America and the Caribbean	142		Authoritarian	2.25	2.31	2.23	2.11	2.76	2.88	3.16	3.87	4.68	5.00	5.07	5.07	5.15	5.08	5.18	5.34	5.42
Middle East and North Africa	110		Authoritarian	3.55	3.66	3.66	3.77	3.77	4.01	3.50	3.56	3.56	3.95	3.83	3.83	3.83	3.44	3.44	3.32	3.17
Middle East and North Africa	138		Authoritarian	2.45	2.52	2.52	2.52	2.49	2.55	2.71	2.71	2.79	2.79	2.87	2.87	2.53	2.92	3.49	3.38	3.53
Middle East and North Africa	128		Authoritarian	2.79	2.93	2.93	2.93	2.93	3.06	3.36	3.36	3.31	3.18	3.16	3.27	4.56	3.95	3.07	3.89	3.90
Middle East and North Africa	154		Authoritarian	1.96	1.96	1.96	1.95	2.20	2.38	2.45	2.45	2.34	2.16	1.98	1.98	1.98	1.98	1.94	2.83	2.93
Middle East and North Africa	126		Authoritarian	2.80	2.88	3.13	3.51	3.62	3.74	4.06	4.09	4.08	4.08	4.23	4.10	4.10	4.03	4.00	4.00	4.01
Middle East and North Africa	31		Flawed democracy	7.80	7.80	7.93	7.97	7.84	7.86	7.79	7.79	7.85	7.77	7.63	7.53	7.53	7.53	7.48	7.48	7.28
Middle East and North Africa	115		Authoritarian	3.28	3.04	3.17	3.49	3.62	3.93	3.93	3.87	3.96	3.86	3.76	3.76	3.76	3.89	3.74	3.93	3.92
Middle East and North Africa	130		Authoritarian	2.78	3.50	3.83	3.91	3.80	3.93	3.85	3.85	3.85	3.85	3.78	3.78	3.78	3.74	3.88	3.39	3.09
Middle East and North Africa	109		Authoritarian	3.56	3.56	3.64	3.84	4.16	4.36	4.63	4.72	4.86	4.86	5.12	5.05	5.05	5.32	5.82	5.62	5.82
Middle East and North Africa	140		Authoritarian	2.31	1.78	2.06	1.95	1.95	2.02	2.19	2.32	2.25	2.25	3.80	4.82	5.15	3.55	1.94	2.00	1.84
Middle East and North Africa	91		Hybrid regime	4.97	5.04	5.04	5.04	5.04	5.10	4.99	4.87	4.77	4.66	4.00	4.07	4.07	3.83	3.79	3.88	3.90
Middle East and North Africa	120		Authoritarian	3.05	3.12	3.12	3.00	3.00	3.06	3.04	3.04	3.04	3.04	3.15	3.26	3.26	3.26	2.86	2.98	2.77
Middle East and North Africa	112		Authoritarian	3.44	3.47	3.86	3.94	3.83	3.89	4.39	4.46	4.49	4.57	4.72	4.80	4.80	4.97	5.44	5.83	6.01
Middle East and North Africa	117		Authoritarian	3.17	3.65	3.65	3.65	3.24	3.19	3.19	3.19	3.18	3.18	3.18	3.18	3.18	3.18	3.09	2.92	2.78
Middle East and North Africa	148		Authoritarian	2.08	2.08	2.08	2.08	2.08	1.93	1.93	1.93	1.93	1.93	1.82	1.82	1.71	1.77	1.84	1.90	1.92
Middle East and North Africa	162		Authoritarian	1.46	1.76	2.47	2.47	2.54	2.70	2.15	2.15	2.37	2.37	2.54	2.54	2.38	2.38	2.42	2.81	2.90
Middle East and North Africa	163	Syria||name=SyriaTUNAREYEMAGOBENBWABFABDICPVCMRCAFTCDCOMsort|Congo, Repubblica del | CIVsort| Congo, Democratic Republic of the | DJIGNQERISWZETHGABsort|Gambia, The| GHAGINGNBKENLSOLBRMDGMWIMLIMRTMUSMOZNAMNERNGARWASENSLEZAFTZATGOUGAZMBZWECANUSAAUTBELCYPDNKFINFRADEUGRCISLIRLITALUXMLTNLDNORPRTESPSWECHETURGBR Components The following table shows the five parameters that made up the score of each nation in 2024 and the changes that had occurred since 2023. Countries not listed The Democracy Index does not cover some UN member states, namely Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Brunei, Dominica, the Federated States of Micronesia, Grenada, Kiribati, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, the Maldives, the Marshall Islands, Monaco, Nauru, Palau, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, São Tomé and Príncipe, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. Recent changes In 2016, the United States was downgraded from a full democracy to a flawed democracy; its score, which had been declining for some years, crossed the threshold from 8.05 in 2015 to 7.98 in 2016. The report stated that this was caused by myriad factors dating back to at least the late 1960s which have eroded Americans' trust in governmental institutions. Nigeria was also upgraded from an authoritarian regime to a hybrid regime. The 2017 Democracy Index registered, at the time, the worst year for global democracy since 2010–11. Asia was the region with the largest decline since 2016. Venezuela was downgraded from a hybrid regime to an authoritarian regime. In China, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, further entrenched his power by writing his contribution to the CCP's ideology, dubbed Xi Jinping Thought, into the party's constitution. Moldova was downgraded from a flawed democracy to a hybrid regime as a result of problematic elections. By contrast, Armenia was re-upgraded from an authoritarian regime to a hybrid regime as a result of constitutional changes that shifted power from the presidency to parliament. The Gambia was upgraded again from an authoritarian regime to a hybrid regime after Yahya Jammeh, who was president from 1996 to 2017, was defeated by Adama Barrow, an opposition candidate in the 2016 presidential elections. In 2019, France, Portugal and Chile were upgraded from flawed democracies to full democracies. In fact, this was not a new experience for the former two, which suffered from the eurozone crisis many years before. By contrast, Malta was downgraded from a full democracy to a flawed democracy. Thailand and Albania were upgraded from hybrid regimes to flawed democracies. Algeria was upgraded again from an authoritarian regime to a hybrid regime. In 2020, Taiwan was upgraded from flawed democracy to full democracy following judicial reforms, and soared to 11th position from its previous position at 33rd, surpassing Switzerland, which ranked 12th. Japan and South Korea were also upgraded again to full democracies, while France and Portugal were once again relegated to flawed democracies. Hong Kong was downgraded from a flawed democracy to a hybrid regime. Algeria was downgraded again from a hybrid regime to an authoritarian regime. The Economist Intelligence Unit noted that democracy "was dealt a major blow in 2020". Almost 70% of countries covered by the Democracy Index recorded a decline in their overall score, as most of them imposed lockdowns and other restrictions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to some arresting journalists and citizens accused of spreading COVID-19 misinformation. The global average score fell to its lowest level since the index began in 2006. In 2021, both the global and regional average scores continued downward trends, with the exception of the Central and Eastern Europe region. Spain and Chile were downgraded from full democracies to flawed democracies, while Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, and Tunisia were downgraded from flawed democracies to hybrid regimes. Haiti, Lebanon, and Kyrgyzstan were downgraded from hybrid regimes to authoritarian regimes. In addition, Moldova, Montenegro, and North Macedonia were upgraded from hybrid regimes to flawed democracies, whereas Mauritania was upgraded from authoritarian to hybrid regime. For the first time, North Korea was displaced as the lowest-ranked state in the Democracy Index, with Myanmar and Afghanistan recording scores lower than North Korea due to a military coup and the 2021 Taliban offensive and subsequent takeover of government respectively. In 2022, the global average score stagnated, with the lifting of COVID-related restrictions being largely canceled out by other negative developments globally. In 2023, the global average score deteriorated further, with most declines occurring in authoritarian and hybrid regimes, with the former becoming more entrenched and the latter struggling to democratize. The threshold for each color has also been changed from greater than the integer to greater than or equal to. In 2024, the global average once again trended downwards, largely due to continued and expanded crackdowns in dissent in authoritarian regimes. The average score for democracies remained the same, despite 2024 being a major election year. One of the most notable declines was South Korea's decline from a full democracy to a flawed democracy, which was majorly a result of the political crisis caused by President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law in December. Romania's score fell by 0.46 points to 5.99 after controversially cancelling a presidential election, making it the first EU member state to be classified as a hybrid regime. The Czech Republic's score rose from 7.97 to 8.08, which reupgraded it to a full democracy.