Democracy is in decline worldwide, with 74 percent of the global population now living under autocracies and liberal democracies falling to just seven percent, according to the latest V-Dem Institute report.
The report, released last month, shows liberal democracies dropped from a peak of 45 in 2009 to 31 in 2025, as established systems like the United States and United Kingdom experience erosion of checks and balances, civil liberties, and the rule of law.
Media censorship and repression of civil society are the most common tools used by governments shifting toward authoritarianism, a trend the V-Dem Institute says has never before affected so many countries simultaneously.
In Western Europe and North America, democratic quality for the average citizen is at its lowest point in over 50 years, driven largely by the rapid concentration of executive power during President Trump’s second term in the United States.
Australia ranks 12th globally in democratic health, trailing Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Estonia, Ireland, Costa Rica, Finland, France, Belgium, and Czechia, though critics note persistent flaws including corporate influence and First Nations rights violations.
Press freedom remains under threat globally, with Israel responsible for two-thirds of all journalist killings in 2024 and 2025, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, and recent attacks in Lebanon described by its prime minister as part of an “established approach.”
At an October 2022 conference in Cape Town, 75 election management bodies warned that democratic backsliding is one of the gravest threats to liberal constitutional systems, citing voter disaffection, attacks on media and civil society, judicial intimidation, and constitutional manipulation as key tactics.
Election officials warn that corruption and war further undermine democratic integrity, with public trust eroding when representatives lead nations into conflict without public mandate, and when economic devastation follows military spending.
For more on this story, see Catherine Connolly’s First Overseas Trip Sparks Debate as She Warns Democracy Is Under Attack.
Functioning democracies, the Daily Maverick notes, arose organically from collective self-governance as societies grew more complex, relying on accountability, transparency, and inclusive participation — principles now under strain worldwide.
In the United States, a growing rift within the Democratic Party reflects tension between its traditional base and capitalist-aligned members, with Seattle investor Chris DeVore arguing that embracing capitalism, rule of law, and open immigration are essential to preserving American prosperity and democratic ideals.
DeVore contends that vilifying billionaires, AI, and data centers as economic threats ignores that the top 10 percent of earners already pay about 75 percent of federal income taxes, and that alternatives like wealth taxes or data center bans lack economic coherence and risk pushing investment elsewhere.
He warns that if the Democratic Party abandons its historical commitment to free markets and legal certainty, it risks losing its claim to the core of the American experiment — opportunity, justice, and equal treatment under the law.
Why are liberal democracies declining even in wealthy, stable countries?
Established democracies are weakening due to executive overreach, attacks on independent media and civil society, and declining public trust — not economic collapse, but deliberate institutional erosion by elected leaders.
How does Australia’s democracy compare globally despite its high ranking?
While Australia ranks 12th in democratic health, critics point to ongoing issues such as corporate influence in politics, punitive justice policies affecting First Nations people, and declining press freedom linked to international violence against journalists.
What is causing tension within the U.S. Democratic Party over capitalism?
Some Democrats now frame capitalism and billionaires as threats to equality, while others argue that free markets, rule of law, and immigration are essential to American prosperity and that abandoning them undermines the party’s founding ideals.
Can democratic backsliding be reversed without addressing war and economic inequality?
Election officials and analysts warn that lasting democratic repair requires peace, economic fairness, and institutional integrity — as war and corruption directly violate the public’s mandate for dialogue and shared problem-solving.