The Economist: Four lessons from EIU’s new ranking of democracies – “In theory this year should be a triumphant one for democracy. More people are expected to vote in national elections in 2024 than ever before. But many elections will be problematic. This year’s democracy index published by EIU, our sister company, shows that only 43 of the more than 70 elections are expected to be fully free and fair.

Democracy Index 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. The increasing incidence of violent conflict has badly dented the global democracy score and prevented a recovery after the pandemic years of 2020-22. The world’s democracies seem powerless to prevent wars from breaking out around the globe. EIU’s Democracy Index report analyses the relationship between democracy, war and peace and looks at the geopolitical drivers of conflict. It also provides an explanation of the changes in the global rankings and an in-depth regional overview.”