People living in democracies worldwide 2022

More than two thirds of the world population were living in some form of autocracy in 2022. This high share is explained by the fact that around one third of the world population is residing in India and China, classified as an electoral autocracy and closed autocracy, respectively. India falling from an electoral democracy to an electoral autocracy explains why the share of people living in autocracies increased sharply in 2017.

Distribution of world population from 1900 to 2022, by regime type of country of residence

Regime type	Liberal democracies	Electoral democracies	Electoral autocracies	Closed autocracies	No regime data
2022	12.8%	16.26%	44.73%	25.99%	0.21%
2021	13.13%	15.95%	44.98%	25.73%	0.21%
2020	13.44%	18.87%	43.2%	24.28%	0.21%
2019	14.07%	17.76%	43.67%	24.29%	0.21%
2018	14.36%	18.05%	43.26%	24.12%	0.21%
2017	14.58%	19.4%	41.5%	24.31%	0.22%
2016	14.25%	38.17%	22.95%	24.41%	0.22%
2015	14.93%	37.06%	23.66%	24.13%	0.22%
2014	15.56%	36.42%	22.19%	24.25%	1.59%
2013	15.65%	35.22%	24.36%	24.55%	0.22%
2012	16.49%	36.59%	23.52%	23.03%	0.37%
2011	16.59%	33.62%	24.94%	24.47%	0.37%
2010	16.7%	33.41%	25.41%	24.12%	0.37%
2009	16.95%	32.29%	26.09%	24.45%	0.22%
2008	17.05%	32.51%	25.94%	24.28%	0.22%
2007	17.15%	32.25%	22.65%	27.72%	0.22%
2006	17.13%	32.52%	25.42%	24.71%	0.22%
2005	17.2%	32.78%	23.93%	25.87%	0.22%
2004	17.28%	33.06%	22.55%	26.52%	0.59%
2003	17.37%	34.22%	21.32%	26.86%	0.23%
2002	17.15%	34.33%	21.29%	26.99%	0.23%
2001	17.27%	36.5%	16.58%	29.42%	0.23%
2000	17.39%	35.78%	17.15%	29.46%	0.23%
1999	17.15%	36.62%	16.62%	29.38%	0.22%
1998	17.16%	33.06%	19.76%	29.77%	0.25%
1997	17.29%	32.69%	19.88%	29.87%	0.27%
1996	17.41%	31.96%	19.29%	30.55%	0.79%
1995	16.5%	30.71%	20.34%	31.69%	0.76%
1994	16.64%	29.41%	20.63%	32.93%	0.39%
1993	16.78%	28.92%	18.82%	35.13%	0.36%
1992	16.13%	31.93%	17.1%	34.58%	0.26%
1991	16.27%	26.44%	21.38%	35.47%	0.43%
1990	16.19%	25.7%	18.56%	39.23%	0.31%
1989	15.34%	23.34%	19.85%	41.21%	0.26%
1988	15.45%	23.32%	18.7%	42.27%	0.26%
1987	15.63%	21.12%	20.33%	42.66%	0.26%
1986	15.83%	18.24%	23.23%	42.45%	0.26%
1985	16.02%	18.03%	18.52%	47.17%	0.26%
1984	16.13%	17.97%	16.88%	48.17%	0.86%
1983	16.32%	17.21%	16.47%	48.23%	1.76%
1982	15.7%	18.29%	16.11%	48.64%	1.26%
1981	15.89%	18.1%	18.12%	46.64%	1.25%
1980	16.07%	17.94%	20.25%	44.49%	1.25%
1979	16.25%	18.37%	18.96%	46.17%	0.26%
1978	16.42%	18.29%	14.58%	48.57%	2.13%
1977	16.6%	17.35%	16.17%	48.56%	1.32%
1976	16.56%	2.16%	32.09%	48.74%	0.46%
1975	15.96%	3.33%	32.9%	47.35%	0.45%
1974	16.14%	18.37%	16.53%	48.7%	0.27%
1973	16.33%	17.68%	16.44%	48.81%	0.74%
1972	16.52%	17.82%	13.92%	50.89%	0.85%
1971	16.69%	16.89%	15.77%	50.22%	0.43%
1970	16.86%	17.82%	11.9%	53.15%	0.28%
1969	15.58%	19.24%	12.33%	52.58%	0.27%
1968	10.24%	24.76%	12.54%	52.11%	0.35%
1967	10.35%	24.79%	12.39%	52.2%	0.27%
1966	10.47%	24.82%	12.58%	51.87%	0.27%
1965	10.51%	24.66%	13.34%	51.22%	0.27%
1964	10.63%	24.71%	14.11%	50.27%	0.27%
1963	10.77%	24.1%	14.8%	50.06%	0.27%
1962	10.9%	24.13%	12.44%	52.26%	0.27%
1961	11.01%	24.07%	14.27%	50.38%	0.27%
1960	11.09%	23.96%	17.26%	47.24%	0.45%
1959	11.17%	23.87%	16.98%	47.54%	0.44%
1958	11.29%	23.3%	17.28%	47.69%	0.44%
1957	11.43%	26.16%	13.1%	48.88%	0.44%
1956	11.57%	26.14%	11.57%	50.27%	0.44%
1955	11.46%	23.54%	13.78%	50.77%	0.45%
1954	11.6%	23.48%	10.9%	53.57%	0.45%
1953	11.74%	23.47%	10.65%	53.69%	0.45%
1952	11.87%	23.47%	11.5%	52.71%	0.45%
1951	8.63%	9.1%	26.83%	54.99%	0.45%
1950	8.73%	9.13%	11.74%	69.42%	0.97%
1949	8.66%	9.38%	9.77%	71.89%	0.3%
1948	5.73%	9.47%	9.94%	71.65%	3.21%
1947	5.75%	9.12%	25.01%	56.79%	3.34%
1946	4.07%	7.21%	26.96%	58.35%	3.41%
1945	3.02%	7.16%	8.24%	76.67%	4.9%
1944	3.03%	6.84%	4.3%	82.15%	3.68%
1943	3.02%	6.8%	4.54%	80.87%	4.77%
1942	3.03%	6.92%	4.89%	80.4%	4.77%
1941	3.04%	6.89%	4.95%	80.38%	4.74%
1940	3.04%	6.86%	4.89%	80.18%	5.03%
1939	3.96%	8.59%	4.73%	77.72%	5%
1938	3.98%	9.15%	6.88%	76.69%	3.3%
1937	3.99%	9.2%	6.58%	76.91%	3.31%
1936	4.01%	10.36%	5.45%	76.87%	3.31%
1935	4.03%	10.41%	5.22%	77.03%	3.3%
1934	4.05%	10.46%	4.54%	77.21%	3.74%
1933	4.07%	10.65%	7.99%	73.5%	3.79%
1932	4.09%	14.23%	4.1%	73.53%	4.06%
1931	4.11%	13.16%	4.6%	74.7%	3.43%
1930	4.13%	13.17%	3.23%	76.15%	3.32%
1929	4.16%	13.74%	4.86%	74.03%	3.21%
1928	4.19%	13.73%	4.92%	73.94%	3.22%
1927	4.22%	13.7%	4.09%	73.97%	4.02%
1926	4.25%	13.78%	4.49%	73.24%	4.24%
1925	4.28%	15.01%	4.35%	72.33%	4.02%
1924	4.13%	15.16%	4.36%	72.33%	4.02%
1923	4.15%	15.12%	6.16%	70.54%	4.03%
1922	4.18%	14.92%	7.15%	69.73%	4.03%
1921	3.89%	14.52%	7.11%	70.23%	4.24%
1920	3.51%	13.37%	8.2%	70.56%	4.36%
1919	3.52%	5.67%	14.1%	72.24%	4.46%
1918	1.05%	2.34%	15.92%	75.89%	4.79%
1917	0.43%	2.47%	21.47%	70.59%	5.04%
1916	0.43%	2.49%	15.59%	76.42%	5.07%
1915	0.69%	2.26%	15.81%	75.91%	5.34%
1914	0.68%	2.29%	15.54%	75.88%	5.61%
1913	1.09%	2.31%	15.41%	74.28%	6.9%
1912	1.03%	2.4%	15.26%	74.38%	6.93%
1911	1.03%	2.43%	15.08%	74.35%	7.12%
1910	1.02%	2.45%	14.56%	74.88%	7.09%
1909	1.02%	2.47%	14.14%	75.37%	7%
1908	1.02%	2.49%	13.96%	75.55%	6.98%
1907	1.02%	2.5%	13.98%	75.56%	6.95%
1906	1.01%	2.52%	13.87%	75.68%	6.92%
1905	1.01%	2.4%	14.12%	75.54%	6.93%
1904	1%	2.42%	13.96%	75.75%	6.87%
1903	1%	2.43%	13.85%	75.76%	6.95%
1902	1%	2.45%	13.78%	75.79%	6.98%
1901	0.84%	2.46%	13.78%	75.79%	7.13%
1900	0.83%	2.48%	13.52%	75.95%	7.23%

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Release date

March 2023

More information

Region

Worldwide

Survey time period

1900 to 2022

Supplementary notes

The V-Dem Institute defines the different regimes as follows:
Closed autocracy: citizens do not have the right to choose either the chief executive of the government or the legislature through multi-party elections.

Electoral autocracy: citizens have the right to choose the chief executive and the legislature through multi-party elections; but they lack some freedoms, such as the freedoms of association or expression that make the elections meaningful, free, and fair.

Electoral democracy: citizens have the right to choose the chief executive and the legislature in meaningful, free and fair, and multi-party elections.

Liberal democracy: electoral democracy and citizens enjoy individual and minority rights, are equal before the law, and the actions of the executive are constrained by the legislative and the courts.

Calculations made by Statista.

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