Less than one fifth of the countries worldwide were classified as liberal democracies in 2023. The share also decreased slightly after reaching nearly 25 percent in 2011, indicating a democratic backlash over the past 10 years. Around one third of the countries were classified as electoral democracies, and the same share were classified as electoral autocracies. Over two thirds of the world population were living in some form of autocracy in 2023.
Distribution of countries worldwide from 1900 to 2023, by regime type
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.
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OWID. (March 7, 2024). Distribution of countries worldwide from 1900 to 2023, by regime type [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved November 21, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1379607/countries-share-world-regime-type/
OWID. "Distribution of countries worldwide from 1900 to 2023, by regime type." Chart. March 7, 2024. Statista. Accessed November 21, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1379607/countries-share-world-regime-type/
OWID. (2024). Distribution of countries worldwide from 1900 to 2023, by regime type. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: November 21, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1379607/countries-share-world-regime-type/
OWID. "Distribution of Countries Worldwide from 1900 to 2023, by Regime Type." Statista, Statista Inc., 7 Mar 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1379607/countries-share-world-regime-type/
OWID, Distribution of countries worldwide from 1900 to 2023, by regime type Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1379607/countries-share-world-regime-type/ (last visited November 21, 2024)
Distribution of countries worldwide from 1900 to 2023, by regime type [Graph], OWID, March 7, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1379607/countries-share-world-regime-type/