Democracy index

Democratic backsliding

Democratic backsliding is the gradual weakening of elections, courts, the media and civil liberties by elected governments. These are the countries where V-Dem's liberal democracy index changed most between 2015 and 2025.

Data: V-Dem v16, scores for 2025 · Page updated 27 October 2026

Fell 0.05 or more68countries, 2015 to 2025

Rose 0.05 or more19countries, 2015 to 2025

Biggest decline−0.37El Salvador

Biggest gain+0.42The Gambia

Where democracy declined most

Between 2015 and 2025 the largest falls in liberal democracy were in El Salvador, Tunisia, Niger, United States and Georgia. 8 countries that scored 0.50 or more in 2015 have since dropped below that level: Senegal, Benin, Indonesia, Mongolia, Tunisia, Georgia, Bulgaria and Romania.

Largest declines in liberal democracy, 2015 to 2025Change in V-Dem liberal democracy index points

El Salvador−0.37

Tunisia−0.36

Niger−0.32

United States−0.28

Georgia−0.23

Greece−0.22

Slovenia−0.22

Indonesia−0.22

Mexico−0.21

Burkina Faso−0.20

Benin−0.20

Mali−0.20

Guinea-Bissau−0.19

Afghanistan−0.18

Peru−0.18

Myanmar−0.17

Hungary−0.16

Hong Kong−0.16

India−0.16

Slovakia−0.15

Where democracy improved most

The largest gains were in The Gambia, Seychelles, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

Largest gains in liberal democracy, 2015 to 2025Change in V-Dem liberal democracy index points

The Gambia+0.42

Seychelles+0.25

Maldives+0.23

Sri Lanka+0.22

Thailand+0.21

Armenia+0.17

Dominican Republic+0.16

Malaysia+0.15

South Korea+0.14

Honduras+0.14

Fiji+0.13

Ecuador+0.12

Montenegro+0.11

North Macedonia+0.10

Guatemala+0.10

All countries: change in liberal democracy since 2015


1	Denmark Take the test	0.88	−0.01	Liberal democracy	0.98	0.00
2	Sweden Take the test	0.85	−0.03	Liberal democracy	0.95	0.01
3	Norway Take the test	0.85	−0.02	Liberal democracy	0.95	0.01
4	Switzerland Take the test	0.84	−0.02	Liberal democracy	0.97	0.02
5	Estonia	0.84	−0.01	Liberal democracy	0.97	0.03
6	Ireland Take the test	0.82	−0.00	Liberal democracy	0.97	0.03
7	Costa Rica Take the test	0.81	−0.04	Liberal democracy	0.92	0.21
8	Finland Take the test	0.81	−0.02	Liberal democracy	0.95	0.03
9	France Take the test	0.80	−0.01	Liberal democracy	0.96	0.06
10	Belgium Take the test	0.79	−0.04	Liberal democracy	0.97	0.03
11	Czechia Take the test	0.79	+0.03	Liberal democracy	0.95	0.17
12	Australia Take the test	0.79	−0.03	Liberal democracy	0.92	0.03
13	Uruguay Take the test	0.79	−0.04	Liberal democracy	0.93	0.06
14	New Zealand Take the test	0.79	−0.04	Liberal democracy	0.93	0.01
15	Germany Take the test	0.78	−0.06	Liberal democracy	0.91	0.02
16	Chile Take the test	0.78	−0.06	Liberal democracy	0.93	0.07
17	Luxembourg Take the test	0.78	−0.02	Liberal democracy	0.96	0.03
18	Netherlands Take the test	0.77	−0.06	Liberal democracy	0.91	0.03
19	Austria Take the test	0.76	−0.05	Liberal democracy	0.92	0.10
20	Latvia	0.75	−0.00	Liberal democracy	0.93	0.07
21	Spain Take the test	0.74	−0.02	Liberal democracy	0.84	0.11
22	South Korea Take the test	0.74	+0.14	Liberal democracy	0.93	0.16
23	Canada Take the test	0.74	+0.00	Electoral democracy	0.93	0.03
24	Japan Take the test	0.73	−0.01	Liberal democracy	0.85	0.05
25	Iceland Take the test	0.72	−0.06	Liberal democracy	0.85	0.01
26	Portugal Take the test	0.72	−0.11	Electoral democracy	0.90	0.17
27	Lithuania	0.71	−0.07	Liberal democracy	0.92	0.16
28	Brazil Take the test	0.70	−0.07	Electoral democracy	0.91	0.42
29	Taiwan	0.70	+0.02	Liberal democracy	0.84	0.21
30	United Kingdom Take the test	0.69	−0.10	Electoral democracy	0.83	0.04
31	Seychelles	0.68	+0.25	Liberal democracy	0.87	0.05
32	Jamaica	0.68	±0.00	Electoral democracy	0.92	0.21
33	Barbados	0.68	+0.02	Liberal democracy	0.91	0.07
34	Trinidad and Tobago	0.67	−0.01	Liberal democracy	0.89	0.10
35	Cyprus	0.66	−0.07	Liberal democracy	0.81	0.17
36	Poland Take the test	0.65	−0.13	Electoral democracy	0.92	0.08
37	Italy Take the test	0.64	−0.14	Liberal democracy	0.76	0.16
38	Mauritius	0.64	+0.01	Electoral democracy	0.89	0.36
39	South Africa Take the test	0.63	−0.02	Electoral democracy	0.84	0.54
40	Cape Verde	0.63	−0.08	Electoral democracy	0.86	0.29
41	Suriname	0.63	−0.01	Electoral democracy	0.89	0.17
42	Vanuatu	0.62	−0.02	Electoral democracy	0.85	0.33
43	Malta Take the test	0.62	+0.04	Electoral democracy	0.83	0.19
44	Sri Lanka	0.61	+0.22	Electoral democracy	0.87	0.28
45	Ghana	0.61	−0.03	Electoral democracy	0.90	0.61
46	Croatia	0.59	−0.11	Electoral democracy	0.74	0.25
47	Slovenia	0.59	−0.22	Electoral democracy	0.69	0.08
48	Israel	0.59	−0.07	Electoral democracy	0.82	0.11
49	Panama	0.57	+0.02	Electoral democracy	0.81	0.48
50	Slovakia	0.57	−0.15	Electoral democracy	0.77	0.29
51	United States Take the test	0.57	−0.28	Electoral democracy	0.73	0.06
52	Greece Take the test	0.57	−0.22	Electoral democracy	0.81	0.28
53	Colombia Take the test	0.56	+0.00	Electoral democracy	0.81	0.39
54	Timor-Leste	0.55	+0.08	Electoral democracy	0.84	0.25
55	Solomon Islands	0.54	+0.08	Electoral democracy	0.84	0.60
56	Argentina Take the test	0.52	−0.07	Electoral democracy	0.74	0.41
57	Guatemala	0.52	+0.10	Electoral democracy	0.84	0.62
58	The Gambia	0.52	+0.42	Electoral democracy	0.81	0.27
59	Botswana	0.52	−0.07	Electoral democracy	0.80	0.20
60	Namibia	0.52	−0.06	Electoral democracy	0.86	0.27
61	Sao Tome and Principe	0.52	−0.04	Electoral democracy	0.79	0.29
62	Lesotho	0.51	+0.07	Electoral democracy	0.73	0.47
63	Peru Take the test	0.51	−0.18	Electoral democracy	0.76	0.63
64	Nepal	0.51	−0.03	Electoral democracy	0.81	0.56
65	Dominican Republic	0.51	+0.16	Electoral democracy	0.90	0.59
66	Montenegro	0.50	+0.11	Electoral democracy	0.85	0.43
67	Bulgaria	0.50	−0.07	Electoral democracy	0.75	0.64
68	Senegal	0.48	−0.10	Electoral democracy	0.82	0.40
69	Romania	0.46	−0.14	Electoral democracy	0.78	0.42
70	Malawi	0.46	+0.02	Electoral democracy	0.75	0.63
71	Kosovo	0.46	+0.01	Electoral democracy	0.77	0.35
72	Bhutan	0.46	−0.02	Electoral democracy	0.68	0.15
73	Moldova	0.45	−0.03	Electoral democracy	0.65	0.33
74	Kenya	0.45	+0.02	Electoral democracy	0.90	0.56
75	Mongolia	0.42	−0.13	Electoral democracy	0.77	0.69
76	Liberia	0.42	−0.03	Electoral democracy	0.84	0.88
77	Maldives	0.42	+0.23	Electoral democracy	0.69	0.31
78	Fiji	0.40	+0.13	Electoral democracy	0.72	0.29
79	Ecuador Take the test	0.39	+0.12	Electoral democracy	0.71	0.65
80	Papua New Guinea	0.38	+0.04	Electoral autocracy	0.84	0.68
81	Albania	0.38	−0.05	Electoral autocracy	0.67	0.62
82	Honduras	0.38	+0.14	Electoral democracy	0.86	0.75
83	Paraguay	0.38	−0.04	Electoral democracy	0.75	0.80
84	Zambia	0.38	+0.00	Electoral autocracy	0.78	0.43
85	North Macedonia	0.37	+0.10	Electoral democracy	0.66	0.75
86	Armenia	0.37	+0.17	Electoral democracy	0.73	0.47
87	Singapore	0.36	+0.03	Electoral autocracy	0.40	0.01
88	Malaysia	0.35	+0.15	Electoral democracy	0.59	0.32
89	Bolivia	0.35	−0.02	Electoral democracy	0.68	0.76
90	Sierra Leone	0.35	+0.03	Electoral autocracy	0.82	0.57
91	Bosnia and Herzegovina	0.34	−0.02	Electoral autocracy	0.65	0.73
92	Guyana	0.33	−0.12	Electoral democracy	0.77	0.51
93	Benin	0.32	−0.20	Electoral autocracy	0.68	0.19
94	Hungary	0.32	−0.16	Electoral autocracy	0.49	0.49
95	Thailand	0.31	+0.21	Electoral autocracy	0.59	0.64
96	Nigeria Take the test	0.31	−0.09	Electoral democracy	0.85	0.83
97	Tanzania	0.30	−0.09	Electoral autocracy	0.55	0.33
98	Somaliland	0.30	+0.05	Electoral autocracy	0.65	0.56
99	Indonesia	0.30	−0.22	Electoral autocracy	0.69	0.80
100	Philippines Take the test	0.29	−0.12	Electoral autocracy	0.68	0.84
101	Georgia	0.28	−0.23	Electoral autocracy	0.69	0.29
102	Jordan	0.27	+0.05	Closed autocracy	0.56	0.42
103	Lebanon	0.27	−0.03	Electoral autocracy	0.74	0.83
104	Tunisia	0.27	−0.36	Electoral autocracy	0.69	0.41
105	India Take the test	0.26	−0.16	Electoral autocracy	0.46	0.68
106	Zanzibar	0.25	+0.02	Electoral autocracy	0.54	0.52
107	Morocco	0.25	+0.02	Closed autocracy	0.58	0.67
108	Ukraine	0.24	+0.01	Electoral autocracy	0.42	0.64
109	Ivory Coast	0.23	−0.08	Electoral autocracy	0.68	0.60
110	Mexico Take the test	0.22	−0.21	Electoral autocracy	0.62	0.57
111	Iraq	0.22	−0.02	Electoral autocracy	0.57	0.89
112	Serbia	0.21	−0.13	Electoral autocracy	0.42	0.79
113	Madagascar	0.19	−0.07	Electoral autocracy	0.64	0.88
114	Gabon	0.18	−0.05	Electoral autocracy	0.75	0.72
115	Kyrgyzstan	0.18	−0.14	Electoral autocracy	0.47	0.79
116	Niger	0.18	−0.32	Closed autocracy	0.76	0.59
117	Pakistan	0.18	−0.09	Electoral autocracy	0.56	0.80
118	Mozambique	0.17	−0.12	Electoral autocracy	0.52	0.69
119	Uganda	0.17	−0.06	Electoral autocracy	0.43	0.89
120	Angola	0.16	+0.04	Electoral autocracy	0.50	0.57
121	Togo	0.16	−0.10	Electoral autocracy	0.58	0.76
122	Mali	0.15	−0.20	Closed autocracy	0.49	0.72
123	Zimbabwe	0.15	−0.07	Electoral autocracy	0.41	0.85
124	Hong Kong	0.14	−0.16	Closed autocracy	0.23	0.09
125	Oman	0.14	−0.00	Closed autocracy	0.15	0.25
126	Comoros	0.13	−0.11	Electoral autocracy	0.50	0.77
127	Kazakhstan	0.13	+0.02	Electoral autocracy	0.33	0.74
128	Somalia	0.13	+0.01	Closed autocracy	0.62	0.87
129	Mauritania	0.13	−0.05	Electoral autocracy	0.63	0.82
130	Kuwait	0.13	−0.15	Closed autocracy	0.53	0.35
131	Algeria	0.13	−0.05	Electoral autocracy	0.37	0.66
132	Djibouti	0.12	+0.00	Electoral autocracy	0.34	0.71
133	Bangladesh	0.12	+0.01	Closed autocracy	0.53	0.78
134	Egypt	0.12	+0.02	Electoral autocracy	0.18	0.73
135	Democratic Republic of the Congo	0.12	−0.01	Electoral autocracy	0.60	0.89
136	Republic of the Congo	0.12	+0.01	Electoral autocracy	0.37	0.84
137	Cameroon	0.11	−0.04	Electoral autocracy	0.53	0.94
138	Palestine (West Bank)	0.11	−0.05	Electoral autocracy	0.35	0.46
139	Türkiye	0.11	−0.12	Electoral autocracy	0.18	0.80
140	Laos	0.11	+0.02	Closed autocracy	0.03	0.77
141	Burkina Faso	0.10	−0.20	Closed autocracy	0.26	0.37
142	Iran	0.10	−0.03	Electoral autocracy	0.17	0.77
143	Vietnam	0.10	−0.01	Closed autocracy	0.10	0.47
144	Central African Republic	0.10	−0.08	Electoral autocracy	0.61	0.85
145	Ethiopia	0.10	−0.00	Electoral autocracy	0.28	0.53
146	Haiti	0.10	−0.14	Closed autocracy	0.80	0.79
147	Libya	0.10	−0.07	Closed autocracy	0.54	0.81
148	Eswatini	0.10	±0.00	Closed autocracy	0.11	0.55
149	Guinea	0.10	−0.07	Closed autocracy	0.56	0.81
150	Guinea-Bissau	0.10	−0.19	Closed autocracy	0.55	0.83
151	Qatar	0.09	+0.00	Closed autocracy	0.06	0.33
152	El Salvador	0.09	−0.37	Electoral autocracy	0.36	0.68
153	Rwanda	0.09	−0.05	Electoral autocracy	0.17	0.42
154	Uzbekistan	0.08	+0.04	Closed autocracy	0.23	0.82
155	United Arab Emirates	0.08	−0.01	Closed autocracy	0.06	0.10
156	South Sudan	0.06	−0.00	Closed autocracy	0.15	0.89
157	Chad	0.06	−0.03	Electoral autocracy	0.43	0.95
158	Bahrain	0.06	+0.01	Closed autocracy	0.17	0.48
159	Burundi	0.06	−0.00	Electoral autocracy	0.16	0.84
160	Palestine (Gaza)	0.06	−0.00	Closed autocracy	0.23	0.37
161	Cuba	0.06	±0.00	Closed autocracy	0.07	0.64
162	Russia	0.06	−0.05	Electoral autocracy	0.08	0.78
163	Syria	0.05	+0.03	Closed autocracy	0.36	0.62
164	Azerbaijan	0.05	−0.01	Electoral autocracy	0.09	0.89
165	Cambodia	0.05	−0.06	Electoral autocracy	0.15	0.90
166	Equatorial Guinea	0.05	−0.00	Electoral autocracy	0.11	0.86
167	Saudi Arabia	0.05	+0.00	Closed autocracy	0.09	0.33
168	Yemen	0.04	−0.03	Closed autocracy	0.22	0.90
169	Tajikistan	0.04	+0.00	Electoral autocracy	0.04	0.89
170	Venezuela	0.04	−0.06	Electoral autocracy	0.15	0.97
171	China	0.04	−0.01	Closed autocracy	0.04	0.55
172	Belarus	0.04	−0.06	Closed autocracy	0.03	0.41
173	Sudan	0.03	−0.03	Closed autocracy	0.29	0.72
174	Turkmenistan	0.03	+0.01	Closed autocracy	0.04	0.90
175	Nicaragua	0.02	−0.10	Electoral autocracy	0.02	0.94
176	Afghanistan	0.02	−0.18	Closed autocracy	0.02	0.77
177	Myanmar	0.01	−0.17	Closed autocracy	0.03	0.86
178	North Korea	0.01	±0.00	Closed autocracy	0.01	0.67
179	Eritrea	0.01	+0.00	Closed autocracy	0.02	0.75

Scores run from 0 to 1. Higher is better. Click a column heading to sort. Countries with a CoreOpinion test link to it.

Frequently asked questions

What is democratic backsliding?

It is the gradual erosion of democratic institutions, such as free elections, independent courts, a free press and civil liberties, usually by governments that came to power through elections.

Which country's democracy declined the most since 2015?

El Salvador, whose V-Dem liberal democracy score went from 0.46 in 2015 to 0.09 in 2025.

Where do you stand?

See how your own views compare with the parties in your country. CoreOpinion has political tests for 46 countries.

Find your country's test

Source and licence

All scores come from the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Country-Year dataset, version 16, produced by the V-Dem Institute at the University of Gothenburg. V-Dem combines the judgements of thousands of country experts into indices that run from 0 to 1, and reports measurement uncertainty for each one. Figures here refer to 2025, with changes measured against 2015. Small differences between countries, of a few hundredths, are often within that uncertainty.

The V-Dem data is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. The rankings and tables on these pages are derived from it and shared under the same licence. See v-dem.net for the full dataset and codebook.