Global democracy continued its decline in 2021, according to the latest edition of the Democracy Index, for The Economist Intelligence (EIU).
The annual survey, which rates the state of democracy across 167 countries on the basis of five measures—electoral process and pluralism, the functioning of government, political participation, democratic political culture, and civil liberties—finds that more than a third of the world’s population lives under the authoritarian rule while just 6.4 percent enjoy full democracy.
According to The Economist’s new intelligence index, Democracy Index 2021, Pakistan ranks 104th out of 167, and Pakistan’s overall score in 2021 is 4.31. India is 46th while Bangladesh is 75th. Norway ranks first in the index, followed by Norway, and Afghanistan ranks 167th.
Democracy in Pakistan is declining compared to 2016 and previous years. Pakistan was included in the list of countries with a hybrid system because there is neither complete democracy nor dictatorship. Only three countries in Asia, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, have full democracy.
Poor democracies in 10 Asian countries, hybrids in six countries, and dictatorships in seven countries. The report also mentions the negative effects of code, measures such as lockdowns and travel restrictions, hindering civil liberties in developed democracies and dictatorial regimes. The situation of democracy in 167 countries of the world was reviewed.
According to this, only 21 countries in the world including Norway, New Zealand, Finland, and the UK have full democracy.
In addition, 34 countries, including Pakistan, Turkey, Nigeria, and Bangladesh, where the electoral process is not transparent, while civil society and the rule of law are very weak. These countries are considered hybrid democracies. One-third of the world’s population, including Afghanistan, Myanmar, and North Korea, face authoritarian regimes or dictatorships, and the index ranks 59 countries without democracy.
