‘The state of democracy in the world is worse than in the 1930s’

Each year, the Institute for Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem), based at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, publishes a report on the state of democracy around the world. The latest report, published in March, found that 71% of the world’s population was living in autocracy on December 31, 2023 (compared to 48% 10 years ago). Institute director Staffan Ingemar Lindberg analyzes the current situation.

2024, the “election super year” in which elections were held in 60 countries, is approaching its end. What is your assessment?

The general picture is negative. Of the 60 countries where national elections are held, 31 are autocracies. I see three categories. There are cases, such as India, where the repercussions of elections are uncertain. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP instead of the Bharatiya Janata Party) lost its majority (in June) and was forced to form a coalition government. It is not yet known whether this will put an end to the autocratization process that started in 2000. Positive cases include Taiwan, where the Democratic Progressive Party won the presidential election (in January), or Botswana, which is governed by the same party. Since 1965 and where democracy has been in decline for a decade. The opposition’s victory (at the end of October) clearly put an end to this trend.

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