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State of the world 2025: unraveling the democratic era?
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DOI：10.1080/13510347.2026.2661683.png)
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Abstract
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This article offers six main findings about the state of democracy in the world. First, for the statistically average global citizen, the level of democracy in 2025 has reverted to 1978 levels. Second, autocracies now outnumber democracies (92 to 87) and are home to 74% of the world’s population. Third, freedom of expression is the worst-affected aspect, worsening in 44 countries over the last decade. Fourth, 44 countries are currently autocratizing, representing 41% of the world’s population and 39% of global GDP, while only 18 are democratizing. Fifth, the systematic analysis of the cumulative effects of the third wave of autocratization shows that 85 countries – almost half of the world – were autocratizing at some point since 2000. Three-quarters of them are worse in terms of democracy by 2025. Sixth, comprehensively analyzing the ongoing autocratization in the USA, this article highlights a dramatic 24% decline in liberal democracy during the first year of the second Trump presidency, reverting to 1965 levels. This represents the most rapid dismantling of democracy in modern history, marked by a concentration of power in the presidency, undermining civil rights and the rule of law, and the suppression of dissent and the media.
Keywords:
Democracy
autocracy
democratization
autocratization
democratic resilience
third wave
USA
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