2024-02-16 19:48:24
The Democracy Index for 2023 was issued by the Economist Intelligence Unit of the British “Economist” group, and highlighted a record and unprecedented decline in the global average of the Democracy Index, as it reached 5.23 on a ten-point scale, which is its lowest level since the first study of this index was issued in 2013. 2006.
Announcement
The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) collects data annually, to determine levels of democracy around the world, in what is called the “Global Democracy Index.” This indicator is based on a scale from 0 to 10 to evaluate all countries of the world annually.
This index measures the state of democracy in 167 countries based on 5 criteria: the electoral process and pluralism, government performance, political participation, democratic political culture and civil liberties.
Countries are also classified based on scores into: full democracies, imperfect democracies, hybrid regimes, and authoritarian regimes.
This year, the annual index recorded a decrease in its total score from 5.29 (out of 10) in 2022 to 5.23, pointing out that the increasing outbreak of violent conflicts has greatly weakened the levels of democracy at the international level.
This decline was reflected mainly in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa, which in turn recorded an unprecedented record decline, while most Arab countries came at the bottom of the list with no country classified as democratic.
Results for Arab countries:
Hybrid systems
- Tunisia (5.51) is ranked 82nd globally, and first in the Arab world
- Morocco (5.04) is ranked 93rd globally and second in the Arab world.
Authoritarian regimes
- Ranked 110th globally, Algeria 3.66
- 111 Qatar ranked 3.65
- 112 Lebanon 3.56
- 113 Kuwait 3.50
- 114 Kuwait 3.50
- 115 Palestine 3.47
- 119 Oman 3.12
- 122 Jordan 3.04
- 125 Emirates 3.01
- 127 Egypt 2.93
- 128 Iraq 2.88
- 139 Bahrain 2.52
- 150 Saudi Arabia 2.08
- 154 Yemen 1.95
- 157 Libya 1.78
- 158 Sudan 1.76
- 163 Syria 1.43
According to the index, the most democratic countries in the world are respectively Norway, New Zealand, Finland, Sweden, Iceland, Denmark, Ireland, Taiwan, Australia and Switzerland. Australia and Switzerland are ranked ninth, while the Netherlands is practically ranked tenth on the list of most democratic countries.
The report ranked Tunisia first in the Maghreb in the democracy index, considering its system a “hybrid” between authoritarian and democratic. Tunisia received a score of 5.51 out of 10, which placed it ranked 82nd globally.
This represents progress for Tunisia compared to the 2022 index, where it was ranked 85th globally. In 2021, the country recorded a decline of 10 places following the launch of measures by President Kais Saied, elected in 2019, including dissolving Parliament on July 25, 2021, amending the constitution, and prosecuting opponents.
Morocco came second in the Maghreb with a score of 5.04, which placed it 93rd globally, and it is also classified as a “hybrid system.”
The report considered that the decline of the Middle East into a broader war and conflict in 2023, following the Hamas attacks on October 7, is what led to the region’s score falling to its lowest level ever on the Democracy Index.
Out of 20 countries, 8 countries recorded a decline this year, with war-torn Sudan suffering the most, and 11 countries maintained the same score as in 2022. While only one country’s scores improved, which is the UAE.
The report noted that political instability has undermined the prospects for democracy in the region, and that restrictions on civil and political freedoms, including the suppression of opposition and media in the region, strengthen authoritarian regimes.
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