Democracy Index: most democratic countries 2023

According to the Democracy Index, Norway was deemed the most democratic country in 2023. Countries are given a score from 0 to 10 with scores closer to 10 meaning the country is more democratic. In 2023, Norway scored 9.81 points. New Zealand and Iceland followed behind. On the other hand, China was ranked as the least democratic country in the world with an index score of 2.12.Shrinking democratic spaceThe world saw an increase in the number of democracies during the latter half of the previous century, but the trend has turned since the early 2010s. Democratically elected leaders in countries such as India and Hungary use their power to limit the space for political opposition. However, it is not only recently established democracies that experience democratic decline, but also long-standing democracies.Democratic decline in the U.S.The United States, seen by many as the oldest democracy worldwide, has seen decreasing levels of democracy in recent years. Increasing political polarization, limiting of voting rights, and a lack of trust in political institutions have put the American democracy to a test, and in 2016, the country was degraded from a liberal democracy to a flawed democracy on the Democracy Index. The 2024 presidential election will be another major test for the state of democracy in the country.

根据民主指数报告，挪威在2023年被认定为全球最具民主性的国家。各国根据0至10分的评分体系进行评估，分数越接近10分，表示该国的民主程度越高。在2023年，挪威的评分为9.81分。新西兰和冰岛紧随其后。另一方面，中国以2.12的指数评分被列为世界上最缺乏民主的国家。民主空间的缩减：在上一个世纪的下半叶，全球民主国家的数量有所增加，但自2010年代初以来，这一趋势发生了逆转。在印度和匈牙利等国的民主选举领导人利用其权力限制政治反对派的空间。然而，不仅新建立的民主国家经历了民主的衰退，长期存在的民主国家也同样如此。美国民主的衰退：美国被视为全球最古老的民主国家，近年来其民主水平有所下降。政治极化加剧、投票权受限以及对政治机构的信任度下降，都对美国的民主构成了考验。在民主指数中，美国在2016年被从自由民主国家降级为有缺陷的民主国家。2024年的总统选举将对该国民主的现状进行另一次重大考验。