Over the past half century, 2023 has become the worst year in terms of free elections

Over the past half century, 2023 was the worst year in terms of free and fair elections and parliamentary oversight. Democracy in the world continues to decline for the eighth year in a row.

This was reported by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), Politico reports.

Out of 158 countries, 47% of democratic indicators have decreased over the past five years. Elections are a key indicator. Itʼs about government intimidation, foreign interference, disinformation, and the abuse of artificial intelligence in campaigns.

Credibility in elections is under threat due to falling turnout, and the results are increasingly being appealed, with one in three elections being contested around the world. Globally, in nearly 20% of elections from 2020 to 2024, one of the losing candidates or parties rejected the results. The average percentage of the voting-age population that actually voted fell from 65.2% in 2008 to 55.5% in 2023.

Level of democracy in countries

In Africa, the level of democracy has generally remained stable over the past five years, but has declined significantly in the Sahel, where the effects of the coup in Burkina Faso were felt. At the same time, IDEA noted that Burundi and Zambia have made notable improvements.

In a third of the countries of West Asia, the indicators of democracy have worsened. Europe also recorded a general decline in democratic aspects such as the rule of law and civil liberties. However, the level of democracy progressed in Montenegro and Latvia.

Democracy scores are mostly stable in North and South America, but countries such as Guatemala, Peru and Uruguay have seen declines.

Most countries in the Asia-Pacific region have seen slight declines or stability in democracy scores, with notable improvements in Fiji, the Maldives and Thailand.

The organization noted a significant deterioration of democracy in Afghanistan, where the Taliban seized power in 2021.

• During 2023, despite the war, Ukraine improved its democracy scores among 29 countries in Central Europe and Central Asia.