The year 2024 was supposed to be democracy’s defining moment; a year in which more than half the world’s population cast their votes. Instead, it became a reflection of the forces undermining political freedom. According to the Freedom House’s latest Freedom in the World report, global freedom declined for the 19th consecutive year, with 60 countries registering losses in political rights and civil liberties, while only 34 saw improvements last year. Today, just one-fifth of the world’s population lives in nations classified as Free.
Freedom in the World evaluates political rights and civil liberties for 195 countries and 13 territories around the globe. Surprisingly, in the year marked as a test for democracy, when a staggering 66 national elections took place, reports indicate many were mere performances, choreographed by autocrats determined to retain power, in both authoritarian and democratic states.
The report reveals in authoritarian regimes like Azerbaijan, Russia, Rwanda, and Tunisia, opposition candidates were conveniently disqualified, arrested, or, in some cases, exiled. Even in established democracies like France, Japan, South Africa, and the United States, political violence marred the electoral process. In at least 20 countries, candidates were physically attacked and polling stations became targets of violence in 14.
If elections were once the hallmark of democratic legitimacy, 2024 demonstrated that they could just as easily serve as instruments of coercion.
But the most striking trend of last year was not just the manipulation of elections but also the growing entanglement of armed conflict and political repression. Civil wars and violent insurgencies in Sudan, Myanmar, Ukraine and Gaza devastated civilian populations. Across Latin America and Africa, criminal networks and paramilitary groups extended their grip on power, rendering state institutions irrelevant. The resurgence of state-sponsored militias, particularly in places like Haiti and the Sahel, further blurred the line between government forces and organised crime.
Freedom House estimates that one-fifth of the world’s population now lives without even the most basic protection from the illegitimate use of force. It is unfortunate that “global freedom suffered another blow during a year that was replete with elections in every region,” said Gerardo Berthin, interim co-president of Freedom House. “Widespread violence targeted candidates and voters as billions went to the polls. Yet even in the face of these challenges, citizens continued to stand up and make their voices heard.”
According to the report, in more than 40 percent of the nations and territories that held national elections in 2024, candidates faced assassination attempts or physical attacks, polling stations became targets of violence, and authorities responded to post-election protests with excessive force. And in some authoritarian states, ruling parties carefully orchestrated elections to eliminate genuine opposition, ensuring that incumbents remained unchallenged.
Meanwhile, despite the bleak developments, some countries fought—and won—against the agents of authoritarianism. In Senegal, an attempt to delay the presidential election sparked mass protests that ultimately forced the government to hold the election. The victory of opposition candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye was a rare instance of democratic resilience in a region increasingly dominated by military juntas. In Bangladesh, mass demonstrations against the ruling party’s authoritarian overreach led to the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, paving the way for a transitional government under Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus. In Syria, after 13 years of civil war, the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime brought immediate improvements to civil liberties in formerly regime-held areas.
While a broader global decline overshadowed the Freedom in the World report, global freedom had a few bright spots last year. Bangladesh and Bhutan made the most progress, each gaining five points on the report’s 100-point scale, while Sri Lanka and even Syria, with the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s brutal regime, saw slight improvements with four-point gain.
On the other end, Kuwait and Tunisia took the hardest hits, each dropping seven points. Tunisia, once hailed as the Arab Spring’s biggest success story, continued its slide into authoritarianism under President Kais Saied, while Kuwait’s political repression deepened. El Salvador and Haiti weren’t far behind, each losing six points. El Salvador’s decline reflects President Nayib Bukele’s increasingly unchecked power, while Haiti remains trapped in a cycle of lawlessness and gang violence.
The world’s freest countries, meanwhile, held their ground. Finland remained at the very top with a perfect score of 100, followed closely by Sweden, New Zealand, and Norway at 99. Canada, Denmark, San Marino, the Netherlands, Ireland, and Luxembourg scored a strong 97, standing firm as freedom-friendly strongholds.
But in the places where freedom is in short supply, little changed. Turkmenistan and South Sudan remained the least free countries in the world, scoring just one point, while Sudan followed suit with two points. Eritrea and North Korea flocked together with three points each. Other nations at the bottom: Central African Republic, Tajikistan, Equatorial Guinea, Syria, scores five. While Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Belarus, and Myanmar bagged seven points each. These countries, the report reveals, remained trapped under autocratic rule or violent conflict, or, in some cases, both.
On a positive level, some countries managed to shift their status. Bhutan and Senegal made the rare leap from Partly Free to Free, while Jordan edged up from Not Free to Partly Free. Meanwhile, Kuwait, Niger, Tanzania, and Thailand slipped from Partly Free to Not Free, joining the ranks of countries where political rights and civil liberties are increasingly under threat. These setbacks, among others, affected nations representing over 40 percent of the global population.
“Violence and the repression of political opponents during elections, ongoing armed conflicts, and the spread of authoritarian practices contributed to the 19th year of declining freedom,” the report reads. “In the year to come, all those who understand the value of political rights and civil liberties must work together in the defense of democracy.”
