"You best start believing in ghost stories... youre in one"
Executive Summary (not ai, its from the pdf above from Sweden)
1. Democracy in the World, 2025
Democracy for the average global citizen has declined to 1978 levels. The gains of the “third wave of democratization,” which began in Portugal in 1974, have been almost entirely erased.
The level of democracy for the average citizen in Western Europe and North America is now at its lowest point in more than 50 years, primarily due to ongoing autocratization in the United States.
The United States has lost its long-standing status as a liberal democracy for the first time in over five decades.
Autocracies and Democracies
By the end of 2025, the world had 92 autocracies and 87 democracies.
Approximately 74% of the world’s population, or 6 billion people, now live in autocracies. Only 7%, or 0.6 billion people, live in liberal democracies.
The “Great Reversal”: 2000 vs. 2025
Nearly all aspects of democracy have declined significantly over the past decade, marking a dramatic reversal from conditions 25 years ago.
Freedom of expression has been the hardest hit, with declines recorded in 44 countries in 2025.
Torture is increasingly being used to suppress political opposition, with 33 countries experiencing substantial deterioration in 2025.
2. Trends in Regime Transformation
The world has never seen as many countries autocratizing at the same time as it has during the recent years of the “third wave of autocratization.”
A record 41% of the world’s population, or 3.4 billion people, currently live in autocratizing countries.
The European Union has been significantly affected. Autocratization now affects seven EU member states as well as two of the EU’s key allies: the United Kingdom and the United States.
3. Autocratizing Countries
Nearly a quarter of the world’s countries are now classified as autocratizers, totaling 44 countries.
These 44 autocratizers include 24 stand-alone autocratizers and 20 bell-turns.
In 2025, 10 new autocratizers were identified. Among them are five European countries: Croatia, Italy, Slovakia, Slovenia, and the United Kingdom.
Media censorship remains the most common tactic among autocratizing governments, used in 32 countries, or 73% of autocratizers.
Repression of civil society has also surged, affecting 30 autocratizing countries, or 68% of the total.
"You best start believing in ghost stories... youre in one"
Executive Summary (not ai, its from the pdf above from Sweden)
1. Democracy in the World, 2025
Democracy for the average global citizen has declined to 1978 levels. The gains of the “third wave of democratization,” which began in Portugal in 1974, have been almost entirely erased.
The level of democracy for the average citizen in Western Europe and North America is now at its lowest point in more than 50 years, primarily due to ongoing autocratization in the United States.
The United States has lost its long-standing status as a liberal democracy for the first time in over five decades.
Autocracies and Democracies
By the end of 2025, the world had 92 autocracies and 87 democracies.
Approximately 74% of the world’s population, or 6 billion people, now live in autocracies. Only 7%, or 0.6 billion people, live in liberal democracies.
The “Great Reversal”: 2000 vs. 2025
Nearly all aspects of democracy have declined significantly over the past decade, marking a dramatic reversal from conditions 25 years ago.
Freedom of expression has been the hardest hit, with declines recorded in 44 countries in 2025.
Torture is increasingly being used to suppress political opposition, with 33 countries experiencing substantial deterioration in 2025.
2. Trends in Regime Transformation
The world has never seen as many countries autocratizing at the same time as it has during the recent years of the “third wave of autocratization.”
A record 41% of the world’s population, or 3.4 billion people, currently live in autocratizing countries.
The European Union has been significantly affected. Autocratization now affects seven EU member states as well as two of the EU’s key allies: the United Kingdom and the United States.
3. Autocratizing Countries
Nearly a quarter of the world’s countries are now classified as autocratizers, totaling 44 countries.
These 44 autocratizers include 24 stand-alone autocratizers and 20 bell-turns.
In 2025, 10 new autocratizers were identified. Among them are five European countries: Croatia, Italy, Slovakia, Slovenia, and the United Kingdom.
Media censorship remains the most common tactic among autocratizing governments, used in 32 countries, or 73% of autocratizers.
Repression of civil society has also surged, affecting 30 autocratizing countries, or 68% of the total.