Annual Review 2024

Message from the Secretary-General

In 2024 the global democratic decline continued. Long-standing challenges to democracy and democratic institutions persisted in all parts of the world and at every level of democratic performance. Many countries that were already struggling saw further deterioration, while some of the world’s most robust democracies faced mounting threats.

Despite these ongoing challenges, 2024 also saw significant changes. It was the greatest year of elections in history, with over 70 countries heading to the polls. In many of these electoral contests—from Botswana and Senegal to the United Kingdom and the United States—power changed hands through the ballot box. 

Globally, these elections took place in a context of growing uncertainty. Rapid technological change raised questions about how democratic institutions can use artificial intelligence to improve their work—and how to prevent those same technologies from undermining democracy. At the same time, another force was also reshaping the democratic landscape—climate change. No longer just a long-term risk for democracies, it is a threat to fair elections here and now.

Across this landscape of continuity and change, the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) helped its Member States and partners both to understand these complex challenges and to address them. Working

on the front lines of democracy, our experts in election management, constitutional design, and political participation and representation supported national authorities and grassroots activists alike.

This report provides a series of snapshots of how this work made a difference last year, across domains of policy research, capacity building, convening and advocacy. In 2024 we concentrated our attention on the urgent need to protect elections—by producing knowledge on trends in participation and representation, by enhancing interagency coordination to address disinformation and other threats, by gathering our Member States for candid exchanges about electoral integrity and by focusing our first global institutional advocacy campaign on this topic.

Meanwhile, our innovative programmes also reinforced democratic resilience in the face of digitalization and climate change; helped raise ethical standards in the European Parliament elections and in the Gambian Parliament; and mediated dialogues between governments, political parties, civil society and citizens, from Bhutan to Peru, and through our coordination of the Global Democracy Coalition.

With a quarter of humanity included in our intergovernmental membership and operational activities around the globe, we have a strong claim to being the most representative voice, forum and actor for democracy in the world. As democracy comes under growing pressure—and becomes ever more needed—this report showcases how our work remains so effective and so vital.