Publications
Annual Reports

Democracy in Asia and the Pacific Outlook 2023
On 5–6 December 2022, International IDEA gathered 30 leading experts on democracy, anti-corruption and human rights at the inaugural Democracy in Asia and the Pacific Outlook Forum. Representing 23 institutions and organizations from 12 countries, attendees discussed key trends in democracy in the Asia and the Pacific region over the course of seven topical sessions.
Global State of Democracy 2022: Forging Social Contracts in a Time of Discontent
International IDEA’s Global State of Democracy Report 2022 provides an overview of the global and regional trends related to democracy and human rights, along with examples of efforts to reinvigorate social contracts around the world.
El estado de la democracia en el mundo 2022
A finales de 2022 el mundo se encuentra atrapado bajo el peso de una multitude de viejos y nuevos problemas. Las causas de la inestabilidad política y económica son innumerables, entre ellas el alza de los precios de los alimentos y la energía, el incremento de la inflación y una inminente recesión. Estos fenómenos se producen en un contexto inestable caracterizado por el persistente cambio climático, desigualdades a largo plazo sin resolver, la pandemia de la COVID-19, el descenso del nivel de vida y la guerra de agresión rusa en Ucrania.
Global State of Democracy 2021: Building Resilience in a Pandemic Era
Democracy is at risk. Its survival is endangered by a perfect storm of threats, both from within and from a rising tide of authoritarianism. The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated these threats through the imposition of states of emergency, the spread of disinformation, and crackdowns on independent media and freedom of expression. The Global State of Democracy 2021 shows that more countries than ever are suffering from ‘democratic erosion’ (decline in democratic quality), including in established democracies.
El Estado de la Democracia en las Américas 2021: Democracia en tiempos de crisis
Pese a la pandemia, el número de democracias en las Américas se mantiene igual que hace dos años. Además, la mayoría de las democracias de la región demostraron una gran resiliencia frente al efecto disruptivo de la pandemia, y los Parlamentos, los Poderes Judiciales y los medios de comunicación de la mayoría de las democracias lograron adaptarse y seguir ejerciendo sus funciones de control, aun en medio de numerosas restricciones que dificultaron su labor.
The State of Democracy in the Americas 2021: Democracy in Times of Crisis
The number of democracies in the Americas remains the same as two years ago despite the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, most of the democracies in the region demonstrated great resilience in the face of the pandemic. Parliaments, the judiciary and the media of most democracies in the region managed to adapt and continue to exercise their control functions, even in the midst of numerous restrictions that hampered their work.
The State of Democracy in Europe 2021: Overcoming the Impact of the Pandemic
For more than a decade, a majority of Europe’s established democracies have seen the quality of their democracies stagnate—or even decline—rather than improve. Some show the clear erosion of democratic processes and fundamental rights; several have deteriorated to the point where they can hardly be qualified as democracies any longer. The arrival of the Covid-19 global health crisis has added to the strain. With sufficient democratic safeguards still in place, it is likely that the continent’s consolidated democracies will emerge largely intact from the pandemic.
The State of Democracy in Africa and the Middle East 2021: Resilient Democratic Aspirations and Opportunities for Consolidation
Recent declines in democracy have undermined some of the remarkable progress made in Africa over the past three decades, although bright spots remain. The Covid-19 pandemic, though seemingly less damaging to public health than elsewhere in the world, has added pressure on governance, rights, and social inequality. The report also covers the Middle East and North Africa which is one of the least democratic regions in the world.
The State of Democracy in Asia and the Pacific 2021: Old Resilience, New Challenges
The Covid-19 pandemic initially broke out in the Asia and the Pacific region in late 2019, with the first cases in Wuhan, China. The pandemic has served as a magnifier of pre-existing democratic strengths and weaknesses within governing systems around Asia and the Pacific. In the majority of cases, the region’s hybrid and authoritarian regimes tightened their grip on society in response to the pandemic. Quality of democracy continued to decline in number of region’s democracies.
Global State of Democracy 2019: Addressing the Ills, Reviving the Promise
Democracy is under threat and its promise needs revival. The value, viability and future of democracy are more contested now than ever before in modern history. While the past four decades have seen a remarkable expansion of democracy throughout all regions of the world, recent years have been marked by declines in the fabric of both older and younger democracies. The idea of democracy continues to mobilize people around the world, but the practice of existing democracies has disappointed and disillusioned many citizens and democracy advocates.
Global State of Democracy 2017: Exploring Democracy's Resilience
Is democracy really in trouble, or do recent events simply signal a temporary downward fluctuation? Are sceptics overreacting to sensational daily headlines, and losing sight of democracy’s numerous advances over the last few decades? Under what conditions is democracy resilient when challenged? To answer these questions, the first edition of International IDEA’s biennial publication, The Global State of Democracy, explores the challenges and risks to democracy as well as the enabling conditions for its resilience—its ability to adapt and recover from complex challenges and crises.
In Focus Reports

Supporting Ukraine’s Democracy After the War: Key Issues, Comparative Experience and Best Practices: GSoD In Focus No. 14
The international community broadly accepts the necessity of providing significant financial and technical assistance for reconstruction in Ukraine, but equally vital is the provision of concomitant support for Ukraine’s work to preserve and reconstruct its democracy and democratic institutions on its own terms.
Democracy Notes & Commentary
Map: Analysing progress and setbacks for gender equality in Europe
The Transformational Potential of Putting Gender Equality at the Centre of Democracy
Explicamos: El impacto del ‘Plan B’ en las elecciones mexicanas
Q&A: Olufunto Akinduro on Nigeria's 2023 Elections—and Democracy as the Future
Explainer: Inside Eswatini’s Struggle for Democracy
Sri Lanka's Long Road to Democratic Reform: A Conversation with Bhavani Fonseka
Elecciones 2023 en América Latina: ¿promesas de cambio?
Navigating the Waves of Democracy in Thailand's 2023 Election
Pakistan’s crisis shows that all politics are climate politics
The risk of “creating a monster”: An interview with Yaniv Roznai on judicial reform in Israel
Where do Western Balkan countries really stand on democratic performance?
Defining moments for democracy in Europe in 2022
The new model of coups d'état in Africa: Younger, less violent, more popular
New Report: Democracy in Asia and the Pacific Outlook 2023
Protecting Hungary from Itself: The Limitations of Forcing Compliance
Prove Putin wrong, listen to Tchaikovsky
The Global State of Democracy 2022: Forging Social Contracts in a time of Discontent
Why paying women for being women is good for everyone
Explainer: What is ‘sportswashing’, and how does it threaten democracy?
Explainer: Social Contracts
After a Mediocre Deal, COP27 Needs a Dose of Democracy
Women leading the struggle for democracy and a new social contract in Iran
Explainer: Populism - Left and Right, Progressive and Regressive
How young voters are revamping democracy in Malaysia
The EU is not a magic wand for democracy: Evidence from the Global State of Democracy Indices
Supporting Ukraine's social contract after the war
Explainer: What constitutes a clean or credible election, and how should the US mid-terms be evaluated?
How hurricanes threaten U.S. elections and why more flexible voting is needed
The liberation of art as a democratic act
New GSoD in Focus: Supporting Ukraine's Democracy after the War
Xi’s China
Supporting Myanmar’s Democratic Resistance Forces: Can the International Community Step Up?
Explainer: When do you call a seizure of power a coup, and why does it matter?
Elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Bulgaria Led to More Stalemate, not More Democracy
Brazil’s 2022 election: the missed story in the Congress
Map: Analysing progress and setbacks for gender equality in Europe
The Transformational Potential of Putting Gender Equality at the Centre of Democracy
Explicamos: El impacto del ‘Plan B’ en las elecciones mexicanas
Q&A: Olufunto Akinduro on Nigeria's 2023 Elections—and Democracy as the Future
Explainer: Inside Eswatini’s Struggle for Democracy
Sri Lanka's Long Road to Democratic Reform: A Conversation with Bhavani Fonseka
Elecciones 2023 en América Latina: ¿promesas de cambio?
Navigating the Waves of Democracy in Thailand's 2023 Election
Pakistan’s crisis shows that all politics are climate politics
The risk of “creating a monster”: An interview with Yaniv Roznai on judicial reform in Israel
Where do Western Balkan countries really stand on democratic performance?
Defining moments for democracy in Europe in 2022
The new model of coups d'état in Africa: Younger, less violent, more popular
New Report: Democracy in Asia and the Pacific Outlook 2023
Protecting Hungary from Itself: The Limitations of Forcing Compliance
Prove Putin wrong, listen to Tchaikovsky
The Global State of Democracy 2022: Forging Social Contracts in a time of Discontent
Why paying women for being women is good for everyone
Explainer: What is ‘sportswashing’, and how does it threaten democracy?
Explainer: Social Contracts
After a Mediocre Deal, COP27 Needs a Dose of Democracy
Women leading the struggle for democracy and a new social contract in Iran
Explainer: Populism - Left and Right, Progressive and Regressive
How young voters are revamping democracy in Malaysia
The EU is not a magic wand for democracy: Evidence from the Global State of Democracy Indices
Supporting Ukraine's social contract after the war
Explainer: What constitutes a clean or credible election, and how should the US mid-terms be evaluated?
How hurricanes threaten U.S. elections and why more flexible voting is needed
The liberation of art as a democratic act
New GSoD in Focus: Supporting Ukraine's Democracy after the War
Xi’s China
Supporting Myanmar’s Democratic Resistance Forces: Can the International Community Step Up?
Explainer: When do you call a seizure of power a coup, and why does it matter?
Elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Bulgaria Led to More Stalemate, not More Democracy
Brazil’s 2022 election: the missed story in the Congress