Democracy indicators in the US have fallen to their lowest levels in 50 years, according to a new report from the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA). The Stockholm-based thinktank says the global rule of law has been significantly undermined by the Trump administration’s “threats and actions.”
Since 1975, the institute has issued its Global State of Democracy report each year, tracking the performance of democracy across 174 nations. That report now shows five freedoms — judicial independence, credible elections, freedom of expression, press freedom and access to justice — all sitting at their lowest levels in at least 30 years worldwide.
The Decline in American Democracy
IDEA pointed to a pronounced decline in the United States, describing it as part of a wider global trend. The report states that 2025 marked the 11th year running in which more nations suffered democratic setbacks than recorded improvements – the longest unbroken period of regression since the thinktank began keeping records.
The report’s authors said “In 2025, the global challenges to democracy and the difficulty in stemming its erosion were both exemplified and compounded by political developments in the United States,”.
The quote “President Donald Trump quickly amassed power in the executive branch and wielded it to further a narrow set of personal goals and pursue retaliation against perceived enemies … The results have been far-reaching, undermining the rule of law domestically and internationally and testing longstanding alliances and multilateral cooperation.” is a direct statement about the nature of the project, which has been lifted out for reference. It is not a paraphrase or summary of the work; it is an exact quotation, preserved word for word as it appeared in the original text.
A new report has added the United States to its list of “backsliding” democracies for the first time in 2021, citing what it calls a “visible deterioration” that began in 2019.
A Global Slide
The secretary general of IDEA, Kevin Casas-Zamora, has issued a warning that the danger of conflict grows as democracies fall apart.
“The key message from our research is that investing in democracy should be at the heart of any country’s security strategy,” he said. “The connection between the erosion of the quality of democracy and increasing conflict is not being made either in policymaking or in the public debate.”
A separate program at Uppsala University in Sweden, known as the Conflict Data Program, has shown that 2025 was the year with the greatest number of violent conflicts recorded in its dataset, including the largest number of interstate conflicts, with records stretching back to 1946.
Globally, IDEA found that rule of law was the weakest area of democracy in 2025, with 71 countries – 41% of those assessed – ranked as low-performing. It was also found to be deteriorating quickly, with 29 countries registering downturns.
“Whatever happens in the US goes global. There is now an epidemic of election denialism, of which the patient zero is the current occupant of the White House.”
“I am not willing to say the deterioration of the quality of democracy is inevitable or permanent. It can be reversed,” Casas-Zamor added. “We live in a volatile world and that means things can happen which create very positive political openings.”
Positive Signs Abroad
The document pointed to several encouraging signs. Civil society organizations in Australia were engaged on an anti-racism plan and children’s online privacy, among other matters. And in Syria, the tyrannical rule of Bashar al-Assad came to an end.
Youth-led popular protests forced out long-serving leaders in Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. The report noted, however, that “it has proven difficult to create far-reaching, meaningful reform in a short period of time.”, even as young people took to the streets across those three countries.
For its evaluations, the research institution draws upon a data set spanning 50 years of democratic measures, placing nations into one of three groups: democracies, “hybrid” governments and authoritarian systems.
Civic Space Shrinks
The report still comes across as grim despite clear indications of resistance.
“While people continue to push back against democratic deterioration, civic space is narrowing,” its authors wrote. “Civil society and civic engagement have suffered, due in part to the widespread use of strategic lawsuits against public participation, foreign agent laws, and the criminalisation of peaceful protests.”
It is clear, Casas-Zamor said, that what happens in the US influences other countries.
The Numbers Behind the Report
The report’s findings are based on 50 years of democratic indicators, with assessments assigned across three categories: democracies, “hybrid” governments and authoritarian regimes.
| Indicator | Global Ranking | 2025 Status |
|---|---|---|
| Rule of law | Weakest area | 71 countries (41% assessed) ranked as low-performing |
| Rule of law | Deterioration rate | 29 countries registered downturns |
| Countries declining vs. improving | Consecutive years | 11th consecutive year more declined than improved |
| Violent conflicts | Most in dataset | 2025 had the most violent conflicts, including the most interstate conflicts |
Citizens keep pushing back against decline, even as the space available to them shrinks, according to the report’s authors. This tension defines the entire picture.
Casas-Zamor offers a note of hope, saying the erosion can be reversed. Yet the report’s own findings – 11 years of more declines than improvements – suggest the trend is strong.
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