Countries worldwide by regime type| Statista

Worldwide, there is a higher number of democracies, either liberal or electoral today than 100 years ago. However, looking at the past ten years, the number of democracies has declined whereas the number of autocracies increased, indicating a democratic decline in the world recently.

Number of countries worldwide from 1900 to 2024, by regime type

Characteristic	Liberal democracies	Electoral democracies	Electoral autocracies	Closed autocracies
2024	29	59	60	31
2023	31	59	55	34
2022	34	56	56	33
2021	34	58	57	30
2020	35	58	62	24
2019	38	55	64	22
2018	38	56	64	21
2017	39	57	61	22
2016	38	58	60	23
2015	40	54	62	23
2014	40	52	63	22
2013	40	52	64	23
2012	44	50	65	20
2011	44	49	64	22
2010	44	49	62	22
2009	45	45	65	23
2008	44	46	65	23
2007	43	47	63	25
2006	42	51	62	22
2005	42	52	58	25
2004	41	53	55	27
2003	40	53	55	28
2002	39	49	61	27
2001	39	47	56	35
2000	39	46	57	35
1999	38	47	59	33
1998	36	48	62	30
1997	36	46	62	31
1996	36	44	63	29
1995	33	45	59	36
1994	33	44	58	39
1993	33	42	52	46
1992	31	37	58	48
1991	31	34	54	53
1990	29	33	53	56
1989	27	20	50	61
1988	26	21	46	64
1987	26	18	45	68
1986	26	18	46	66
1985	26	17	43	71
1984	24	18	41	73
1983	24	16	44	72
1982	23	18	40	75
1981	23	17	42	73
1980	23	18	44	72
1979	23	16	43	75
1978	23	15	39	78
1977	23	13	43	76
1976	22	15	42	77
1975	20	16	44	76
1974	20	17	41	79
1973	20	15	40	81
1972	20	15	38	84
1971	20	15	39	81
1970	20	16	39	81
1969	19	16	39	82
1968	18	17	42	78
1967	18	16	43	79
1966	18	15	46	77
1965	17	16	46	77
1964	17	16	47	76
1963	17	15	51	73
1962	17	14	48	77
1961	17	13	47	79
1960	17	13	45	80
1959	17	12	39	88
1958	17	10	41	88
1957	17	12	40	87
1956	17	12	34	93
1955	16	11	31	97
1954	16	11	28	101
1953	16	11	27	102
1952	16	11	26	103
1951	15	10	27	104
1950	15	10	27	103
1949	15	8	26	107
1948	13	8	30	104
1947	13	6	34	98
1946	12	5	28	105
1945	7	5	23	114
1944	7	3	19	119
1943	6	4	19	117
1942	6	5	18	118
1941	6	6	19	117
1940	6	6	20	115
1939	9	8	19	114
1938	9	8	21	114
1937	9	8	20	115
1936	9	8	19	116
1935	9	9	17	117
1934	9	9	22	111
1933	9	11	22	108
1932	9	14	22	105
1931	9	13	20	109
1930	9	13	17	113
1929	10	12	19	111
1928	10	12	21	109
1927	10	12	21	108
1926	10	13	22	106
1925	10	14	21	107
1924	9	15	21	106
1923	9	15	23	105
1922	9	13	24	106
1921	8	12	26	103
1920	7	9	26	107
1919	6	6	24	110
1918	5	4	24	109
1917	3	4	26	104
1916	3	4	24	107
1915	4	3	26	102
1914	4	3	25	102
1913	5	3	25	99
1912	4	4	24	99
1911	4	4	21	103
1910	4	4	19	102
1909	4	4	18	102
1908	4	4	18	102
1907	4	4	17	103
1906	4	4	19	101
1905	4	3	22	99
1904	4	3	22	99
1903	4	2	21	99
1902	4	2	21	96
1901	3	2	22	94
1900	3	2	21	95

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Release date

April 2025

More information

Region

Worldwide

Survey time period

1900 to 2024

Supplementary notes

The V-Dem Institute defines the different regimes as follows:
Closed autocracy: citizens do not have the right to choose either the chief executive of the government or the legislature through multi-party elections.

Electoral autocracy: citizens have the right to choose the chief executive and the legislature through multi-party elections; but they lack some freedoms, such as the freedoms of association or expression that make the elections meaningful, free, and fair.

Electoral democracy: citizens have the right to choose the chief executive and the legislature in meaningful, free and fair, and multi-party elections.

Liberal democracy: electoral democracy and citizens enjoy individual and minority rights, are equal before the law, and the actions of the executive are constrained by the legislative and the courts.

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