Press freedom has suffered its steepest fall in half a century, a new global survey has revealed, with democracy itself weakening across much of the world. The International IDEA’s latest Global State of Democracy Report shows freedoms eroding in 94 countries, while only a third registered progress. The findings warn of rising autocracy, deep uncertainty, and shrinking media independence worldwide.
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Democracy Faces ‘Perfect Storm’
The Stockholm-based International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) reported that democracy is under severe strain. Kevin Casas-Zamora, the secretary-general, said: “Democracy faces a perfect storm of autocratic resurgence and acute uncertainty, due to massive social and economic changes.” He urged countries to safeguard elections, rule of law, and pursue reforms for fairness and inclusion.
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Survey Reveals Global Decline
The Global State of Democracy Report 2025, covering 174 nations and spanning data since 1975, found that democracy has declined in 94 countries over the past five years. Only a third of states showed improvement. The study highlights press freedom as the most endangered democratic marker, with conditions worsening in nearly a quarter of the world’s countries.
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Press Freedom Under Siege
The report shows the sharpest deterioration in press freedoms since records began. Afghanistan, Burkina Faso and Myanmar suffered the deepest declines due to conflict, instability and poverty. South Korea recorded the fourth-largest fall as former president Yoon Suk Yeol’s administration used lawsuits to suppress critics before his removal earlier this year.
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Regional Media Challenges
The report highlights how challenges vary by country. In New Zealand, media freedom suffers from severe consolidation, with four out of five journalists working for just five employers. In Palestine, nearly 200 journalists have been killed since October 2023, while Israel continues to block international reporters from entering Gaza independently. Between 2024 and 2025, Al Jazeera faced suspensions by both Israel and the Palestinian Authority over national security disputes.
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Isolated Signs of Progress
Despite widespread decline, a few nations saw improvements. Chile showed the largest advance in freedom of expression since 2021, driven by new legislation to protect journalists and their families. Africa registered significant progress, with Botswana and South Africa leading improvements. Jordan’s 2024 parliamentary elections and democratic reforms in Poland also received praise.
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US Retreats From Leadership
Once seen as democracy’s global champion, the United States has reduced its diplomatic and financial commitment to democratic assistance. The report states: “In less than six months, US domestic political institutions have also lost much of their symbolic sheen, increasingly serving as a reference point for executive overreach and offering more encouragement to populist strongman leaders than to pro-democracy hopefuls.” IDEA first listed the US as a “backsliding” democracy in 2021, citing deterioration dating back to 2019.
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Pathways To Renewal
The thinktank suggests reforms to restore global democratic health, including wider voting rights for citizens abroad. “Improving rights of voters living abroad can also reap democratic dividends in both home and host countries,” Casas-Zamora said. Strengthening elections, inclusivity, and fair governance were emphasized as essential steps in reversing democratic decline.