Taipei: Taiwan ranked 12th globally and remained top in Asia in the 2024 democracy index compiled by the London-based Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), according to a report released Thursday. However, Taiwan's total score was 8.78, slightly lower than last year's 8.92 and the 8.99 logged in 2022. Its global ranking also saw a decline from 10th in 2023. According to Focus Taiwan, the democracy index evaluates countries based on five criteria: electoral process and pluralism, functioning of government, political participation, political culture, and civil liberties. Taiwan achieved a full score of 10 in electoral process and pluralism. It received scores of 8.57 in functioning of government, 7.78 in political participation, 8.13 in political culture, and 9.41 in civil liberties. The report categorizes 167 countries and territories into "full democracy," "flawed democracy," "hybrid regime," or "authoritarian regime." Taiwan maintained its status as a full democracy. Norway led the index for the 16th consecut ive year with a score of 9.81, followed by New Zealand and Sweden with scores of 9.61 and 9.39, respectively. In Asia, Japan was the only other country ranked as a full democracy, with a score of 8.48, placing 16th globally. South Korea, previously a full democracy, was ranked as a flawed democracy with a score of 7.75, attributed to "tumultuous political events at the end of 2024," including a brief martial law declaration. China scored 2.11, ranking 145th, and was categorized as an authoritarian regime. The United States remained a flawed democracy with an unchanged score of 7.85, ranking 28th. The report questioned whether "historical checks and balances will remain in force and serve to improve or worsen the U.S.'s ranking in 2025." Globally, democracy has been on the decline, with an average score of 5.17 in 2024, marking a drop from 5.23 in 2023 and the lowest since the index's inception in 2006. The EIU noted that 39.2 percent of the population covered by the index live under authoritarian rule, whi le only 6.6 percent live in full democracies. The report highlighted declines in the functioning of government (down by 0.13) and electoral process and pluralism (down by 0.08). It remarked that although 75 countries held national elections in 2024, not all were deemed free and fair.
Menu