In the latest global assessment of democracy’s health, Brazil and the United States are moving in opposite directions. While Brazil is emerging as a leader in democratization, the United States has, for the first time in 50 years, lost its status as a liberal democracy, according to the 2026 Democracy Report from the V-Dem Institute at the University of Gothenburg.
The report highlights an unprecedented speed of democratic backsliding in the U.S., while Brazil is now ranked as more democratic than its North American counterpart. In the 2026 edition, Brazil sits at 28th in the world, while the U.S. has plummeted from 20th to 51st among 179 nations. The U.S. is now classified only as an “electoral democracy,” no longer meeting the criteria for a “liberal democracy.”
“Almost a quarter of the world’s countries are now experiencing democratic regression, or autocratization, in 2025, […] What’s especially concerning is that many of the countries undergoing this shift are large and influential, such as Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Their economic and political weight can reshape international norms, trade, and institutions—already, we are seeing the effects,”
– said Staffan Lindberg, the report’s lead author.
The U.S. has seen a 24% drop in its Liberal Democracy Index score in just one year. The report attributes this rapid decline to a concentration of power in the presidency, erosion of checks and balances, politicization of civil service and oversight bodies, and attacks on the judiciary, press, academia, and civil liberties—trends that intensified during the second term of President Donald Trump.
In contrast, Brazil is a standout success story. “Among countries undergoing democratization, Brazil is by far the most populous, followed by Thailand and Poland,” the report notes. “These nations are reversing the autocratization trends of the past decade and restoring earlier levels of democracy.”
Brazil’s democratic backsliding began with the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff and accelerated under the right-wing populist Jair Bolsonaro’s presidency (2018–2022), marked by attacks on the media, judiciary, and electoral institutions. However, the tide turned with the 2022 election of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who was backed by a broad coalition of nine parties. Bolsonaro is now barred from holding office after being convicted of abuse of power and attempting a coup.
Despite these gains, Brazil remains deeply polarized, and the 2026 elections will be a critical test for the country’s democratic future.
Global Snapshot: Democracy in Decline
- For the average global citizen, democracy has regressed to 1978 levels.
- Western Europe and North America are at their lowest democratic levels in over 50 years, largely due to the U.S.’s decline.
- The world now has 92 autocracies and 87 democracies.
- 74% of the world’s population (6 billion people) live under autocratic regimes.
- Only 7% (600 million) live in liberal democracies.
Top 15 Countries in the Global Democracy Ranking:
- Denmark
- Sweden
- Norway
- Switzerland
- Estonia
- Ireland
- Costa Rica
- Finland
- France
- Belgium
- Czech Republic
- Australia
- Uruguay
- New Zealand
- Germany
The V-Dem Institute’s findings underscore a shifting global landscape, where once-stable democracies are faltering, and others—like Brazil—are showing signs of renewal. The coming years, especially the 2026 elections in both the U.S. and Brazil, will be decisive in shaping the future of democracy worldwide.
Source: V-Dem
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