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A democratic country is a country that gives its people the freedom to choose the law they want to live in. Here, the government is decided as per the citizens’ choice and not on a monarchial basis. To measure the condition of a country’s democracy in 165 countries and two union territories, the country uses the democracy index. The democracy index is an annual report collected by the economist intelligence unit. It helps to measure the condition of a country’s democracy in 167 global countries by keeping in mind five different indicators. The countries are given ratings from 0 to 10 scale as per the combination of these indicators, and five categories of scores are shown to determine the overall index score. Norway has the highest democracy index score near 10, with 9.75 scores.
Countries With the Highest and the Least Democracy Index Score
Let’s read about countries that have the highest and the least democracy index score. The top three nations as of 2021 in the democracy index were Norway, New Zealand and Finland. The least democratic countries, as per the democracy index scores, were Afghanistan, Myanmar, and North Korea.
1. Norway
Norway is a European and the most democratic country globally, as per the democracy index. The countries whose democracy index score is near 10 are the most democratic. In 2021, Norway scored 9.75 points, making it the most democratic country globally. On the other hand, Afghanistan became the least democratic country in the world, with a democracy index score of 0.32.
2. New Zealand
New Zealand is mainly known as an island country in the Pacific Ocean. Often people think of New Zealand as a part of Australia, but it is not. New Zealand is separated from Australia by the Tasman Sea. It is also a democratic country with a Parliament of members elected by its citizens. As per the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index, the country whose democracy index is near ten scores is considered a fully democratic country. In 2021 New Zealand was also identified as a “full democracy” with the 9.37 scores.
3. Finland
As per the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index, Finland was considered a full democracy with 9.27. Finland was given full marks in electoral processes and pluralism and scored second-highest in civil liberties. In Finland, the political culture categories were not scored with full marks but were graded below nine.
Top Five Best and the Least Nations in the Index
In 2021, the top five nations in the democratic index were Norway, New Zealand, Finland, Iceland and Sweden, with democracy index scores of more than 9.0. The least five nations in the democratic index were the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, North Korea, Myanmar and Afghanistan. These five nations are considered the least democratic countries as their democracy index score is even less than two scores.
Countries Fallen in the Index
Some of the most improved countries in the index were Zambia, Indonesia, Qatar, Moldova, India, the UAE, and Singapore. On the other hand, Myanmar also joined Afghanistan and North Korea to become the least democratic country globally. While the return of the Taliban was the cause of making Afghanistan the least democratic country following the military coup in Myanmar was the root cause of making it just ahead of Afghanistan and below North Korea.
India’s and Its Neighbours’ Rank
India’s rank on the democracy index 2021 as per the EIUs was 46th, with an overall score of 6.91 in the same index. India’s neighbours and positions were: China’s rank was as low as 148. Similarly, Myanmar and Afghanistan’s rank was also 166 and 167, respectively, and they were placed in the authoritarian category. Pakistan’s rank was 104, falling under the hybrid regime.
Conclusion
A democratic country is a country that gives its people the freedom to choose the law they want to live in. Here, the government is decided as per the citizens’ choice. A country should form a democratic form of government as following a democratic system helps improve the quality of decision-making and helps deal with disputes and differences. This article has covered the democracy index rank of the most democratic countries, Norway, Finland and New Zealand, and the least democratic countries, Afghanistan, Myanmar and North Korea.
