democracy

Governments are slow, corrupt, and self-interested. An AI with perfect information and no incentive to lie sounds tempting. But who programs the AI — and what do they tell it to want?

Norway, Denmark, and Finland have the world's freest press. North Korea and Eritrea are last. The United States ranks 57th — below Samoa and Timor-Leste. Here's the full Reporters Without Borders index, what press freedom actually measures, and why its decline matters for everyone.

Norway scores 9.81 out of 10 on the Economist Intelligence Unit's Democracy Index, making it the world's most democratic nation. North Korea sits at 1.08, the world's most authoritarian state. This ranking covers the top 20 democracies, the bottom authoritarian regimes, and the disturbing global trend of democratic backsliding.

Four major democracy indices, V-Dem, Freedom House, the EIU and International IDEA, have reported global decline for years, though the EIU's 2025 edition found scores stabilising. V-Dem counts 92 autocracies and 87 democracies at the end of 2025. What democracy requires, how the indices measure it, where they disagree, and how democracies erode.

Belgium and Australia hit 90%+ voter turnout through compulsory voting enforced since 1893 and 1924 respectively. Sweden reaches 87% without legal compulsion. The US averages 55% in presidential elections. The gap between the world's most and least participatory democracies is shaped almost entirely by systems, not voter enthusiasm.