2020 Democracy Index

Why in news?

• India slipped two places to 53rd position in the 2020 Democracy Index's global ranking,

About Democracy Index

• The EIU Democracy Index provides a snapshot of the state of world democracy for 165 independent states and two territories.
• The Democracy Index is based on 60 indicators in five categories:
  • electoral process and pluralism
  • civil liberties
  • the functioning of government
  • political participation
  • political culture
• Based on their scores on 60 indicators within these categories, each country is then itself classified as one of four types of regime:
  • full democracy
  • flawed democracy
  • hybrid regime
  • authoritarian regime

2020 Democracy Index

• Norway topped The Economist Intelligence Unit's latest Democracy Index report titled "Democracy in sickness and in health?", with Iceland, Sweden, New Zealand and Canada making up the top five.
• Out of 167 countries, the Democracy Index classifies 23 countries as full democracies, 52 as flawed democracies, 35 as hybrid regimes and 57 as authoritarian regimes.
• India has been ranked 53^rd and classified as a 'flawed democracy' along with countries such as the U.S., France, Belgium and Brazil.
• India was ranked 51st in the 2019 Democracy Index.
• Among India's neighbours, while Sri Lanka, at 68th rank, is classified as a flawed democracy, Bangladesh (76), Bhutan (84) and Pakistan (105) are classified in the 'hybrid regime' category.
• India’s score fell from a peak of 7.92 in 2014 to 6.61 in 2020 and its global ranking slipped from 27th (in 2014) to 53rd as a result of democratic backsliding.
• Afghanistan is ranked 139th and classified as an 'authoritarian regime' in the index.

PRELIMS QUESTION

'Democracy Index’ 2020 is published by:
(a)World Economic Forum
(b)Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)
(c)Reporters Without Borders
(d)Advocates for Human Rights

Answer to Prelims Question