The Economist (Intelligence Unit) 2022. Democracy Index 2021: The China challenge

The Economist Intelligence Unit Ltd., 2022. — 85 p.The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) is an independent business within the Economist Group. Through research and analysis, EIU offers forecasting and advisory services to its clients. It provides country, industry and management analysis worldwide and incorporates the former Business International Corporation, a U.K. company acquired by the parent organizationn 1986. It is particularly well known for its monthly country reports, five-year country economic forecasts, country risk service reports, and industry reports. The company also specialises in tailored research for companies that require analysis for particular markets or business sectors. 2016 marked the 70th anniversary of the Economist Intelligence Unit's inception.The Democracy Index, which began in 2006, provides a snapshot of the state of democracy worldwide in 165 independent states and two territories. This covers almost the entire population of the world and the vast majority of the world’s states (microstates are excluded). The Democracy Index is based on five categories: electoral process and pluralism, functioning of government, political participation, political culture, and civil liberties. Based on its scores on a range of indicators within these categories, each country is then classified as one of four types of regime: “full democracy”, “flawed democracy”, “hybrid regime” or “authoritarian regime”. A full methodology and explanations can be found in the Appendix.
This edition of the Democracy Index records how global democracy fared in 2021. The results reflect the continuing negative impact of the covid-19 pandemic on democracy and freedom around the world for a second successive year. The pandemic has resulted in an unprecedented withdrawal of civil liberties among developed democracies and authoritarian regimes alike, through the imposition of lockdowns and restrictions on travelling and, increasingly, the introduction of “green passes” requiring proof of vaccination against covid-19 for participation in public life. It has led to the normalisation of emergency powers, which have tended to stay on the statute books, and accustomed citizens to a huge extension of state power over large areas of public and personal life.