Interested in joining us as a guest blogger for Democracy Notes?
Send your proposal
Menu Menu Close
Africa
View Regional Page
Americas
View Regional Page
Asia and the Pacific
View Regional Page
Europe
View Regional Page
Western Asia
View Regional Page

Democracy Tracker

The Democracy Tracker provides event-centric, monthly information on democracy and human rights developments in 173 countries. Event reports describe a change to the status-quo of the state of democracy at the country level. They include a description of the event, indications of the specific aspects of democracy that have been impacted, the magnitude of the impact, links to original sources and keywords to enable further research. Click on the country hexagons below to read the most recent developments, or hover over to the country profiles menu at the top to access the full data and analysis of a specific country.

1

Get customized monthly alerts straight to your inbox!

Sign up to tell us which countries, regions, or topics you want to hear
about every month!

Sign up

Positive and Negative Events in August 2024

+1
Bolivia Arrow Bolivia
+1
Indonesia Arrow Indonesia
+1
Ireland Arrow Ireland
+1
Lao People's Democratic Republic Arrow Lao People's Democratic Republic
+1
Nepal Arrow Nepal
+1
Poland Arrow Poland
+1
Republic of Korea Arrow Republic of Korea
+1
Sri Lanka Arrow Sri Lanka
+1
Uganda Arrow Uganda
-1
Afghanistan Arrow Afghanistan
-1
Angola Arrow Angola
-1
Azerbaijan Arrow Azerbaijan
-1
Bangladesh Arrow Bangladesh
-1
Bulgaria Arrow Bulgaria
-1
Burkina Faso Arrow Burkina Faso
-1
Comoros Arrow Comoros
-1
Côte d'Ivoire Arrow Côte d'Ivoire
-1
Ecuador Arrow Ecuador
-1
Myanmar Arrow Myanmar
-1
Nicaragua Arrow Nicaragua
-1
Nigeria Arrow Nigeria
-1
Pakistan Arrow Pakistan
-1
Palestine Arrow Palestine
-1
Russian Federation Arrow Russian Federation
-1
Rwanda Arrow Rwanda
-1
South Sudan Arrow South Sudan
-1
Sudan Arrow Sudan
-1
Tanzania Arrow Tanzania
-1
Türkiye Arrow Türkiye
-1
Ukraine Arrow Ukraine
-1
Venezuela Arrow Venezuela
-2
Thailand Arrow Thailand

*Assessments are relative to each country and do not represent comparisons or rankings between countries.

Flag
May 2022

Malaysia

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Proin consequat augue non efficitur fermentum. Proin eu...

Representation
Rights
Rule of Law
Participation

Critical Events in August 2024

Asia and the Pacific • Thailand

On 7 August, Thailand’s Constitutional Court dissolved the 2023 election-winning opposition Move Forward Party (MFP), on the grounds that its campaign to reform the royal defamation law amounts to an attempt to “overthrow the monarchy.” The Court simultaneously banned eleven party leaders from politics for ten years. The United Nations, European Union and rights activists have widely criticized the dissolution. On 9 August, 143 remaining MFP lawmakers regrouped as the People’s Party– appointing Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut as the party’s leader. On 14 August, the same Court ordered Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin to step down in a separate ethics violation case, prompting the ruling Pheu Thai Party to nominate Paetongtarn Shinawatra as the new prime minister. Legal experts have condemned both rulings as disproportionate and politically motivated, criticizing the Court for overstepping its powers and weakening the country’s system of checks and balances. 
Constitutional Court
Srettha Thavisin
SDG16

Europe • Bulgaria

On 7 August, Parliament approved an amendment to the Law on Pre-School and School Education, banning the "promotion or encouragement, directly or indirectly, of ideas related to nontraditional sexual orientation or gender identity different from biological sex." The amendment, which is expected to impact the educational process and classroom discussions, was proposed by the Revival party and was supported by the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and the centre-right Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) party. The amendment lacks clear penalties and definitions of which “ideas and views” are unlawful. Rights groups condemned the law, comparing it to Russia's LGBTQIA+ propaganda law and calling it an attack on equality and children's rights. Despite a petition from over 6,000 people and 70 organizations urging a veto, President Rumen Radev signed the amendment into law on 15 August. Protests followed in Sofia, with around 2,000 opposing the law, including MPs, and about 500 in support, demanding stricter measures.
Protests
LGBTQIA+ Rights
Civil Society
Rumen Radev
Children's rights
SDG16
SDG5
SDG10

Americas • Brazil

Social media platform X has been blocked in Brazil, following tension with the country’s Federal Supreme Court (Supremo Tribunal Federal, STF). The legal controversy began when Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered X to block certain users linked to the spread of misinformation related to the January 2023 riot, in which supporters of former President Bolsonaro stormed the presidential palace, Congress, and STF. Elon Musk, the company’s owner, refused, arguing that the orders constituted censorship. After the company decided to close its local office, Moraes ordered X to appoint a new legal representative in Brazil, as mandated by the “Internet Bill of Rights” law, an order the company did not comply with. Consequently, an STF five-judge panel upheld the platform’s ban, citing non-compliance with local regulations. Additionally, it established large fines for citizens who attempt to bypass the restriction using VPNs. Some experts argue that the STF's actions were justified and set a positive precedent for holding tech companies accountable to the laws of the countries in which they operate. Musk and other critics have accused the judiciary of suppressing free speech. The far-right opposition is preparing to request Moraes's impeachment in the Senate.  
Social Media
Internet Freedom
Supreme Court
Digital democracy
Disinformation
Jair Bolsonaro
SDG16
Elon Musk
Alexandre de Moraes
X

Africa • Tanzania

Tanzanian security forces arrested hundreds of supports of opposition movements and parties, including Party for Democracy and Progress (Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo, Chadema) Chairman Freeman Mbowe, former presidential candidate Tundu Lissu, as well as several journalists for violating a ban on holding a Youth Day rally. The arrests – which began on 11 August ahead of Chadema’s planned International Youth Day celebration in the city of Mbeya – signaled growing repression ahead of the local government elections in December 2024 and the 2025 presidential election. Authorities justified the banning of the event and the subsequent crackdown by claiming that Chadema was planning violent protests, ostensibly drawing parallels to unrest in neighboring Kenya. Human rights groups condemned the mass arrests and arbitrary detentions, with concerns mounting over President Samia Suluhu’s use of state power to suppress political opposition. Mbowe and Lissu were both released on 13 August after posting bail.
Political Party
Protests
Youth
Arbitrary Detention
Police
Media
Samia Suluhu Hassan
Violence against journalists
SDG16

About the Global State of Democracy Initiative

International IDEA launched the Global State of Democracy (GSoD) Initiative in 2016. This Initiative provides evidence-based and balanced analysis and data on the state and quality of democracy globally and for 173 countries across all regions of the world. It aims to contribute to the public debate on democracy and inform policy interventions to strengthen democracy.

Monthly Event Reports

See all the information related to countries that have updates this month.

Africa

-1
Arrow SDN
-1
Arrow RWA
-1
Arrow SSD
-1
Arrow TZA
+1
Arrow UGA
-1
Arrow NGA
0
Arrow TUN
-1
Arrow COM
-1
Arrow BFA
-1
Arrow CIV
-1
Arrow AGO
without report
Arrow ZAF
without report
Arrow MDG
without report
Arrow ZWE
without report
Arrow DZA
without report
Arrow BEN
without report
Arrow BWA
without report
Arrow BDI
without report
Arrow CMR
without report
Arrow CAF
without report
Arrow TCD
without report
Arrow CPV
without report
Arrow COD
without report
Arrow DJI
without report
Arrow EGY
without report
Arrow GNQ
without report
Arrow ERI
without report
Arrow ETH
without report
Arrow GAB
without report
Arrow GMB
without report
Arrow SWZ
without report
Arrow GHA
without report
Arrow GIN
without report
Arrow GNB
without report
Arrow KEN
without report
Arrow LSO
without report
Arrow LBR
without report
Arrow LBY
without report
Arrow MWI
without report
Arrow MLI
without report
Arrow MRT
without report
Arrow MUS
without report
Arrow MAR
without report
Arrow MOZ
without report
Arrow NAM
without report
Arrow NER
without report
Arrow COG
without report
Arrow SEN
without report
Arrow SLE
without report
Arrow SOM
without report
Arrow TGO
without report
Arrow ZMB
View all

Americas

0
Arrow DOM
0
Arrow BRA
0
Arrow CHL
0
Arrow TTO
0
Arrow GTM
-1
Arrow NIC
-1
Arrow ECU
-1
Arrow VEN
+1
Arrow BOL
without report
Arrow MEX
without report
Arrow CAN
without report
Arrow HTI
without report
Arrow ARG
without report
Arrow BRB
without report
Arrow COL
without report
Arrow CRI
without report
Arrow CUB
without report
Arrow SLV
without report
Arrow GUY
without report
Arrow HND
without report
Arrow JAM
without report
Arrow PAN
without report
Arrow PRY
without report
Arrow PER
without report
Arrow SUR
without report
Arrow USA
without report
Arrow URY
View all

Asia and the Pacific

-1
Arrow AFG
+1
Arrow KOR
-1
Arrow MMR
-1
Arrow BGD
-2
Arrow THA
+1
Arrow LAO
0
Arrow MYS
+1
Arrow LKA
+1
Arrow IDN
+1
Arrow NPL
-1
Arrow PAK
without report
Arrow TWN
without report
Arrow TLS
without report
Arrow JPN
without report
Arrow AUS
without report
Arrow BTN
without report
Arrow KHM
without report
Arrow CHN
without report
Arrow PRK
without report
Arrow FJI
without report
Arrow IND
without report
Arrow KAZ
without report
Arrow KGZ
without report
Arrow MDV
without report
Arrow MNG
without report
Arrow NZL
without report
Arrow PNG
without report
Arrow PHL
without report
Arrow SGP
without report
Arrow SLB
without report
Arrow TJK
without report
Arrow TKM
without report
Arrow UZB
without report
Arrow VUT
without report
Arrow VNM
View all

Europe

-1
Arrow BGR
0
Arrow SVK
0
Arrow SRB
-1
Arrow UKR
-1
Arrow AZE
-1
Arrow RUS
0
Arrow GEO
+1
Arrow IRL
-1
Arrow TUR
+1
Arrow POL
without report
Arrow ESP
without report
Arrow HUN
without report
Arrow GBR
without report
Arrow KSV
without report
Arrow ARM
without report
Arrow CHE
without report
Arrow ALB
without report
Arrow AUT
without report
Arrow BLR
without report
Arrow BEL
without report
Arrow BIH
without report
Arrow HRV
without report
Arrow CYP
without report
Arrow CZE
without report
Arrow DNK
without report
Arrow EST
without report
Arrow FIN
without report
Arrow FRA
without report
Arrow DEU
without report
Arrow GRC
without report
Arrow ISL
without report
Arrow ITA
without report
Arrow LVA
without report
Arrow LTU
without report
Arrow LUX
without report
Arrow MLT
without report
Arrow MDA
without report
Arrow MNE
without report
Arrow NLD
without report
Arrow MKD
without report
Arrow NOR
without report
Arrow PRT
without report
Arrow ROU
without report
Arrow SVN
without report
Arrow SWE
View all

Western Asia

-1
Arrow PSE
0
Arrow IRQ
without report
Arrow BHR
without report
Arrow IRN
without report
Arrow ISR
without report
Arrow JOR
without report
Arrow KWT
without report
Arrow LBN
without report
Arrow OMN
without report
Arrow QAT
without report
Arrow SAU
without report
Arrow SYR
without report
Arrow ARE
without report
Arrow YEM
View all
Flag
May 2022

Malaysia

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Proin consequat augue non efficitur fermentum. Proin eu...

Representation
Rights
Rule of Law
Participation

Stay updated on the Global State of Democracy

Get the latest Democracy Tracker developments delivered straight to your inbox by signing up for the Democracy Tracker monthly newsletter

Contact Us

Contact us to request tailored presentations and trainings, or to send your questions and feedback.

Funders and Donors

The European Union Federal Ministry for Economic Coorperation and Development Robert Bosch Stiftung
The Global State of Democracy Initiative is also supported by contributions of International IDEA Member States