In the face of increasing political and societal fragmentation, the Global State of Democracy 2026 explains the patterns that define the direction of democratization around the world. Drawing on the latest data from the Global State of Democracy Indices, the report documents both democratic stagnation and key declines in indicators that measure the credibility of elections, the effectiveness of legislatures, respect for freedoms of expression and the press, and access to justice. These phenomena affect countries across the spectrum of democratic performance.

The report also explores the broader implications of global democratic decline, especially as they relate to violent conflict. After decades of relative peace, the world is again in an era in which the relationship between democracy and conflict is in the spotlight. With violent conflict more prevalent than at any other time in the past 80 years, trends show that there are contexts of nondemocracy and democratic decline that are associated with more violent conflict. In particular, countries that have some democratic procedures but lack real political competition or enforceable rights have been involved in both interstate and intrastate conflicts more often than either fully autocratic countries or well-functioning democracies. Now, amid a continuing democratic recession, the erosion in the quality of democratic governance in many countries is once again raising concerns about the likelihood of conflict and the need to reverse the prevailing negative trends.

The report will be useful for scholars, practitioners and anyone interested in understanding what the latest data may teach us about how to address the most urgent challenges to the future of democracy around the world.