Global Democracy Index 2025: Mexico’s Precarious Standing Amidst Declining Democracy Worldwide

Web Editor

September 15, 2025

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Introduction

In astonishment, I read the Global State of Democracy report for 2025 (). My primary concern is that Mexico does not stray too far from the standards of democratic erosion occurring globally.

Key Findings from the Report

The report highlights that “the rule of law and judicial independence showed the most overall weak performance, with a surprising drop particularly in Europe, where performance had historically been robust.”

Moreover, “over 300 million people now live outside their countries of birth, a figure that has tripled since the 1970s and modestly surpasses overall population growth. The political inclusion or exclusion of these individuals in their countries of residence raises significant philosophical and practical questions about national belonging and civil rights in a democracy.”

The study asserts, “Events in the United States are not happening in a vacuum, as patterns show that democracy worldwide continues to weaken. In 2024, 94 countries (54% of all evaluated countries) experienced a decline in at least one democratic performance factor compared to their own performance five years prior. In contrast, only 55 countries (32%) made progress in at least one factor during that period.”

Performance Across Four Key Categories

The Global State of Democracy Index is organized around four main performance categories: representation, rights, rule of law, and participation. Each category comprises several factors such as credible elections or an independent judiciary.

Among the four categories, representation showed the strongest overall performance in 2024, with 47 countries (27%) achieving high scores. However, the global representation score fell to its lowest level since 2001 in 2024, with seven times more countries declining than advancing in representation quality. These declines occurred worldwide, affecting both low- and high-performing democracies.

The report states, “Rule of law remains the category with the weakest performance. In 2024, 71 countries (41%) were classified as low performers. The largest number of declines also occurred in the rule of law category; 32 countries (19% of those assessed, mostly low- or mid-ranking) registered declines in this category in 2024. European countries accounted for 38% of these declines, followed by African, American, Asian (including Southeast Asia), and Western Asian nations. The most concentrated deterioration within the rule of law category is found in judicial independence.”

Within the rights category, the most extensive global decline occurred in freedom of the press, followed by freedom of expression, economic equality, and access to justice. Freedom of the press declined in nearly a quarter (24.9%) of the covered countries, marking the most significant decrease since the dataset’s inception (1975), signaling a severe threat to public accountability and informed political participation.”

Next Steps and Conclusion

The report hints at reasons for this general decline worldwide but reserves further discussion for a subsequent release. Here, we’ve explored Mexico’s precarious standing amidst a global democratic downturn, emphasizing the concerning trends in representation, rule of law, and human rights.

Key Questions and Answers

  • What is the Global State of Democracy report? It’s an annual assessment by IDEA International, evaluating democratic trends and performance across various countries.
  • Why is Mexico a concern in this report? Mexico’s democratic performance does not significantly diverge from the concerning global trends, with areas such as rule of law and judicial independence showing weakness.
  • Which categories saw the most decline in 2024? The rule of law category experienced the most significant decline, with 71 countries classified as low performers. Representation also saw a notable drop to its lowest level since 2001.
  • What are some critical issues highlighted by the report? The report emphasizes questions around national belonging, civil rights, and the implications of mass migration on democracies worldwide.