Charted: Satisfaction With Democracy, in 26 Countries

Bruno Venditti
2024-07-15 15:48:20
www.visualcapitalist.com

Global Satisfaction With Democracy

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Almost half of the world’s population resides in countries that held or will hold executive or legislative elections in 2024. This prompts a closer look at how people feel about the way democracy is working in their respective nations.

This graphic shows the percentage of the population that is satisfied or dissatisfied with democracy in 26 countries. The data comes from the Pew Research Center.

Methodology

In 2024, the Pew Research Center conducted over 900 interviews in each country via telephone or face-to-face.

Respondents were asked, “How satisfied are you with the way democracy is working in [survey country] – very satisfied, somewhat satisfied, not too satisfied, or not at all satisfied?” Those who did not answer are excluded. Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding.

Decline in Satisfaction with Democracy

Satisfaction with democracy has declined in recent years, particularly in high-income nations. In nine out of the 12 countries where this question has been asked consistently, satisfaction levels are lower today than in 2021.

Country	Satisfied (%)	Dissatisfied (%)
U.S.	31	68
Canada	52	46
Mexico	50	50
Brazil	44	54
Argentina	44	55
Chile	30	66
Colombia	21	77
Peru	11	89
Sweden	75	24
Netherlands	58	41
Poland	57	39
Germany	55	45
Hungary	49	50
UK	39	60
France	35	65
Italy	30	67
Spain	30	68
Greece	22	78
Singapore	80	19
India	77	20
Thailand	64	35
Philippines	57	42
Malaysia	51	49
Sri Lanka	38	58
South Korea	36	63
Japan	31	67
Australia	60	39

Notably, six countries have seen a double-digit drop in satisfaction: Canada, Germany, Greece, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Regional Differences

• Europe: 75% of Swedes are satisfied with their democracy, compared to just 22% in Greece.
• Asia-Pacific: More than three-quarters of Indians and Singaporeans are satisfied, whereas only 31% of Japanese are satisfied with their democracy.
• Latin America: About two-thirds or more of Chileans, Colombians, and Peruvians express negative views about their democracies.

According to the Pew Research Center, satisfaction with democracy is strongly related to their perceptions of how the economy is performing. Additionally, views on the governing party also influence assessments of democracy.

The post Charted: Satisfaction With Democracy, in 26 Countries appeared first on Visual Capitalist.