131 Countries Moved Towards Autocratic Governance Over the Last Decade


 
Of the 156 countries listed on the Governance Index, 131 saw their score decline over the last decade. This reflects worsening scores in 84% of countries across data reflecting corruption, rule of law, press freedom and political rights. The chart below ranks those countries which suffered the largest overall decline.

Top 15 Countries by Governance Index Decline 2013-2025
Source: World Economics Governance Index
131 Countries Moved Towards Autocratic Governance Over the Last Decade




The majority of the listed countries were either downgraded, or remained, in the E-grade (or lowest) category for Governance across this period. The chart reveals a more alarming world for investors for whom Good Governance should be paramount.

The trend is observable across the developed world. Türkiye, Hong Kong, Russia and Hungary all appear in the top 15. Not far behind is the USA’s noticeable decline (-11.5) as well as Poland’s (-10.7). So, far from being a problem exclusively for the developing world, the importance of this trend is shown by the roll call of developed countries that have witnessed significant falls in Governance characteristics over the past decade.


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