Holy men who met their unholy ends
In 2024, more than half of the world’s population participated in democratic elections, yet disaffection with government performance was widely expressed. The Democracy Index, a yearly report issued by Economist Intelligence, notes that the rise of populist movements is actually demoralizing the institutions and legal processes that are key markers of functioning democratic systems. In fact, according to the 2024 report, only 15% of the world’s countries (25 in total) are considered full democracies. A staggering 60—nearly 40% of all nations—are considered to be functioning under authoritarian regimes.
Economist intelligence analyzed 167 countries and gave them a ranking from zero to 10 based on their performance in five key categories; electoral process and pluralism; functioning of government; political participation; political culture; and civil liberties.
Which 30 nations top the list in terms of dictatorships? Click through to find out.
Ranked 30th on the index is Bahrain, with a score of 2.45. The nation is ruled by the country’s king, Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, who has ruled Bahrain since 1999.
Listed 29th on the index is Mali, with a score of 2.4. In April 2024, the Malian government issued a decree to suspend the activities of political parties and of associations that are of a “political nature.”
Ranked 28th on the list is Libya, scoring 2.31. In November 2024, the nation announced intentions to impose a morality policy to safeguard so-called "public morals" within civil society.
Niger ranks 27th on the index, with a score of 2.26. General Abdourahamane Tiani overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum in 2023. Transitional authorities have been accused of repressing press freedom in the nation.
Ranked 26th on the list is Venezuela, with a score of 2.25. Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro has ruled the nation for 12 years and was accused of stealing the last presidential election.
Listed 25th on the index with a score of 2.18 is Gabon. The nation is ruled by General Brice Nguema, elected in 2025, who led the coup against Ali Bongo Ondimba following 12 years of his authoritarian rule. Ondimba took over the role of president from his father, who ruled from 1967 until his death in 2009. Nguema promises to rid the nation of corruption and install democratic rule.
Receiving a score of 2.13 on the index is Burundi, ranked 24th. The president of the nation is Évariste Ndayishimiye, who has ruled the country since 2000. In 2024, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) accused the nation’s leadership of becoming “an increasingly violent dictatorial regime.”
Listed 23rd on the index with a score of 2.11 is China. The nation is a one-party state governed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The nation’s constitution describes the form of government as a "people's democratic dictatorship."
Ranked 22nd on the index with a score of 2.10 is Uzbekistan. According to Reporters Without Borders, government authorities have “tightened their grip on the internet.” The majority of media outlets are linked to the state in some form.
In 21st place is Nicaragua with a score of 2.09. The nation is led by Daniel Ortega, who first served as president from 1985-1990 and then took the position again in 2007. Since 2025, Ortega has been co-president along with his wife, Rosario Murillo. Over 5,000 NGOs have closed in the country since Ortega took office.
Saudi Arabia ranks 20th on the list with a score of 2.08. Saudi Arabia is led by Mohammed bin Salman, the nation’s Crown Prince. The leader made international headlines after his calculated murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.
Scoring 2.04 on the index is Guinea, which ranks 19th on the list. Guinea has been led by a military officer by the name of Mamady Doumbouya since 2021. Doumbouya is responsible for the coup d’état that overthrew the country’s previous president, Alpha Condé. The has nation dropped 10 places on the index since 2023, indicating its worsening situation.
Listed 18th on the index is Guinea-Bissau, with a score of 2.03. The nation is ruled by Umaro Mokhtar Sissoco Embaló. Embaló has been president since 2020, having previously served as the country’s prime minister. Although his term expired in February 2025, he still hasn't left office and refuses to step down.
Ranked 17th on the list is Russia, which received a score of 2.03. Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, has been deemed a dictator, particularly since the start of his second presidential term in 2012. Putin’s administration has been widely condemned by human rights groups.
Listed 16th on the index is Belarus, which received a score of 1.99. Belarus is led by the nation’s first and only president, Alexander Lukashenko, who has held the position since 1994.
Ranking 15th on the list is Eritrea, with a score of 1.97. Eritrea is led by Isaias Afwerki, who has been the nation’s authoritarian ruler since 1993. Afwerki has never put his position up for election and has worked tirelessly to suppress all dissent.
With a score of 1.96, Iran ranks 14th on the index. Iran is led by its supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who has held the position since 1989. Khamenei served as the nation’s president from 1981-1989.
Ranked 13th on the list is Yemen, with a score of 1.95. The nation is in the midst of a massive civil war that has gone on for more than a decade. The nation is divided by the Houthis in the north and the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), which controls the southern and eastern parts of the country.
Scoring 1.92, the Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 12th on the list. The nation’s latest election took place in December 2023. The president, Félix Tshisekedi, won nearly three-quarters of the vote. The election was considered a “sham” by other candidates.
Ranked 11th on the index is Equatorial Guinea, with a score of 1.92. The nation is considered to be the world’s longest-standing dictatorship. Teodoro Obiang Nguema has ruled over the nation for more than 40 years after killing the former president, Francisco Macías Nguema.
Listed 10th on the list is Chad, with a score of 1.89. The Central African nation is led by Mahamat Idriss Deby, who succeeded his father’s rule. While Chad did hold elections, international organizations deemed them illegitimate.
Tajikistan ranks ninth on the list with a score of 1.83. The nation has been under rule by authoritarian leader Emomali Rahmon since 1994. Many of the nation’s journalists have been exiled due to government pressure.
Laos ranks eighth on the list with a score of 1.71. Laos is a one-party state. The Lao People’s Revolutionary Party has a general secretary, who is ultimately responsible for ruling over the state.
Scoring 1.66, Turkmenistan is listed in seventh place. The nation has only had three presidents: Saparumurat Niyazov, who ruled for 15 years, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, who ruled for 15 years, and now his son, Serdar Berdimuhamedow, who has been president of the nation since 2022.
The nation with the sixth-worst dictatorship ranking is Sudan, with a score of 1.46. Sudan’s already poor ranking in 2023 (10th place) has worsened significantly, with no sign of an end to the nation’s civil war.
Listed fifth on the list is Syria, which scored 1.32. Syria experienced more than a decade of a civil war that tore its country apart and created a massive humanitarian crisis. Since the ousting of former regime leader Bashar al-Assad, the nation is beginning to build democratic processes and institutions.
Ranked fourth on the list is the Central African Republic. Under the leadership of Faustin-Archange Touadéra, who has been president of the nation since 2016. His administration offers very few civil liberties, with a score of 1.18.
The nation with the third-worst ranking is North Korea, with a score of 1.08. The nation has been under rule by Kim Jong Un since 2011. Kim was the successor of the nation, following the rule of his father and grandfather. Kim is known as a brutal ruler and is accused of several crimes against humanity.
Ranking second on the list is Myanmar, also known as Burma, scoring 0.96. The nation has been under military rule since 2021. The Rohingya Muslims have faced persecution and genocide in Myanmar for years, with more than a million fleeing to other countries.
Afghanistan is the nation with the worst ranking in terms of access to democracy, with a score of 0.25. The nation ranked the same in 2023. Under Taliban rule, there is no electoral process or political pluralism in the country. The government is considered to be non-functioning and there is no access to civil liberties.
Sources: (Al Jazeera) (BBC) (Africa Defense Forum) (The Guardian) (Africa News) (Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies) (LaCroix) (International Federation for Human Rights) (Economist Intelligence)
Countries that still have dictatorships, according to the Democracy Index
Nations that are under authoritarian rule
LIFESTYLE Authoritarianism
In 2024, more than half of the world’s population participated in democratic elections, yet disaffection with government performance was widely expressed. The Democracy Index, a yearly report issued by Economist Intelligence, notes that the rise of populist movements is actually demoralizing the institutions and legal processes that are key markers of functioning democratic systems. In fact, according to the 2024 report, only 15% of the world’s countries (25 in total) are considered full democracies. A staggering 60—nearly 40% of all nations—are considered to be functioning under authoritarian regimes.
Economist intelligence analyzed 167 countries and gave them a ranking from zero to 10 based on their performance in five key categories; electoral process and pluralism; functioning of government; political participation; political culture; and civil liberties.
Which 30 nations top the list in terms of dictatorships? Click through to find out.