Bangladesh moves 4 notches up in EIU’s Democracy Index

Bangladesh has moved four places up in the 2020 Democracy Index as it has ranked 76th with an overall score of 5.99 among 167 countries, according to the latest report of Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).

In the EIU’s Democracy Index 2019, Bangladesh ranked 80th with an overall score of 5.88 on a scale of 10.

Norway topped the EIU’s latest Democracy Index report titled "Democracy in sickness and in health?", with Iceland, Sweden, New Zealand and Canada making up the top five.

Out of 167 countries, the Democracy Index classifies 23 countries as full democracies, 52 as flawed democracies, 35 as hybrid regimes and 57 as authoritarian regimes. India has been classified as a 'flawed democracy' along with countries such as the US, France, Belgium and Brazil.

India ranked 53rd in the Democracy Index.

Bangladesh (76), Bhutan (84) and Pakistan (105) are classified in the 'hybrid regime' category; Sri Lanka, at 68th rank, is classified as a flawed democracy. Afghanistan is ranked 139th and classified as an 'authoritarian regime' in the index.

The EIU report looks at the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on freedom and democracy around the world.

The Asia and Australasia region includes top-scoring New Zealand, which retained its fourth position in the global ranking, and persistent laggard North Korea at the bottom of the global ranking in 167th place, the EIU said in a statement.

The region’s overall score fell in 2020, but it now has five “full democracies” with Japan, South Korea and Taiwan moving up the rankings compared with 2019.

Australia retains its “full democracy” status and high ranking (9th).

Japan and South Korea both returned to the “full democracy” fold for the first time since 2014. Taiwan attained “full democracy” status for the first time following a spectacular jump up the rankings.

Despite these upgrades, Asia’s average regional score deteriorated to its lowest level since 2013 as official measures taken to combat the coronavirus pandemic led to some of the most severe constraints on individual freedoms and civil liberties in the world, the EIU said.

China, Singapore and others went much further than the rest of the world in tracking and policing their citizens and locking them down in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, it said.

Joan Hoey, Editor of The Economist Intelligence Unit's annual Democracy Index report, said, "The symbolism of Asia gaining three new 'full democracies' in 2020 and western Europe losing two (France and Portugal) was apt, as the coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the shift in the global balance of power from the West to the East."

"Asia continues to lag behind the West in democratic terms having only five 'full democracies', compared with western Europe’s 13, but the region has, so far, handled the pandemic much better than virtually any other, with lower infection and mortality rates and a fast economic rebound," she said.

Asian governments reacted decisively (albeit deploying coercive powers in some cases), benefited from well-organised health systems and retained the confidence of their populations, she said.

By contrast, European governments were slow to act, some health systems came close to collapse and public trust in government declined, Hoey added.