KABUL — Afghanistan, under Taliban rule, has been ranked as the most authoritarian country in the world, according to the 2024 Democracy Index published by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). Scoring just 0.25 out of 10, Afghanistan ranks 167th out of 167 countries, making it the least democratic nation globally for the second consecutive year.
The index, which evaluates 167 countries, highlights stark differences between Afghanistan, North Korea, and China, with Afghanistan receiving the lowest possible scores in four out of five key indicators used to measure democracy.
The Democracy Index assesses countries based on five main criteria: electoral process and pluralism, civil liberties, government functioning, political participation, and political culture.
According to the report, Afghanistan falls into the “authoritarian regime” category and ranks as the worst among such governments worldwide.
Electoral Process and Pluralism: 0.0
Since the Taliban takeover in 2021, all elections have been abolished, and there is no democratic mechanism for public participation in political decision-making.
Civil Liberties: 0.0
Freedoms such as speech, assembly, religion, and personal rights have been severely restricted. Women and minorities have faced some of the harshest crackdowns, with bans on education, employment, and public participation.
Functioning of Government: 0.0
The report evaluates government efficiency, transparency, and accountability. Under the Taliban, power is concentrated within a small group, there is no political opposition, and governance lacks transparency.
Political Participation: 0.0
There are no political parties, elections, or independent civic movements in Afghanistan, leading to the lowest possible score.
Political Culture: 1.25
This indicator examines whether democratic values are embedded in society. The Taliban’s strict ideological rule and rejection of democratic principles have resulted in one of the lowest scores globally.
Afghanistan’s 0.25 score is the lowest in the Democracy Index, but North Korea, with 1.08, ranks slightly higher.
North Korea, under Kim Jong Un, remains a one-party state where elections exist in name only and lack genuine political competition. However, the regime’s centralized governance and state-controlled propaganda have contributed to a higher score in political culture (1.25 vs. Afghanistan’s 1.25) and slightly better functioning of government (2.5 vs. Afghanistan’s 0.0).
In contrast, Afghanistan lacks any functioning political structure, legal system, or institutional governance under the Taliban, contributing to its lowest overall ranking.
Similarly, Myanmar, ranked 166th, is the second-worst-performing country in the index with a score of 0.96. Although Myanmar also received 0.0 in electoral process, it scored slightly higher in government functioning (1.67) and political culture (3.13).
China, with a score of 2.11, ranks 145th and remains classified as an authoritarian regime, but it still scores significantly higher than Afghanistan and North Korea.
Unlike Afghanistan, China has a structured, centralized government with strong state institutions, even though it lacks competitive elections and restricts freedoms.
Strict media censorship, suppression of dissent, and a lack of independent political opposition contribute to its low ranking.
However, China’s economic and political stability allow it to rank far above Afghanistan, demonstrating that not all authoritarian regimes operate at the same level of repression and dysfunction.
The EIU report underscores that Afghanistan has moved even further away from democratic governance under the Taliban, making it the most repressive regime in the world.
The ranking is attributed to the complete absence of elections, severe repression of civil liberties, extreme concentration of power, and the elimination of political participation.
While North Korea and China remain firmly authoritarian, Afghanistan has performed the worst across all democratic indicators, solidifying its position at the bottom of the global democracy rankings.
