Serbia has continued its downward trajectory in global democracy rankings, placing 112th out of 179 countries in 2025, according to a report by the V-Dem Institute.
For the twelfth consecutive year, Serbia has been classified as an “electoral autocracy”—a system where elections are held but are neither fully free nor fair. The report highlights ongoing democratic backsliding, including weakened institutions, lack of fair elections, voter intimidation, and declining civil society participation.
The Liberal Democracy Index (LDI), used in the analysis, evaluates the strength of electoral institutions, checks and balances between branches of government, judicial independence, and respect for fundamental freedoms. Serbia’s position reflects significant deterioration across these areas.
According to the report, Serbia—alongside countries like Cambodia and Ivory Coast—has experienced a notable decline in the quality of free and fair elections, as well as reduced autonomy of electoral bodies. It is also among 21 countries where election-related intimidation by authorities has increased.
The report traces Serbia’s democratic decline back to 2014, when Aleksandar Vučić and his party, the Serbian Progressive Party, began to systematically erode electoral standards. Since then, elections in Serbia are no longer considered fully free or fair.
In this context, Serbia—alongside Hungary—has recorded one of the steepest drops in the LDI since transitioning into an electoral autocracy. The report also notes a significant deterioration in the status of civil society within the country.
Across Eastern Europe, including the Balkans, only 29% of the population lives in democracies. Just 5% reside in liberal democracies such as Czech Republic and the Baltic states, while 24% live in electoral democracies like Bulgaria and Poland.
The majority of the region’s population lives under electoral autocracies, including Serbia, Hungary, and Russia. The only fully closed autocracy in Eastern Europe remains Belarus, where genuine multiparty elections do not exist.
Meanwhile, countries such as Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, and Moldova fall into a “gray zone” between electoral democracy and electoral autocracy.
At the top of the global rankings are Nordic countries including Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, followed by Switzerland, Estonia, and Ireland.
At the bottom are countries such as Nicaragua, Afghanistan, Myanmar, North Korea, and Eritrea.
Globally, 2025 marked the second consecutive year in which autocracies (92) outnumbered democracies (87). Even more striking, 74% of the world’s population now lives under autocratic rule, compared to just 26% in democracies.
Among the five most populous countries—India, China, Indonesia, Pakistan, and United States—only the United States is classified as a democracy.
