World Peace

On a scale of 1 out 5 with 5 being very close, how close is the world to the end of Democracy as a dominant?

GoogleAI Mode: “On a scale of 1 (not close) to 5 (very close), expert analyses suggest we are at a 5, as the end of democracy’s dominance is not merely an approaching event, but a current reality or well-established trend in the world.

Key reports and expert opinions from 2024 and 2025 highlight the following:

Autocracies Outnumber Democracies: For the first time in over 20 years, the world has more autocracies (91) than democracies (88).

Vast Population Under Authoritarian Rule: Nearly three-quarters (72%) of the world’s population now lives in autocracies, the highest percentage since 1978. The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) reports a significant portion (39.2%) under authoritarian rule, with only 6.6% in “full democracies”.

A Decade of Decline: Data from the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) indicates that 2024 marked the ninth consecutive year in which more countries experienced democratic decline than improvement. The EIU’s 2024 Democracy Index global average score fell to an historic low of 5.17 (on a 0-10 scale), a consistent drop over the last decade.

Backsliding in Established Democracies: Even long-standing democracies, including the United States and several in Europe (e.g., Germany, Hungary), are showing signs of strain and backsliding in areas like freedom of expression, access to justice, and institutional checks and balances.

Erosion “From Within”: The primary threat is no longer military coups but a more insidious “autocratization” where elected leaders gradually violate norms and undermine democratic institutions from within. 

These trends indicate a significant shift in the global political landscape, where the liberal democratic model, once seen as an inevitable future, is now in retreat and has lost its clear dominance as the prevailing form of government globally.”

In considering the end of Democracy and an emerging change in global world order, are there countries teaming up that were previously adversarial?

GoogleAI Mode: “Yes, as part of a significant geopolitical realignment and the shift toward a multipolar world order, previously adversarial countries are increasingly cooperating in new alliances or blocs to challenge Western dominance and the existing international system. 

Key examples of this trend include:

China and Russia: The relationship between China and Russia has deepened significantly, driven by a shared interest in resisting U.S. power and influence. While not a formal military alliance, their cooperation includes military exercises, trade, and diplomatic alignment on many international issues. Russia’s war effort in Ukraine is sustained with help from dual-use components from China, and the two countries are seen by Europeans as “close partners” on the global stage.

The “Axis of Autocracies”: A developing informal alignment has been noted between China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, sometimes labeled an “axis of aggressors” or “quartet of chaos” by Western observers. These nations share few interests beyond evading sanctions and resisting U.S. power, and they increasingly help one another, such as with Iranian and North Korean arms flowing to Russia for its war in Ukraine. A new defense pact between Russia and North Korea further cements these ties.

Expansion of BRICS: The expansion of the BRICS group (originally Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) is a major indicator of this shift. In 2024-2025, new members were admitted, including Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt. The inclusion of two regional rivals like Saudi Arabia and Iran into the same economic and political forum is a notable example of a broader realignment where countries are seeking to increase the influence of the Global South in international governance and reform Western-dominated institutions like the UN and IMF.

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO): The SCO is another regional organization that has expanded, with Iran joining in 2023 and Belarus in 2024, focusing on political, economic, and security cooperation among member states to enhance their collective influence in Eurasia.

Alliance of Sahel States (AES): 

Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, all under military leadership following coups, have formed the AES and are distancing themselves from France and other Western powers. They have accused Western nations of interference and are developing new security and political ties, even accusing Ukraine of supporting local rebels. 

These new groupings demonstrate a clear trend of nations prioritizing pragmatic cooperation based on shared political and economic interests, often overriding past antagonisms, to navigate an increasingly fragmented and multipolar world order.”