The state of democracy around the world fell to a record low last year, according to a new report released Thursday that placed blame in large part on pandemic restrictions that have seen many nations struggle to balance a public health emergency with personal freedoms.
Less than half the world’s population live under some form of democracy, according to the London-based Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), which conducted its annual Democracy Index survey that rated 167 countries based on measures including electoral processes and civil liberties.