https://licensing.visualcapitalist.com/product/charted-satisfaction-with-democracy-in-26-countries/ Charted: Satisfaction With Democracy, in 26 Countries July 15, 2024 By Bruno Venditti Almost half of the world’s population resides in countries that held or will hold executive or legislative elections in 2024. This prompts a closer look at how people feel about the way democracy is working in their respective nations. This graphic shows the percentage of the population that is satisfied or dissatisfied with democracy in 26 countries. The data comes from the Pew Research Center. Methodology In 2024, the Pew Research Center conducted over 900 interviews in each country via telephone or face-to-face. Respondents were asked, “How satisfied are you with the way democracy is working in [survey country] – very satisfied, somewhat satisfied, not too satisfied, or not at all satisfied?” Those who did not answer are excluded. Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding. Decline in Satisfaction with Democracy Satisfaction with democracy has declined in recent years, particularly in high-income nations. In nine out of the 12 countries where this question has been asked consistently, satisfaction levels are lower today than in 2021. Country Satisfied (%) Dissatisfied (%) U.S. 31 68 Canada 52 46 Mexico 50 50 Brazil 44 54 Argentina 44 55 Chile 30 66 Colombia 21 77 Peru 11 89 Sweden 75 24 Netherlands 58 41 Poland 57 39 Germany 55 45 Hungary 49 50 UK 39 60 France 35 65 Italy 30 67 Spain 30 68 Greece 22 78 Singapore 80 19 India 77 20 Thailand 64 35 Philippines 57 42 Malaysia 51 49 Sri Lanka 38 58 South Korea 36 63 Japan 31 67 Australia 60 39 Notably, six countries have seen a double-digit drop in satisfaction: Canada, Germany, Greece, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Regional Differences Europe: 75% of Swedes are satisfied with their democracy, compared to just 22% in Greece. Asia-Pacific: More than three-quarters of Indians and Singaporeans are satisfied, whereas only 31% of Japanese are satisfied with their democracy. Latin America: About two-thirds or more of Chileans, Colombians, and Peruvians express negative views about their democracies. According to the Pew Research Center, satisfaction with democracy is strongly related to their perceptions of how the economy is performing. Additionally, views on the governing party also influence assessments of democracy.
I'm a strong believer in democracy as the vehicle to meet a population's aspirations for their country. I may not agree with the results of an election but I respect that those who won ought to govern according to their stated goals during the election period. Yet, per the data gathered in the article above, it transpires that older democracies show the least satisfaction from their population, while dubious democracies by western standards, like Singapore, show the greatest satisfaction with theirs. Also, Northern European nations are significantly more satisfied with their democracies than Southern European nations, even though they are all governed very similarly. I'm puzzled.