The Economist has released its annual index measuring democracy around the world and Finland was ranked fifth overall.
Ranked out of 10 on five different metrics, electoral process and pluralism, functioning of government, political participation, political culture and civil liberties, Finland scored 9,25.
Norway (9.87), Iceland (9.58), Sweden (9.39) and New Zealand (9.26) above Finland in The Economist Democracy Index 2019 compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
Finland's overall score is 9.25, electoral process and pluralism 10, functioning of government 8.93, political participation 8.89, political culture 8.75, civil liberties 9.71.
Based on its scores on a range of indicators within five categories, each country is then itself classified as one of four types of regime: "full democracy", "flawed democracy", "hybrid regime" or "authoritarian regime".
Source: The Economist Democracy Index.
Democracy eroded around the world
EIU report mentioned that democracy has been eroded around the world in the past year. Only 5.7 percent of the world's population lives in "full democracy".
Interesting point in the report is that the USA is now considered a 'flawed democracy' along with Colombia, Hong Kong, Mexico and Thailand. However, this year Thailand has moved up from "hybrid regime" into "flawed democracies".
Bottom of the list, as always, was North Korea. Other countries bringing up the rear include Turkmenistan, Chad, Syria, Central African Republic and Democratic Republic of Congo.
The report notes that more than a third of the world's population live under an authoritarian government, most of them in China.
