Georgia's Democracy Index Worsens
By Malkhaz Matsaberidze
Thursday, April 3, 2025
Events that unfolded in Georgia in 2024 have led to what observers call a "democratic backslide," reflected in a lower numerical score. According to the 2024 Democracy Index published by the reputable research organization The Economist Intelligence Unit (and featured in The Economist magazine), Georgia's score has dropped to 4.7, placing it 94th. In 2023, Georgia had 5.20 points on a 10-point scale and was ranked 89th. This decline represents the steepest drop among all the countries in the region in 2024.
The Democracy Index data show that Georgia's highest democracy score was in 2013, at 5.95 points, placing the country in 78th place. A similarly high rating of 5.93 was maintained until 2017. However, from 2018 onward, the score began to fall, first to 5.50, then 5.42 (2019), 5.31 (2020), 5.12 (2021), 5.20 (2022), 5.20 (2023), and finally 4.70 in 2024.
The Economist's classification divides regimes into four categories:
1. Full democracy (8.00-10.00)
2. Flawed democracy (6.00-7.99)
3. Hybrid regime (4.00-5.99)
4. Authoritarian regime (below 4.00)
Georgia has always been classified as a hybrid regime and has never moved into the flawed democracy category. Moreover, its score has been on a downward trajectory since 2018, culminating in a particularly sharp drop in 2024.
The Democracy Index is an average score based on 60 questions spread across five categories. According to the 2024 report, Georgia's decline is tied to the following factors:
. Electoral process and pluralism (5.67): Issues related to the credibility of elections and unequal conditions for the opposition
. Functioning of government (3.21): Judicial interference, lack of accountability, and excessive concentration of power
. Political participation (5.56): Decline in civic engagement and restrictions on protest
. Political culture (3.75): Growing polarization and reduced trust in state institutions
. Civil liberties (5.29): Restrictions on independent media and limitations on protests
According to the 2024 report, Georgia's democratic decline underscores persistent governance challenges and the hurdles the country faces in its democratic development. The Economist notes that the next few years will be decisive in determining whether Georgia can implement democratic reforms, bolster civil liberties, and restore political pluralism.
Georgia's government has been advised on how to improve its democratic indicators - specifically, by calling new parliamentary elections and releasing those detained during the 2024 protests. This demand for new elections comes not only from the opposition but also from EU member states. However, the ruling Georgian Dream party rules out both possibilities.
So far, the ongoing political developments in Georgia offer little hope that its democracy indicators will improve in 2025. On the contrary, there is a possibility that Georgia's democracy index could fall so low as to exit its "familiar" hybrid regime category and slip into the authoritarian regime category.
Recently, Parliament - where Georgian Dream, along with its offshoot "People's Power" and the "European Socialists," holds sway - passed three significant bills in the first reading: on "Treason," on "Registration of Foreign Agents," and on "Broadcasting."
Georgian Dream claims that the definition of "treason" precisely matches the phrasing introduced into legislation in 1991 by Georgia's first president, Zviad Gamsakhurdia. The motive for reintroducing this specific language, they suggest, is to prosecute the so-called "collective United National Movement," likely labeling them as traitors. Supporters of the bill also point out that the article on "treason" was abolished in 2007 by the United National Movement, shortly before the war with Russia.
Regarding the "Foreign Agents' Registration Act," officials say it will be a direct copy of the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), granting the Georgian government the same legislative tools as the United States. The rationale is to protect Georgia's sovereignty and monitor how foreign-sourced funds are being allocated.
Amendments to the "Law on Broadcasting" include prohibiting broadcasters from receiving direct or indirect compensation in exchange for placing social advertisements. It will also forbid receiving direct or indirect funding-monetary or otherwise-from any foreign entity. In addition, it bans foreign entities from purchasing broadcasting services (aside from commercial advertising and product placement) and from directly or indirectly financing or co-financing the preparation or airing of programs.
With this latest Democracy Index, Georgia can no longer claim to be a "regional leader," as it has been overtaken by Armenia. Indeed, Armenia - now at 5.35 points and ranked 82nd - also remains a hybrid regime but is 12 places ahead of Georgia. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan, with a score of 2.80 and ranked 126th, is classified as an authoritarian regime, characterized by persecution of the opposition, tight media control, and concentration of power in the hands of the government. It appears that Georgian democracy is moving closer to Azerbaijan's realities than to those of more democratic states.