Freedom House Direct attacks on democracy and the human cost of authoritarian rule D ramatic declines in political rights and civil liberties during 2022 were driven by direct assaults on democratic institutions, whether by foreign military forces or incumbent officials in positions of trust. War, coups d’état, and power grabs repeatedly posed an existential threat to elected governments around the world. The war has been, as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy put it, a disaster with a high price. In his desire to destroy democracy in Ukraine and deny Ukrainians their political rights and civil liberties, Putin has caused the deaths and injuries of thousands of Ukrainian civilians as well as soldiers on both sides, the destruction of crucial infrastructure, the displacement of millions of people from their homes, a proliferation of torture and sexual violence, and the intensification of already harsh repression within Russia. In February, Ukrainians were violently thrust into the heart of the global struggle to defend democracy against authoritarianism. President Vladimir Putin of Russia, having already overseen the illegal occupation of Ukrainian territory in Crimea and eastern Donbas since 2014, launched a fullscale invasion of the country. Whatever false justifications for this war of aggression have been promulgated by the Kremlin’s state-controlled media, its clear purpose is to remove the elected leadership in Kyiv and deprive Ukrainians of their fundamental right to free self-government. Military coups While the assault on Ukraine’s democracy came from a neighboring state, a growing number of countries faced attacks from within. Burkina Faso experienced the steepest 17 YEARS OF DEMOCRATIC DECLINE 17 Years of Democratic Decline Countries with aggregate score declines in Freedom in the World have outnumbered those with gains every year for the Countries with aggregate score declines in Freedom in the outnumbered those past 17 years. However, events in 2022 generated the smallest margin—aWorld nd thehave smallest number of with countries with declines— gains every year for the past 17 years. However, events in 2022 generated the smallest margin— since the negative pattern began. and the smallest number of countries with declines—since the negative pattern began. 83 56 43 38 34 34 37 43 40 43 33 This year featured the fewest countries with declines in the 17-year period. 50 36 34 37 35 28 25 NUMBER OF COUNTRIES THAT IMPROVED 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 NUMBER OF COUNTRIES THAT DECLINED 35 Note: Countries 52 whose scores were unchanged are not included this comparison. Note:in Countries whose scores were unchanged are not included in this Freedom in the World assesses comparison. Freedom in the World assesses 195 countries 15 territories. 195 countries and 15and territories. 49 59 59 60 67 54 54 63 62 72 67 71 68 60 64 73 This infographic is from the Freedom in the World 2023 report by freedomhouse.org FreedomHouse.org 3