Crandi

The State Of Democracy 2025 Ipsos

Leo Migdal
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the state of democracy 2025 ipsos

A new Ipsos KnowledgePanel survey in nine countries - UK, France, Italy, Sweden, Poland, Croatia, US, Netherlands and Spain – finds satisfaction with democracy continues to be low everywhere except Sweden, with deep worries... Satisfaction with democracy continues to be low. Few are satisfied with how democracy is working in most countries in our study: Croatia (18% satisfied), France (19%), US (20%), Italy (26%), UK (26%) and Spain (27%). Views are split in Netherlands (36% satisfied, 37% dissatisfied) and Poland (40% satisfied, 31% dissatisfied), while Sweden is the only country in the survey where a majority are satisfied with how democracy is working... Satisfaction has dropped in the Netherlands (12 points since 2024) and in France (6 points since 2024), pointing to the impact of recent political instability in the two countries, both having experienced government collapses... Perceptions that the state of democracy has got worse.

In all countries aside from Poland, more say the way democracy is working has got worse compared to 5 years ago than has got better, with perceptions particularly negative in France (81% got worse),... Poland, which saw a high turnout presidential election earlier this year, is the only country where more people say democracy has got better (42%) than worse (30%). Few feel governments at any level represent their views well, but local government tends to do better. In no country in our survey do a majority feel the national government represents their views a great deal or fair amount, with people in the UK and Croatia being the least likely among... City/local councils tend to perform better, though only in Netherlands and France do majorities feel well represented by their local councils (both 67%). Worried about democracy in the future.

Majorities in each country aside from Sweden say they are worried about the state of democracy in their country in the next 5 years: France (86%), Spain (80%), UK (75%), Poland (75%), Netherlands (74%),... In Sweden over half (55%) are not very worried. International organisations like the G7 and UN, and people’s national governments, are not seen as doing a good job defending democracy in most countries, though perceptions of the EU and NATO are more positive... Perceptions are most negative about the G7 (between 8-19% say it does a good job protecting democracy). A comprehensive Ipsos poll reveals that fake news, lack of political accountability, political extremism, and corruption are viewed as the greatest threats to democracy in Europe and the United States. Most countries surveyed report a worsening perception of democracy over the past five years, with widespread concern about political polarisation, institutional trust, and the integrity of democratic processes.

As reported by Ipsos on 14 November 2025, fake news tops the list of perceived threats to democracy, cited by over 70% of respondents in many countries including the UK and Sweden. This is closely followed by lack of accountability among politicians, the rise of extremist parties, corruption, and extreme political polarisation. The Ipsos KnowledgePanel survey covered nine Western countries: Croatia, France, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, the UK, and the US. According to the report, “fake news” concerns were highest in the UK (76%), Sweden (75%) and the US (59%). Corruption was also a major worry, cited by 47% of respondents, while the lack of political accountability worried between 49% and 66% depending on the country. The rise of extremist parties and politicians featured prominently, reported by 48% to 62% of respondents across these nations.​

The Ipsos report noted a predominantly negative view on how democracy is currently functioning. Except for Poland, where 42% said democracy is improving, most countries saw a majority believing democracy has worsened over the past five years. For example, 81% of French respondents and 76% in the Netherlands felt democracy had gotten worse. The US, Spain and the UK also registered majorities above 58% sharing this concern. This shift indicates growing dissatisfaction with democratic institutions and processes.​ Beyond fake news and extremism, the survey found that political polarisation was among the top worries, cited by up to 68% of respondents, notably in the Netherlands and Sweden.

Many also expressed concern over economic inequality and foreign interference in their nations’ political affairs. These factors contribute to a complex crisis of trust affecting democratic engagement and governance.​ In an era defined by radical uncertainty, the Global State of Democracy 2025 reveals the depth and breadth of the challenges facing democratic governance worldwide. Drawing on the latest data from the Global State of Democracy Indices, the report documents a troubling trend: more than half of all countries assessed have declined in at least one key aspect of... Representation, Rights, Rule of Law and Participation—the four pillars of democracy—are under strain, with unprecedented global declines in judicial independence, press freedom and electoral integrity. Even high-performing democracies are not immune, as shifting political landscapes and weakening institutions challenge long-held assumptions about democratic resilience.

The report also explores the profound implications of global migration for democracy and democratic institutions. With 304 million people now living outside their country of birth, questions of belonging, rights and participation are more urgent than ever. Focusing on the technical, legal and institutional dimensions of voting rights for citizens abroad, it shows how inclusive out-of-country voting can strengthen democratic resilience—yet also warns that participation remains low and policies often inadequate. PrefaceAbbreviationsExecutive summaryMethodology and structure of the report 1. Introduction2.

Global patterns3. Regional trends 4. Democracy and migration5. Legal frameworks and methods of out-of-country voting6. Participation patterns and political effects7.

The way ahead8. Conclusion The news cycle is ablaze with economic uncertainty. Consumer confidence has been unsteady to start 2025. Three in five Americans think the economy will experience a recession in the next year. The issue that Americans generally care most about is in turmoil.

That all makes it especially surprising that an increasing number of Americans are saying that “political extremism and threats to democracy” is the most important problem facing the country. Over the past two months, it beat out the “economy, unemployment, and jobs” as the main issue in Reuters/Ipsos polling. Concern with political extremism and threats to democracy is now at the highest it’s been since Ipsos began tracking it in February 2024. Is this a temporary blip or a sign of something new? Here are five charts on where Americans stand on the state of democracy. Americans are predictably split on the state of U.S.

democracy. Democrats feel Trump has exceeded his authority and thus feel more concerned about political extremism and threats to democracy. Republicans don’t. Independents are somewhere in between.

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