Described by Time Magazine as the ‘Year of Elections’, 2024 saw 1.6 billion people head to the polls across 74 national elections in 62 countries - an unprecedented concentration of democratic activity in a single year.

But a global report from the Electoral Integrity Project, released today, paints a mixed and often troubling picture of how those elections were conducted.

While countries like Iceland (best) Uruguay, Lithuania, and Finland were recognised for holding the highest quality elections, others - including Syria (worst), Rwanda, Chad, Iran, and Belarus - ranked at the bottom, continuing longstanding trends of electoral malpractice.

Out of the 62 countries evaluated, 21 saw improvements in election quality compared to previous contests, but 33 experienced declines.

Two standout cases of electoral strengthening were Ghana and Mauritius, where reforms and improved practices bolstered electoral integrity.

Democratic backsliding in major democracies

Among the most concerning findings were notable declines in electoral quality in established and emerging democracies, including Mexico, the UK, the US, India, and Indonesia.

In the United Kingdom, newly implemented photo ID requirements were found to restrict access to the ballot box, disproportionately affecting marginalized voters. Moreover, the country’s first-past-the-post electoral system produced a government with 63 per cent of parliamentary seats from just 34 per cent of the popular vote - a level of disproportionality that drew international criticism.