India Identified as Primary Driver of Global Democratic Decay, New V-Dem Report Warns

India Identified as Primary Driver of Global Democratic Decay, New V-Dem Report Warns

The scale of India’s decline continues to have a disproportionate and negative impact on the global democratic landscape.

By RMN News Service

NEW DELHI | March 18, 2026 — India, the world’s most populous nation, has been labeled a leading “electoral autocracy” and a primary driver behind the global deterioration of democracy. According to the V-Dem Institute’s 2026 Democracy Report, titled “Unraveling the Democratic Era?”, India is now classified alongside China, Indonesia, and Pakistan as one of the four most populous autocracies in the world.

The report – released on March 17 – highlights a “slow but systematic dismantling of democratic institutions” in India that has been progressing since 2009. This trend of “derailing democracy” is directly attributed to the administration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Key Indicators of Decline: Researchers identified several critical areas where Indian democracy has eroded, most notably a significant loss of media independence and a sharp deterioration in freedom of expression. The Modi administration has been specifically noted for the harassment of journalists who criticize the government, as well as coordinated attacks on civil society and political opposition.

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These tactics follow a broader international pattern where autocratizing leaders first target freedom of expression before moving to undermine the rule of law and institutional checks and balances.

Global Implications: Professor Staffan I. Lindberg, the lead author of the report, described the autocratization of highly populous nations like India as “especially worrying”. Lindberg warned that because of their significant political and economic influence, these nations have the power to reshape international organizations, global norms, and trade, potentially altering the established global order.

The report notes a significant shift in the global landscape, revealing that electoral autocracies have become the most populous regime type, now housing 46% of the world’s population.

A Disproportionate Impact: While the V-Dem report found that some nations, such as Brazil and Poland, are successfully moving toward democratization, the scale of India’s decline continues to have a disproportionate and negative impact on the global democratic landscape.

The findings follow other international concerns regarding the state of the country, including calls from the USCIRF to designate India as a “Country of Particular Concern” due to escalating issues regarding religious freedom and transnational repression.