Taiwan 7th worldwide for citizen input, slips in judicial freedom

Taipei, Sept. 15 (CNA) Taiwan ranked seventh globally in citizen participation in the Global State of Democracy 2026 report released Tuesday by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA).

Taiwan also made gains in legislative oversight although its rating for judicial independence declined, according to the report.

The Stockholm-based intergovernmental organization said Taiwan maintained its seventh-place ranking in the "Citizen Participation" category in 2025, tying with Finland.

The report assessed 2025 democratic performance in 173 countries across four broad categories -- Representation, Rights, Rule of Law and Participation -- using indicators including judicial independence, electoral credibility, freedom of expression and access to justice.

Taiwan was also among only 13 countries worldwide to record an improvement in the indicator measuring the effectiveness of legislative oversight.

In the Asia-Pacific region, it was joined by Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Tajikistan and Thailand in recording gains in that category.

However, Taiwan's rating for judicial independence declined in 2025, dropping it from the top-performing tier to the middle tier, alongside countries including the United States, Argentina, Belgium, India and Nigeria.

Globally, the report found that about 57 percent of the countries assessed experienced a decline in at least one indicator of democratic performance between 2020 and 2025.

It also highlighted geopolitical tensions as a growing challenge to democratic governance, citing border disputes and conflicts between India and Pakistan and between Cambodia and Thailand, as well as tensions in the Taiwan Strait, as risks to regional stability and democratic resilience.

The report said U.S. scores on democratic indicators, including press freedom and judicial independence, had fallen to their lowest levels in half a century, warning that Washington's retreat from the rules-based international order had weakened confidence in multilateralism and emboldened authoritarian and populist leaders.

International IDEA was founded in 1995 by 14 member states to promote democracy and support electoral processes worldwide. It now has more than 30 member states. The United States, formerly an observer state, withdrew from the organization earlier this year.