Philippines slides 11 spots in EIU democracy ranking

By Erika Mae P. Sinaking, Reporter

THE PHILIPPINES fell sharply in a global democracy ranking, signaling deeper institutional strain even as democratic conditions elsewhere show signs of leveling off, according to the 2025 Democracy Index by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).

“Across South and Southeast Asia, we will be watching the juxtaposition of rising civic participation with declining government accountability and civil liberties,” the research group said in its latest annual assessment.

“This reflects the democratic stress in political systems that remain open enough to generate protests but too institutionally weak to translate mobilization into reform. How this tension evolves will determine the future democratic outlook for Asia,” it added.

The Philippines fell 11 places to 62^nd out of 167 countries in the 2025 index, erasing gains recorded a year earlier. The country ranked among the five worst performers globally in score deterioration, reinforcing concerns over democratic erosion in Southeast Asia.

The country’s overall score dropped to 6.31 in 2025 from 6.63 in 2024, its steepest decline in recent years. The 2024 score had already been the weakest in three years, only slightly above the 6.62 recorded in 2021. The latest result places the Philippines at its lowest democratic standing since at least that year.

The Philippines remained classified as a “flawed democracy,” a category it has occupied for several consecutive years alongside countries such as India and Sri Lanka. The drop followed a brief rebound in 2024, when the country climbed two places to 51^st.

Within the region, the Philippines ranked behind Taiwan (15), Malaysia (42), Timor‑Leste (46), Thailand (54), Sri Lanka (56) and Indonesia (60). It placed ahead of Singapore (68), Hong Kong (90), Cambodia (131), Vietnam (133), Laos (159) and Myanmar (166).

Asia and Australasia recorded an average score of 5.27 in 2025, down from 5.31 a year earlier, marking a sixth straight annual decline. The EIU identified South and Southeast Asia as the primary sources of democratic stress in the region.

The firm said rising political participation has coincided with weakening checks on government power and reduced civil liberties, creating a structural imbalance that continues to weigh on democratic development.

The report also pointed to the expanding use of digital repression across Asia, with governments tightening controls over online speech and access to information. Civil society groups in the Philippines have raised similar concerns in recent years, warning about risks to press freedom and the use of digital rules to suppress dissent.

At the global level, democracy indicators showed signs of leveling off. The worldwide average score edged up to 5.19 in 2025 from 5.17 in 2024, suggesting a pause in a multiyear decline. Seven countries shifted regime classifications, with five moving to higher democratic categories.

The US diverged from the broader trend, with its score falling after Donald J. Trump returned to the presidency in January 2025. The EIU cited weakening government functioning and tighter limits on civil liberties.

The Philippines posted a strong score of 8.33 in political participation, but lagged sharply in the functioning of government, which scored 3.93. Other sub‑pillar scores included 7.83 for electoral process and pluralism, 4.38 for political culture and 7.06 for civil liberties.

“This failure undermines President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s reformist posturing,” Carl Marc L. Ramota, a professor at the University of the Philippines Manila’s Department of Social Sciences, told BusinessWorld.

“Despite halfway through his administration, significant achievements have been lacking, and the situation seems to be deteriorating,” he added.

He said that the 2025 Democracy Index shows challenges in the Philippines, with persistent red-tagging, intimidation and the failure to hold those in power accountable.

“Given the government’s inability to pursue charges against erring politicians and contractors involved in the flood control controversy and other corruption issues, we can only expect the Philippines to decline further in next year’s democracy index,” he said.

Hansley A. Juliano, a political science lecturer at the Ateneo de Manila University, said the mismatch reflects a gap between formal democratic structures and deeper social conditions.

“Certain urban and rural areas with a young and educated, or at least information‑exposed, population are inclined to demand more programmatic ties from leaders,” he said, citing patterns seen during the 2025 midterm elections.

Mr. Juliano said persistent polarization tied to the collapse of the UniTeam coalition and debate over the International Criminal Court’s actions against former President Rodrigo R. Duterte has left the country politically stalled.

At the top of the index, Nordic countries continued to dominate. Norway ranked first with a score of 9.81, followed by New Zealand at 9.62 and Denmark at 9.42. Iceland, Finland, Sweden, Ireland, Switzerland, Canada and Luxembourg completed the top 10.