The study also highlighted global perspectives on democracy, with 85% of those surveyed believing that democracy is important in their country. However, there is a disconnect between people’s expectations and the reality of government actions. While 58% of respondents expressed satisfaction with the state of democracy in their country, a significant portion were not satisfied. This sentiment was not only present in non-democratic countries but also prevalent in countries with long democratic traditions, such as the United States and Europe. In Hungary, about a third of the population believe they live in a democracy.
The findings of the study also pointed to a shifting focus among Europeans, with a growing emphasis on curbing immigration as opposed to addressing climate change. In Germany, for example, 44% of respondents expressed a desire for their government to prioritize reducing immigration, while only a quarter saw fighting climate change as a priority. This trend was reflected on a global scale, with only 14% of respondents seeing climate change as one of the top three priorities for their government, despite 33% believing it to be one of the world’s main challenges.
The Democracy Perception Index was based on nearly 63,000 interviews conducted in 53 countries, offering a broad perspective on global attitudes towards democracy. The margin of error for the study was around 2.9 percentage points, providing a reliable representation of public opinion. The results indicated that while the majority of people value democracy in their country, there is a significant portion that feels disillusioned with the state of democracy. This sentiment was not confined to specific regions, highlighting a widespread trend of dissatisfaction with government actions.
Overall, the study shed light on the complex relationship between public opinion and government priorities. While a majority of respondents expressed the importance of democracy, there was a clear disconnect between expectations and reality. This was evident in both democratic and non-democratic countries, indicating a global trend of dissatisfaction with government actions. The findings also highlighted the shifting priorities among Europeans, with a growing focus on curbing immigration over addressing climate change. Despite global recognition of climate change as a major challenge, only a small percentage of people saw it as a top priority for their government.
