Middle East Democracy Index 2011
The Economists magazine has released its Democracy Index for 2011 report. It is a comprehensive assessment for 165 independent countries plus 2 territories. Below, from the same report, is a screenshot of the Economist's Comparative data for the Middle East and North Africa:
Although some Middle East countries might have done well according to the above comparative chart, when it comes to democracy - whether elections are free and fair, whether civil liberties are respected, and whether the political culture allows democracy in the fullest sense to flourish - almost all Middle Eastern countries are very lowly ranked: Tunisia - 92, Lebanon - 94, Palestine - 99, Mauritania - 109, Iraq - 112, Egypt - 115, Jordan - 118, Morocco - 119, Kuwait - 122, Libya - 125, Algeria - 130, Oman - 134, Qatar - 138, Bahrain - 144, Djibouti - 147, UAE - 149, Yemen - 150, Sudan - 153, Syria - 157 and Saudi Arabia - 161. Note: depending on a country's ranking, each country is placed, in the report, into one of four categories: full democracy, flawed democracy, hybrid regime or authoritarian regime. Most Middle Eastern countries, according to the report, fall under the last category.
Although some Middle East countries might have done well according to the above comparative chart, when it comes to democracy - whether elections are free and fair, whether civil liberties are respected, and whether the political culture allows democracy in the fullest sense to flourish - almost all Middle Eastern countries are very lowly ranked: Tunisia - 92, Lebanon - 94, Palestine - 99, Mauritania - 109, Iraq - 112, Egypt - 115, Jordan - 118, Morocco - 119, Kuwait - 122, Libya - 125, Algeria - 130, Oman - 134, Qatar - 138, Bahrain - 144, Djibouti - 147, UAE - 149, Yemen - 150, Sudan - 153, Syria - 157 and Saudi Arabia - 161. Note: depending on a country's ranking, each country is placed, in the report, into one of four categories: full democracy, flawed democracy, hybrid regime or authoritarian regime. Most Middle Eastern countries, according to the report, fall under the last category.
