The state of democracy: Global insights from Africa

Recent years have seen unprecedented threats to global democracy, including in countries known for strong democratic institutions. Global freedom declined for the 19th consecutive year in 2024, which also marked the first time in 20 years that there were more non-democratic governments in the world than democratic ones. Across all the regions in the world, nationalist populism, political upheavals, and breakdowns in constitutional order have become increasingly common.  Africa is not exempt from these trends, as seen in recent political disruptions and electoral challenges across the continent.  

Yet these broad trends mask important differences between country experiences, downplaying cases of democratic success and resilience as illustrated by countries such as Mauritius, Botswana, Cabo Verde, and Namibia. On September 15, the International Day of Democracy, Brookings’ Africa Growth Initiative invites you to an online discussion on the factors driving democratic development in African states. The event will feature a fireside chat with Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, speaker of the Namibian National Assembly, who also served as the country’s prime minister from 2015-2025. As one of the top countries in Africa for democratic governance and for women’s political representation, Namibia offers an example for other countries seeking to foster stronger and more accountable institutions.

This fireside chat will be followed by a panel discussion exploring continental and global trends, and highlighting recent research on Ghana, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Zimbabwe.  

There will be opportunities for audience Q&A. Please submit questions via email at [email protected] or by using the hashtag #AfricaStateofDemocracy on X and Bluesky. For additional information, including media inquiries, please contact [email protected].