Taiwan ranks 7th globally for civic participation

台灣公民參與度全球排名第7

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan ranked seventh globally for civic participation in 2025, while its parliamentary oversight improved and judicial independence declined, CNA reported Tuesday.

The Stockholm-based International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance released its “Global State of Democracy 2026” report, which assesses areas including judicial independence, credible elections, freedom of expression, and access to justice.

Taiwan tied with Finland for seventh place in civic participation, unchanged from the previous year. The measure assesses how actively people participate in political and civic life.

Taiwan was also one of only 13 countries worldwide to improve in parliamentary oversight. Other Asia-Pacific countries recording gains included Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Tajikistan, and Thailand.

However, Taiwan’s performance in judicial independence declined in 2025. Taiwan and the US moved from the top-performing group to the middle-performing group, while Argentina, Belgium, India, and Nigeria also recorded declines.

The report also warned that regional security tensions could place additional pressure on democratic governance. It cited tensions involving India and Pakistan, Cambodia and Thailand, and the Taiwan Strait in 2025 as areas of concern.

International IDEA was founded by 14 countries in 1995 to promote elections and strengthen democratic institutions. It now has more than 30 member countries. The US, previously an observer, withdrew this year.