In the latest Democracy Index report, published by The Economist Intelligence Unit, Mozambique rose four places and now ranks 113th out of 167 countries assessed. Despite this rise, the country kept the same score as the previous year.
The Democracy Index is an annual analysis of the state of democracy in 167 countries, based on five categories: Electoral Process and Pluralism, Functioning of Government, Political Participation, Political Culture and Civil Liberties. Mozambique, with a final score of 3.51, is below the Sub-Saharan Africa regional average of 4.04, ranking 23rd out of 44 nations in this region.
Among the categories assessed, Mozambique stood out in "Political Participation" and "Political Culture", both with five points, but in other indicators it received lower ratings, which shows the need for improvement in several respects.
Globally, the top of the index is dominated by the Nordic countries, with Norway leading, followed by New Zealand and Iceland. As for Sub-Saharan Africa, Mauritius heads the regional ranking, being the only country considered a full democracy in the region.
Despite the challenges, Mozambique's presence in this index and its rise in the ranking reflect a context of constant assessment and potential for democratic development. The country is ahead of nations such as Zimbabwe and Eswatini, but still behind neighbours such as Tanzania and Zambia, indicating significant room for progress in consolidating democracy.
