Morocco Leads Arab Countries in Democracy Index for 2025, Surpassing Tunisia and Kuwait
Ahmed Osar/
Recent data released by Visual Capitalist for 2025 concerning the Global Democracy Index indicates that the Kingdom of Morocco has ranked first among Arab countries, exceeding Tunisia, which has long competed for this position. According to the infographic published by Al Jazeera Economy based on this data, Morocco scored 4.97, placing it in the “Hybrid Regimes” category. While this classification does not yet attain the level of “flawed” or “full democracy,” it positions Morocco at the forefront of the Arab political landscape in terms of openness and democratic practice compared to its regional peers.
Notable Maghreb Superiority
The ranking reveals a strong presence of Maghreb countries in the top three positions, with Tunisia taking second place with a score of 4.71, followed by Mauritania in third place with 3.96 points. This arrangement indicates a clear disparity between the Maghreb region and other areas in the Middle East and the Gulf.
Ranking of Other Countries
Conversely, the majority of Arab countries are classified as “authoritarian” (scoring below 4 points). Lebanon ranked fourth (3.56), followed closely by Algeria (3.55). Gulf countries occupied mid-list positions, with Kuwait at 14th and Qatar at 8th, while Saudi Arabia positioned itself at 18th.
Bottom of the List
At the bottom of the rankings are countries facing armed conflicts and political instability, with Sudan in 20th place and Syria at 21st with a mere score of 1.32 points, while Somalia’s data was absent.
The index relies on precise criteria that encompass the electoral process, pluralism, government performance, and political participation, categorizing countries into four groups ranging from authoritarianism to full democracy.
