The State of Democracy 2024: Between discontent, deep democratic disparities and calls for reform

Ipsos unveils the results of the “State of Democracy” study conducted from September 13 to 27th, via the Ipsos KnowledgePanel®. In a climate of growing discontent with democracy, this survey offers an in-depth analysis of democratic perceptions in eight Western countries, highlighting significant disparities and a strong demand for systemic reform. Support for the principles of democracy is accompanied by a strong desire to reform the system to make it more responsive to the needs of individuals. Citizens say they are ready to actively engage politically and socially to initiate the necessary changes.

Dissatisfaction with the democratic system

• Despite a modest improvement, citizens continue to be overwhelmingly dissatisfied with the way democracy works in their countries. A significant majority of respondents consider that its functioning has deteriorated in recent years, with the French in the lead, with 74% of them saying that the situation has deteriorated over the past five years (+1 point vs. 2023).
• The dissatisfaction of the French with the democratic functioning of the country's institutions continues to grow and reached 55% this year (+4% vs. 2023). Sweden stands out as the only nation where the majority (68%) of its inhabitants are satisfied with the country's democratic functioning. On the other hand, this feeling is shared by only 18% of the population in Croatia. Poland has seen a marked improvement in this perception after the political change in autumn 2023.

Citizens in most democratic countries are dissatisfied with the actions of their political leaders and more broadly with the functioning of institutions. However, there is no rejection of the democratic principle itself, quite the contrary: citizens simply want changes to make themselves heard better and to have public policies that better correspond to their wishes. 

- Mathieu Gallard, Research Director at Ipsos France

The local level is perceived as the most coherent and effective way to exercise democracy

• Satisfaction is higher at the local or regional level, but it decreases markedly at the national or supra-national level. A large majority of French people (71%) feel well represented by the institutions of their city or village, followed by the Dutch at 64%. At regional level, about 57% of the Dutch and 54% of the French feel well represented by regional authorities. Similarly, local authorities are seen as bringing more concrete results to citizens, especially in France (58%) and Poland (52%).
• Although often perceived as technocratic and distant from the concerns of European citizens, the European Union is ahead of national governments and 1 in 2 people in France, Poland and the Netherlands feel their interests are well represented by the European Union.

NATO and the European Union are seen as defenders of democracy

The public sees the European Union and NATO as the most effective defenders of democracy, enjoying increasing support in most countries compared to the previous year.

• In 2024, Poland (57%, +11 points vs. 2023) and Sweden (49%, +11 points vs. 2023), geographically closer to Russia, have a particularly favorable view of NATO. On the other hand, the perception of the role of the Atlantic Alliance is more nuanced in southern Europe, particularly in Spain (21% in 2024, stable vs. 2023) and Italy (18% in 2024, -1 point vs. 2023).
• The European Union is also perceived as effective in defending democracy in the majority of countries surveyed, with a sharp increase compared to 2023 in Poland (45% in 2024, +20 points), Sweden (47% in 2024, +10 points) and France (32% in 2024, +12 points).

The gap between citizens and elites continues to widen

• Citizens feel a significant gap between themselves and their political leaders, with the belief that the democratic system mainly favours the economic and political elites to their detriment. This feeling is particularly pronounced in France (57%), Italy (60%) and Croatia (77%), where it is strongly shared by the population.

Diversity in civic engagement with democracy and a growing desire for radical reforms

• In several countries, a majority of citizens express a clear desire for a radical transformation of the political system, as in Croatia (70%), Poland (63%), France (56%) and Italy (56%). In contrast, opinions are more divided in the United States, Spain, the Netherlands and Sweden, where a significant part of the population prefers gradual or limited institutional reforms.
• While citizens express a certain scepticism about the functioning of democracy, they remain active at the political and social levels, both at the national and local levels. In all countries, a significant proportion of the population engages in activities other than voting, such as:
  • Sign petitions (31.6% on average)
  • Boycotting products (27.9% on average)
  • Expressing political opinions on social media (16.5% on average)
  • Participating in demonstrations (10.3% on average)

Europeans mostly in favour of the Union but calling for a change in its functioning

• In the European Union countries participating in the study, the EU is generally perceived positively. This feeling is particularly strong in Poland and Sweden, where more than half of citizens share favourable opinions.
• Although opinions on the European Union are generally favourable, a significant proportion of citizens believe that it needs to review the way it operates. On average, nearly 46% of those surveyed share this opinion, with Italians in the lead at 53%, followed by the French at 49%. This feeling is strongly shared in all the countries surveyed. At the same time, only a small fraction of citizens is firmly opposed to the European Union, even if it were to change the way it works in the future.

About this survey

Survey conducted from September 13 to 27, 2024 using KnowledgePanel®, Ipsos' probability panel in Croatia, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and the United States.

The survey was based on nationally representative samples of people aged 18 and over.  It was conducted in the official language of each European country and in English in the United States. Two reminder emails were sent for this study. No information on the subject of the survey was sent to the panelists before the launch of the fieldwork.