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Global Civil Society Spaces Shrink Further with Germany Downgraded to 'Impaired'

Research tracks declines in democratic conditions worldwide; it underscores pressures from autocratic forces alongside rising populism.

Overview

  • More than 85% of the global population now lives under restricted, suppressed or closed civic conditions; only 3.5% reside in countries classified as ‘open’.
  • Germany’s civic space rating slipped from ‘open’ to ‘impaired’ in 2024 with tighter restrictions on assemblies and expression, notably affecting climate and social movements.
  • Nine countries, including Poland and Japan, improved their civil society rankings, while nine others such as Georgia and the Netherlands experienced further deterioration.
  • Atlas findings warn that expanding autocratic influence and resurgent populism are eroding rule of law and democratic institutions around the world.
  • Brot für die Welt is calling on Germany’s new government to bolster domestic civic engagement and champion independent courts and free media internationally.