Is India the Second Most Satisfying Democracy for Citizens?

New Delhi, July 5 (NationPress) In a remarkable finding, India, recognized as the world’s largest democracy, secures the second spot globally, with 74 percent of its citizens expressing satisfaction with the performance of their representative governance system, according to a survey released by the Pew Research Centre (PRC) on Saturday.

Citing India as a bright beacon amidst a generally negative public sentiment towards democracy in 12 high-income nations, the “Spring 2025 Global Attitudes Survey” from PRC indicates that India, home to over 99 crore voters, is only surpassed by Sweden, where 75 percent of people are satisfied, among the 23 countries analyzed.

The survey highlights that perceptions of the economy significantly influence citizens' satisfaction with democracy. PRC noted, “Countries where a significant portion of the public views the economy positively also report higher satisfaction with their democracy.” This places India among five nations where citizens express high levels of contentment regarding both their democracy and economic conditions.

Alongside India, other nations like Indonesia, Mexico, the Netherlands, and Sweden also show relatively high satisfaction with their democratic processes and economic health, according to PRC.

In Indonesia, for instance, 66 percent of the populace is pleased with democracy, while 51 percent in Mexico and 60 percent in the Netherlands share this sentiment.

In addition, PRC reported that since 2024, satisfaction with democracy has experienced declines in five countries—Israel, Japan, Kenya, Poland, and South Korea—but has increased in five others, including Canada, Germany, South Africa, the UK, and the US.

Across all 23 countries surveyed, a median of 58 percent of adults express dissatisfaction with their democratic systems, while 42 percent feel satisfied. Specifically, in the 12 high-income countries—Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, the UK, and the US—a median of 64 percent of adults report dissatisfaction, compared to 35 percent who are satisfied.

Changes in satisfaction levels correlate with national elections. In four countries where elections occurred between the 2024 and 2025 surveys, perceptions shifted among partisan groups, reflecting the election outcomes: generally, supporters of victorious parties expressed higher satisfaction with democracy.

In the UK, for example, the Labour Party regained a parliamentary majority after 14 years of Conservative rule, leading to a notable increase in satisfaction among Labour supporters, while Conservative sentiments remained largely unchanged, as per PRC.

In the US, Republicans retained their House majority and gained control of the Senate and presidency. Since PRC’s 2024 survey, Republican satisfaction with democracy has risen significantly, while it has seen a marked decline among Democrats.