V-Dem Report highlights Dominican Republic’s democratic stability and growth under Abinader

Santo Domingo.- President Luis Abinader has positioned the Dominican Republic as a leading example of democratic progress, according to the V-Dem Institute Democracy Report 2026, which highlights the country as one of the few strengthening its institutions amid a global democratic decline.

The report warns that democracy worldwide has fallen to levels not seen since 1978, with more autocracies than democracies and nearly 74% of the global population living under non-democratic systems. In this context, the Dominican Republic stands out as part of a small group of nations improving the quality of their political systems.

According to the study, only eight countries are currently undergoing independent democratization processes, all of which were already democratic. Among them, the Dominican Republic is listed as one of just three cases—alongside Sri Lanka and Solomon Islands—that are deepening democracy through sustained institutional strengthening.

While five countries transitioned from autocracy to democracy by 2025, the Dominican Republic is among those continuing to refine and reinforce an already democratic system. In a region with mixed democratic trends, the country stands out for its stability and institutional progress.

The report also notes that global democratization has stagnated for more than 15 years, with only 18 countries improving compared to 44 experiencing democratic decline, underscoring the significance of the Dominican Republic’s progress.