Maps
Mapped: 200 Years of Political Regimes, by Country
Mapped: 200 Years of Political Regimes, by Country
Do civilians get a representative say in how the government is run where you live?
While it might seem like living with a basic level of democratic rights is the status quo, this is only true for 93 countries or territories todayโthe majority of the world does not enjoy these rights.
It also might surprise you that much of the progress towards democracy came as late as the mid-20th century. This interactive map from Our World in Data paints a comprehensive picture of democratic rights across the globe.
Which Countries Achieved Democracy First?
The three famous first words in the U.S. ConstitutionโโWe The Peopleโฆโโpaved the way for the birth of a federal democratic republic in 1789. This makes the United States of America the worldโs oldest uninterrupted democracy today.
That said, the classification system in the interactive map above provides a slightly different perspective. It draws from the Regimes of the World (RoW) classification and the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) project, and establishes four major classifications of political systems:
- Liberal Democracy
Citizens have further individual and minority rights, are equal before the law, and the actions of the executive are constrained by the legislative and the courts.
32 countries/territories in 2020 - Electoral Democracy
Citizens have the right to participate in meaningful, free and fair, and multi-party elections.
61 countries/territories in 2020 - Electoral Autocracy
Citizens have the right to choose the chief executive and the legislature through multi-party elections; but they lack some freedoms, such as the freedoms of association or expression, that make the elections meaningful, free, and fair.
64 countries/territories in 2020 - Closed Autocracy
Citizens do not have the right to either choose the chief executive of the government or the legislature through multi-party elections.
42 countries/territories in 2020
Under the classification system used here, it’s arguable that Switzerland was the first country to achieve a fully liberal democracy status in 1849, followed by Australia in 1858.
The Least Democratic Countries
Our World in Data also looks at how the global population breaks down by political regime.
The following chart demonstrates the share of the global population living under each type of regime since 1800, in relative or absolute terms.
While the global population has increased tremendously in 200 years, so has the number of civilians living under stricter political systems. Today, 1.9 billion people live in closed autocracies, of which nearly 75% live in China alone.
The major dip observed at the very end of the above chart comes from India. According to the data source, the nation flipped from electoral democracy to electoral autocracy status in 2019. As the second-most populous country, this change affected nearly 1.4 billion people.
Finally, while the data in the above maps and charts ends in 2020, notable events have taken place in recent months that may affect the number of people living in different political regimes.
The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in mid-2021 caused the country to slide into closed autocracy status, and as the current conflict in Ukraine/Russia heats up, it’s possible that more people may find themselves living under non-democratic regimes going forward.

This article was published as a part of Visual Capitalist's Creator Program, which features data-driven visuals from some of our favorite Creators around the world.
Misc
Ranked: The Cities with the Most Skyscrapers in 2023
We rank the world’s leading cities with the most skyscrapers, highlighting China’s remarkable dominance in building vertically.

Ranked: The Cities with the Most Skyscrapers in 2023
When it comes to soaring skylines and architectural marvels, no country has embraced the vertical revolution quite like China.
In this graphic, which uses data from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), we reveal the 25 cities with the most skyscrapers and supertall buildings globally.
Unsurprisingly, China’s cities dominate the list, solidifying the country’s reputation as a global powerhouse of tall buildings.
The 25 Top Cities by Skyscraper Count
Topping the charts is Hong Kong, with an impressive 657 skyscrapers, including six supertalls (buildings over 300 meters tall).
Rank | City | Country | Skyscrapers (>150m) | Supertalls (>300m) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Hong Kong | ๐จ๐ณ China | 657 | 6 |
2 | Shenzhen | ๐จ๐ณ China | 513 | 16 |
3 | New York City | ๐บ๐ธ United States | 421 | 16 |
4 | Dubai | ๐ฆ๐ช United Arab Emirates | 395 | 28 |
5 | Guangzhou | ๐จ๐ณ China | 254 | 11 |
6 | Shanghai | ๐จ๐ณ China | 250 | 5 |
7 | Kuala Lumpur | ๐ฒ๐พ Malaysia | 211 | 5 |
8 | Chongqing | ๐จ๐ณ China | 205 | 5 |
9 | Tokyo | ๐ฏ๐ต Japan | 200 | 0 |
10 | Wuhan | ๐จ๐ณ China | 183 | 5 |
11 | Chicago | ๐บ๐ธ United States | 178 | 7 |
12 | Jakarta | ๐ฎ๐ฉ Indonesia | 160 | 1 |
13 | Chengdu | ๐จ๐ณ China | 150 | 0 |
14 | Bangkok | ๐น๐ญ Thailand | 133 | 3 |
15 | Shenyang | ๐จ๐ณ China | 129 | 3 |
16 | Singapore | ๐ธ๐ฌ Singapore | 128 | 0 |
17 | Nanning | ๐จ๐ณ China | 122 | 6 |
18 | Mumbai | ๐ฎ๐ณ India | 114 | 0 |
19 | Tianjin | ๐จ๐ณ China | 109 | 3 |
20 | Nanjing | ๐จ๐ณ China | 108 | 7 |
21 | Toronto | ๐จ๐ฆ Canada | 106 | 0 |
22 | Busan | ๐ฐ๐ท South Korea | 106 | 4 |
23 | Seoul | ๐ฐ๐ท South Korea | 104 | 2 |
24 | Changsha | ๐จ๐ณ China | 97 | 5 |
25 | Melbourne | ๐ฆ๐บ Australia | 94 | 1 |
Hong Kong, along with Shenzhen (#2), and Guangzhou (#5) are part of the burgeoning megacity known as the Pearl River Delta, which is home to over 1,500 skyscrapers. This is even more impressive when considering that Shenzhen was a small fishing village until the 1970s.
New York City secures the third position on the list, boasting an impressive tally of 421 skyscrapers. Although it may have relinquished its title to Chinese cities, the city’s skyline endures as a globally renowned symbol, prominently featuring the iconic Empire State Building. Notably, while the Empire State Building enjoys widespread familiarity, it no longer ranks among the world’s 50 tallest structures.
Rounding out the top five is Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, which grabs the fourth position with 395 skyscrapers, a staggering 28 of which are supertalls. This desert oasis has become synonymous with grandiose architecture and record-breaking structures, exemplified by the Burj Khalifa, which is the world’s current tallest building at 828 meters (2,715 ft).
China’s Numbers in Context
Looking at this data from another perspective, China actually has more skyscrapers on this list than the rest of the world combined.
Country | Cities in Top 25 | Skyscrapers | Supertalls |
---|---|---|---|
๐จ๐ณ China | 12 | 2777 | 72 |
๐ Rest of World | 13 | 2350 | 67 |
China’s rapid urbanization, economic growth, and ambitious construction projects have fueled this impressive feat. There’s no doubt that the country’s relentless pursuit of vertical development, coupled with its booming population and thriving cities, has positioned China as the unrivaled leader in the global skyscraper race.
The Future of the Global Skyline
As the world continues to reach new heights in architectural marvels, there are even more supertall skyscrapers in the pipeline that will reshape skylines across the globe.
From the soaring Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia, poised to surpass the Burj Khalifa as the world’s tallest building, to the remarkable Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur, which is set to claim the title of the world’s second-tallest structure when it opens in June 2023, these projects will captivate city dwellers for years to come.
Even as these new monumental buildings rise, China’s prominence in the world of skyscrapersโwith three cities in the top five globallyโis likely to remain unchallenged.
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