The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) has launched the Tyranny Tracker — a qualitative democracy index that classifies countries and territories as democratic, hybrid authoritarian, or fully authoritarian.
What sets the Tyranny Tracker apart is its methodology. In contrast to indices that rely mainly on quantitative data, the Tyranny Tracker emphasizes qualitative analysis that captures nuances the numbers often miss.
It highlights executive-led backsliding, such as the forced closure of major media or the skewing of elections to block opposition. The Tyranny Tracker also underscores the role of judicial independence, recognizing that democracy ends when courts can no longer restrain authoritarian executives.
The methodology draws on interviews, academic literature, civil society reports, and over two decades of HRF’s experience defending dissidents. This makes the Tyranny Tracker both rigorous and rooted in lived experience.
For me, the Tyranny Tracker is deeply personal. I was born in North Korea, a country it rightly identifies as fully authoritarian. Growing up under one of the world’s most repressive regimes, I experienced what it means when dissent is criminalized, courts are powerless, and elections are staged rituals. I know what it is like when telling the truth costs a person their freedom. To survive, I learned silence. To dream, I learned secrecy. And yet, I found, even in the darkest places and at the darkest times, cracks appear in the facade of tyranny.
