India has been ranked 38th among 165 nations in the Economist magazine's Index of Democracy 2012 with an overall score of 7.52. In addition to that, India has also been provided handsome scores for electoral process and pluralism (9.58) and Civil liberties (9.41).
The top three countries in the list are Norway (9.93) Sweden (9.73) and Iceland 9.65, whereas the United States is ranked 21st with an overall score of 8.11 in the fifth edition of the Index prepared by the London weekly focusing on international politics and business.
Keeping in mind the wide inconsistencies in democratic development across Asia, the report says "although parts of the region - from North Korea and Laos, to Vietnam and China - are still entrenched authoritarian regimes, the past couple of decades have seen the spread of democracy in the region overall."
Over the past decade, approximately 20 Asian countries have held elections of which many have undergone peaceful transitions in government.
"Despite its problems, India remains the world's most populous democracy," the report said noting. "Yet even in the democratic countries, there are often significant problems in the functioning of political systems."
"The US and the UK remain at the bottom end of the full democracy category," the report said. "The US democracy has been adversely affected by a deepening of the polarisation of the political scene and political brinkmanship and paralysis. The UK is beset by a deep institutional crisis."
"The unprecedented rise of movements for democratic change across the Arab world led many to expect a new wave of democratization," it said. "But it has become apparent that democracy in the region remains a highly uncertain prospect."
Popular confidence in political institutions continues to decrease in several European countries, it said noting in Eastern Europe democracy declined in 10 countries in 2012.
-With inputs from IANS
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