Democracy Tracker Methodology and User Guide: Version 3, April 2026

<jats:p>The Democracy Tracker is a data project that provides event-centric information on democracy developments in 173 countries, with a data series beginning in August 2022. The monthly event reports include (a) a narrative summary of the event; (b) indications of the specific aspects of democracy that have been impacted; (c) the magnitude of the impact on a five-point scale ranging from exceptionally positive to exceptionally negative; (d) links to original sources; and (e) keywords to enable further research. This guide explains the methodology behind the Democracy Tracker and provides recommendations on how it can be used.</jats:p>