https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Economist_Democracy_Index

Resolution criteria

The market resolves based on Burkina Faso's classification in The Economist Democracy Index 2026 report. Countries are classified as: full democracies (8.01–10.00), flawed democracies (6.01–8.00), hybrid regimes (4.01–6.00), or authoritarian regimes (below 4.00). The 2026 report will be published by the Economist Intelligence Unit and should be accessible via their official website or major news outlets covering the release.

Background

In the 2024 Democracy Index, Burkina Faso scored 2.55 and ranked 137th, placing it in the authoritarian regime category. Two successive military coups in 2022 plunged Burkina Faso into political crisis, eliminating many of the significant political reforms that had been implemented after the 2014–15 transition. The ruling junta has acted unilaterally to entrench itself in power, postponing elections indefinitely and suppressing dissent, with the military leader signing a new transitional charter in May that postponed the end of the transitional period by another five years, to 2029.

Considerations

The 2024 edition recorded an average global score of 5.17—the lowest since inception—amid rising conflicts, polarization, and erosion of civil liberties. Given Burkina Faso's trajectory and the global democratic decline, movement between regime categories would require significant political changes. The 2026 index will reflect conditions through 2025.