What country is the largest democracy in the world relating to population?

India is the largest democracy being the second most populous country in the world. China has largest population but has a one party government system in power since 1949. The U.S. is the second largest democracy in the world. There are currently 123 democracies in the world of all 192 countries.

The most basic measure of democracy is electoral efficacy. If a nation has free and fair elections, coupled by competing parties with varied representative interests, it can be classified as a democracy. India's democracy by electorate was created after independence in 1947 under the leadership of its nationalist movement, the Indian National Congress. Elections to its Parliament are held once every 5 years.

Factors such as education, corruption, women's and caste issues, environmental policy, leadership strategies, infrastructure, and economy are progressively improving and affecting politics in India. India's influential economy is the fastest growing major global economy in the world by acquiring large, long term investments by foreign companies. Also the country's growing middle class has money to spend, and its youthful population offers huge potential.

More Info: en.wikipedia.org

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74 Comments

William Laughlin

The US is technically not a democracy. Popular vote does not win elections and a small, powerful, select group are in control of our government. Call it an oligarchy or a plutocracy, but democracy, for the time being, is dead in the USA.

Thomas Love

The United States does NOT have a democracy. We are a Constitutional REPUBLIC!

popeyenys

williamrlaughlin, The only problem with your statement is that the group who holds the economic power and owns the media in the last national election lost. The losing side spent twice as much as the winning side. Moreover, those who voted for the current president lived in economically disenfranchised areas like the rust belt and rural areas whereas their opposites lived congregated on the prosperous coasts and a few economically viable cities in the midwest. That is in contradiction to the idea that only the rich and powerful control everything.

Bill Coe

I recently referred to the US as a democracy but was corrected by residents of the US who said that their country was not, in fact, a "democracy" but a "democratic republic". Upon checking the definitions, I have to agree they are correct. The residents of the US do NOT all have an equal voice in an election. They vote for others to vote for them.

Jim Gilbert

I can't believe anyone answered China.

illonabird

Carroll Price, Democracy is the worst form of government aside from everything else. Paraphrasing Winston Churchill.

Glenis Nichols

Guessed correctly, but is India a true democracy?

Joe Mangan

Richard Graham, such as Iran or Saudi Arabia? Or maybe going the whole hog to the ISIS regime? The world has had more than enough of that, and not just in the Islamic world.

Dan Drinkall

Santiago Menxibar, In India even the illiterate can Vote, as the Candidate"s Party is represented by a pictorial symbol. I seem to recall Finger-Printing was used as a way to prevent one person from 'Stuffing the Ballot Box' ,though things might have changed since. However; when it comes to Electronic Voting one only has to recall the Florida results from a while back !

Dan Drinkall

never did get that 'Popular' vote nor 'College' vote. Then there's that 'Mid-Term' business ! ! In Canada we have one Vote and and suffer the consequences of the outcome...for the next 4 Yrs.

Effren Hernandez

Bill Coe, Yea, it's complicated!

Effren Hernandez

Gary Gower, And if the kid survives the first beating, we will beat him a second time (Term).

Effren Hernandez

williamrlaughlin, Just answer the question Sir!...Just kidding!

Joe Mangan

Carroll Price, please list those systems that are better than democracy. Thank you.

Brad Johnston

Popeyenys.....it’s still a plutocracy; don’t try to infer that if one side is super-wealthy, the other side is poor. The background wealth controls either side in the end.