After more than a decade of erosion, support for democracy has stopped falling and begun a modest but widespread recovery across the Americas.
The findings are detailed in the 2026 Pulse of Democracy, released today by the , part of the University of Notre Dame鈥檚 , and by .
The 2026 AmericasBarometer includes 25,282 interviews across 21 nationally representative surveys in countries across the Americas. The survey examines how citizens perceive and experience democracy and governance, including their views on democratic legitimacy, trust in institutions, corruption, citizen security, migration, political participation and government performance. This year鈥檚 study again includes the United States and Canada alongside Latin America and, for the first time, Cuba.
finds that support for democracy increased across nearly every country surveyed between 2023 and 2026, marking the first broad regional upturn in a generation. Although citizens across much of the region report improvements in economic and physical security, they remain far less convinced that governments are honest, capable and responsive to their needs, highlighting the need to strengthen trust in government and accountability.
鈥淭he findings offer some encouraging signs, but they also underscore the work that remains,鈥� said , acting director of Notre Dame鈥檚 Kellogg Institute and associate professor of sociology and peace studies at the University. 鈥淚mproving people鈥檚 daily lives matters, but strengthening democracy also requires institutions that people trust.鈥�
The report鈥檚 key findings
About two-thirds of Latin Americans express support for democracy in 2026, up 6 percentage points from 2023, according to the report. Support increased in nearly every country and across age groups and educational levels rather than being driven by any single demographic group. Substantial differences remain across countries, however, and the recovery follows nearly a decade of comparatively low democratic support.
In most countries, fewer people say their national economy has worsened compared with 2023, and household food insecurity has declined from its pandemic-era peak. Still, roughly one in four people across the region report experiencing food insecurity, and improvements are unevenly distributed.
The share of people who feel unsafe in their own neighborhoods has been declining steadily for nearly a decade and fell again in 2026. Crime victimization has declined only modestly, however, and substantial differences in experiences with crime remain across countries.
Citizens with greater economic security, less food insecurity, lower exposure to crime and fewer experiences with corruption express higher support for democracy. On average, several of these conditions improved across the region between 2023 and 2026, coinciding with the broader increase in democratic support.
鈥淭he modest recovery in support for democracy is real and encouraging, but it is also fragile,鈥� said Noam Lupu, director of Vanderbilt University鈥檚 Center for Global Democracy and the Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of Political Science. 鈥淧eople are reporting improvements in their economic and physical security, but they still want governments that are honest, capable and responsive.鈥�
Better economic conditions and lower crime rates boost support for democracy. But government failures weaken support.
Citizens who experience greater economic and food security and less crime and corruption express higher support for democracy. But government failures undercut democratic support.
Despite this progress, everyday corruption has changed little, satisfaction with local public services remains low and citizens鈥� evaluations of political leaders vary widely. The findings suggest that improvements in material conditions can bolster democratic goodwill, but persistent failures of governance and representation continue to hold it back.
The share of adults reporting an intention to emigrate fell from 31 percent in 2023 to 25 percent in 2026, returning roughly to pre-pandemic levels. Improving conditions in countries of origin coincide with the decline, while migration pressures remain substantial and vary considerably across countries.
New data and expanded public resources
Alongside the Pulse of Democracy, Vanderbilt鈥檚 Center for Global Democracy and LAPOP Lab released the 2026 AmericasBarometer data and updated , along with questionnaires, technical documentation and other resources, free of charge.
About the AmericasBarometer
The AmericasBarometer is the flagship survey project of Vanderbilt University鈥檚 Center for Global Democracy and its LAPOP Lab, a global leader in comparative public opinion research. Since 2004, it has collected more than 433,000 interviews across 35 countries, creating an extensive comparative record of how citizens across the hemisphere perceive and experience democracy and governance. The surveys use nationally representative samples of voting-age adults and cover topics including democratic legitimacy, trust in institutions, corruption, citizen security, migration, political participation and government performance. In 2025, Vanderbilt partnered with the Kellogg Institute to launch the 2025-26 report.
About the Kellogg Institute
The Kellogg Institute, part of the Keough 91视频 of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame, is a leading center for interdisciplinary research dedicated to understanding, strengthening and renewing democracy worldwide.
About Vanderbilt University鈥檚 Center for Global Democracy
The Center for Global Democracy is Vanderbilt University鈥檚 leading social science institute dedicated to research and innovation in democratic politics. Its research examines how citizens perceive, experience and support democracy across countries and over time. Its research portfolio includes the LAPOP Lab, a global leader in international survey research and home to the AmericasBarometer.
Originally published by聽 at on Sept. 9.
Contact: Tracy DeStazio, associate director of media relations, 574-631-9958 or tdestazi@nd.edu