Which Countries Have Authoritarian Governments?

Authoritarian Government Defined

An authoritarian government is a political system in which power is concentrated in the hands of a single leader, ruling party, or small elite group, with limited accountability to the public. In these systems, citizens typically have restricted influence over national leadership, and elections—if they are held—often lack meaningful competition, transparency, or fairness. Political opposition may face legal barriers, harassment, or outright bans.

Civil liberties such as freedom of speech, press, assembly, and political participation are usually constrained under authoritarian rule. Independent institutions—courts, legislatures, and media—tend to have reduced ability to check executive power. While authoritarian governments can differ in structure and ideology, they share a common feature: political authority is maintained through centralized control rather than broad democratic participation.

Countries Classified as Authoritarian

According to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index, countries classified as “authoritarian” receive the lowest overall scores across measures such as electoral process, functioning of government, political participation, political culture, and civil liberties. In these systems, elections—if held at all—lack meaningful competition, opposition parties face significant barriers, and power is concentrated in the hands of a single leader, ruling party, or military authority.

Countries currently categorized as authoritarian span multiple regions, including parts of East Asia, the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, Central Asia, and Latin America. Examples include China, Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, North Korea, Myanmar, and Venezuela, among many others. While political structures differ—ranging from single-party states to military regimes or absolute monarchies—these governments share common traits: limited civil liberties, constrained media environments, and restricted political pluralism.

How Authoritarian Governments Rise and Persist

Authoritarian governments come to power through several common pathways. Some emerge from military coups, where armed forces seize control and suspend democratic institutions. Others consolidate authority gradually, as elected leaders weaken courts, restrict media, and sideline opposition until meaningful competition no longer exists. In still other cases—such as absolute monarchies or one-party states—power is inherited or maintained through tightly controlled political systems that never allowed open electoral competition to begin with.

Once in place, authoritarian systems tend to persist by limiting political opposition and controlling key institutions. Independent media outlets may be restricted or state-controlled, civil society organizations may face legal pressure, and electoral rules can be structured to ensure predictable outcomes. Over time, these mechanisms reduce the likelihood of leadership turnover and concentrate decision-making authority within a narrow circle of elites. While some regimes rely heavily on coercion, others maintain stability through patronage networks, economic management, or appeals to national identity and security.

Types of Authoritarian Governments

Authoritarian governments take several structural forms, though they share a common feature: the concentration of power in the hands of a small group or a single leader. Political scientists typically classify authoritarian regimes into personalist systems, dominant party regimes, military governments, and monarchies.

Absolute Monarchy

In absolute monarchies such as Saudi Arabia, political authority is held by a hereditary ruler. Power is centralized within a royal family, and key decisions are made without electoral accountability or broad public participation.

Military Regime

In military regimes, senior officers or the armed forces directly control the government. Countries such as Myanmar have experienced periods where military leadership dominates lawmaking, executive decisions, and national policy.

Dominant Party or Ideological Regime

In dominant party systems like China or Iran, a single political party maintains long-term control over state institutions. Elections may exist, but meaningful competition is limited. Media, civil society, and political participation are structured in ways that reinforce the ruling party’s authority.