This Small Nation Has the Strongest Democracy

Uruguay, in South America, is the strongest democracy in the Americas, with low poverty rates and social safety nets comparable to European countries, partly because no entrenched aristocracy or marked social hierarchy took hold, giving it a solid historic advantage.

“Economic inequality generates instability. It’s like a pressure cooker,” explains Javier Rodríguez Weber, an economic historian at the University of the Republic in Montevideo. “In Uruguay, there is less tolerance for inequality than in other countries.”

More than 60% of Uruguay’s population is part of the middle class – the largest in the Americas. With a population of 3 million people and no marked social hierarchy dating back to the colonial period contrary to other parts of Latin America, Uruguay has long rejected politicians looking to profit from extreme polarization. So instead of undoing the work of previous governments, new administrations simply tweak details. There, you can find free and universal education, public health care, strong unions, and a solid social security system, all reflecting Uruguayan ethos nadie es más que nadie: nobody is worth more than anybody else. Uruguay is number one in the Americas – and 11^th in the world – on the Economist Intelligence Unit’s 2022 Democracy Index due to its electoral processes, political participation, culture, and civil liberties.