Governance Mapping

Afghanistan is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and South Asia, with an estimated population of 43.8 million people in 2025. Life expectancy at birth is approximately 66 years, while the country's GDP was estimated at US$17.78 billion in 2024, with a GDP per capita of US$416.90. Afghanistan's Human Capital Index stands at 0.40, reflecting significant challenges in education, health, and productivity. Afghanistan remains one of the world's least developed and heavily indebted poor countries, with decades of conflict, political instability, and economic fragility continuing to constrain development. Since the return of the de facto authorities in 2021, the country's civic space has deteriorated significantly. According to the CIVICUS Monitor (2024), Afghanistan is classified as "Closed," indicating the systematic erosion of fundamental freedoms. Civil society organisations, human rights defenders, journalists, and activists have little or no space to operate independently or safely. Reports document persistent harassment, arbitrary detention, torture, enforced disappearances, and severe restrictions on freedom of expression. Independent media outlets have been raided, closed, or subjected to extensive censorship. The country has also attracted widespread international concern over the institutionalised discrimination against women and girls, with several international organisations and experts describing the current situation as "gender apartheid." These restrictions have severely limited women's access to education, employment, public life, and decision-making, further exacerbating Afghanistan's humanitarian and development challenges. source of data: https://data.worldbank.org/country/afghanistan and https://www.civicus.org/index.php/media-resources/news/united-nations/geneva/7864-afghanistans-civic-space-has-collapsed-civicus-calls-for-urgent-action-at-the-un

Angola is a lower-middle-income country in Southern Africa with an estimated population of 39 million (2025). The country has a GDP per capita of US$3,129.48 (2025) and a life expectancy of 64.8 years (2024). While Angola performs relatively well on social cohesion, stability, non-violence, and freedom of expression according to UNESCO's Intercultural Dialogue Framework, it scores below the global average in governance and citizenship, leadership and organisation, horizontal inequality, and institutional linkages and coherence, highlighting persistent governance challenges. The country is highly urbanised, with 63.2% of the population living in cities, 24.8% in rural areas, and 12.1% in towns (2020). Despite positive indicators in social cohesion, Angola's civic space remains constrained. The CIVICUS Monitor classifies Angola as "Repressed", citing the violent suppression of protests, excessive use of force by security agencies, arbitrary arrests, and restrictive laws limiting freedoms of association, peaceful assembly, and expression. These governance and human rights challenges continue to affect civic participation and democratic accountability. Source: World Bank Data360, UNESCO and CIVICUS monitor

Bangladesh is a lower-middle-income country in South Asia and the eighth most populous country in the world, with an estimated population of 175.7 million (2025). The country has a life expectancy of 75 years, a GDP of US$456.3 billion, and a GDP per capita of US$2,597.30 (2025). Bangladesh is one of the world's leading garment exporters, ranking second only to China. It remains predominantly rural, with 59% of the population living in rural areas and 41% in urban areas (2024). Despite its strong economic growth, Bangladesh's civic space is classified as "Repressed" by the CIVICUS Monitor, reflecting ongoing concerns over restrictions on civil society, the targeting of journalists and activists, limitations on political opposition, police impunity, and the continued use of restrictive laws that constrain freedom of expression and civic participation. Sources: UNCTAD, World Bank Data 360, CIVICUS Monitor, World Data.

Benin is a least developed country in West Africa, with an estimated population of 14.8 million (2025). The country has a life expectancy of 61 years, a GDP of US$24.57 billion, and a GDP per capita of US$1,658.30 (2025). Despite steady economic growth, Benin continues to face significant governance and human rights challenges. The CIVICUS Monitor classifies the country's civic space as "Obstructed," citing increasing restrictions on fundamental freedoms. Civil society organisations have raised concerns over the shrinking civic space, including attacks on independent media, arbitrary arrests of government critics, restrictions on peaceful assembly, discrimination against women and marginalised groups, and forced evictions. Political tensions have also intensified following a failed coup attempt, resulting in numerous prosecutions and arrests under the Court for the Repression of Economic Offences and Terrorism (CRIET), raising further concerns about democratic governance and civic freedoms. Sources: CIVICUS Monitor, World Bank Data

Burkina Faso is a low-income, landlocked country in the Sahel region of West Africa, with an estimated population of 24.1 million (2025), a life expectancy of 61 years (2024), a GDP of US$23.12 billion, and a GDP per capita of approximately US$960 (2024). Trade plays a significant role in the economy, with exports accounting for 28.6% of GDP, imports for 31.9%, and total trade for 60.5% (2024). However, the economy remains highly dependent on agriculture and extractive industries and is vulnerable to insecurity, climate shocks, and commodity price fluctuations. Ranked 186th out of 193 countries on the 2025 Human Development Index, Burkina Faso faces considerable development challenges. The CIVICUS Monitor classifies the country's civic space as "Repressed," reflecting increasing restrictions on civil society, media, and fundamental freedoms. Recent concerns include the suspension of civil society organisations and media outlets, the detention and disappearance of journalists and religious leaders, restrictions on peaceful assembly, and the closure of the UN Human Rights Office, all of which highlight the country's deteriorating governance and human rights environment. Sources: World Data, World Bank Data, CIVICUS Monitor.

Burundi is a landlocked country in East Africa with a population of approximately 14.4 million (2025), a life expectancy of 64 years, a GDP of US$3.36 billion, and a GDP per capita of US$233.8, making it one of the world's lowest-income economies. The country is one of highly densely populated in Africa (528 people/km²), with a predominantly rural population that relies heavily on subsistence agriculture and coffee production, contributing to its low Human Development Index (0.439; ranked 187th globally). Burundi's civic space has deteriorated significantly, with the CIVICUS Monitor downgrading the country from "repressed" to "closed" following the 2025 elections, citing widespread restrictions on freedom of expression, media independence, political participation, and ongoing reports of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, torture, and persecution of journalists, human rights defenders, political opponents, and critics. These governance and human rights challenges continue to constrain democratic participation and civil society engagement. Sources: CIVICUS Monitor, World Bank Data, Our World in Data, Burundi Statistics,

Cambodia is a lower-middle-income country in Southeast Asia with a population of approximately 17.8 million (2025), a life expectancy of 71 years, a GDP of US$51.27 billion, and a GDP per capita of US$2,872.4. The country has experienced sustained economic growth of over 7% annually for more than two decades, transitioning from one of Asia's poorest nations to a lower-middle-income economy, driven primarily by garment and footwear exports, tourism, and agriculture. Despite these gains, Cambodia's civic space is currently rated "repressed" by the CIVICUS Monitor, with restrictive laws, arbitrary arrests, prolonged pretrial detention, suppression of peaceful protests, and limitations on freedom of association, expression, and political participation affecting civil society, journalists, trade unionists, and human rights defenders. These governance challenges continue to constrain civic engagement despite the country's strong economic performance. Sources: CIVICUS Monitor, World Bank Data, Statistics of the World,

The Central African Republic (CAR) is one of the world's most fragile and impoverished countries, with a population of approximately 5.74 million, where agriculture underpins the economy despite widespread poverty, informality, and low life expectancy. Decades of armed conflict, political instability, weak governance, and recurring humanitarian crises have displaced hundreds of thousands of people, disrupted education and essential services, and left much of the population reliant on humanitarian assistance. Climate change further compounds these challenges by threatening agriculture-based livelihoods through droughts, flooding, and environmental degradation, reinforcing cycles of food insecurity, poverty, and displacement. While substantial Official Development Assistance (ODA) supports humanitarian relief, peacebuilding, governance, health, education, food security, and climate resilience, development gains remain constrained by persistent insecurity, inadequate funding, and limited state capacity. Although the 2015 Constitution guarantees freedom of association and civic participation, ongoing conflict and weak institutional presence continue to restrict civic space and hinder effective humanitarian and development interventions.

Costa Rica is a middle-income democratic country in Central America known for its strong civil society engagement. It acts as both a provider and a recipient of development cooperation, focusing on technical assistance through South-South and triangular cooperation. The International Cooperation Policy for 2024-2035 (POLCID-CR) is the current policy framework guiding Costa Rica's development cooperation and implementation of the PNDIP, together with the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The public interest declaration for the SDGs which was in place since 2017 was eliminated in April 2025. The civil society in Costa Rica includes organisations dedicated to environmental protection, indigenous rights, and gender equality. The country is viewed as a model of democracy and political stability in Central America, with laws that protect freedoms of association, peaceful assembly, and expression. However, recent concerns reflected in the 'Narrowed' CIVICUS rating highlight restrictions on protest rights and tensions from austerity measures. Since becoming an OECD member in 2021, Costa Rica has been recognized for its achievements in democratic stability and reversing deforestation, although its GDP per capita remains less than half the OECD average