The Third Wave of Democratization refers to the third major surge of democracy in the 20th century that began in 1974. During this time the number of democratic countries doubled. This steady diffusion of democratic ideology resulted in a situation in which today, some 50 percent of the world’s population lives in a democracy.
The rise of democracy was a result of the failure of totalitarian regimes to deliver economic progress, improved communications technology, and economic dividends of increasing political freedom. However, despite these gains, over the last five years, some of the gains in political freedom have declined.