Press freedom erosion drives widening global impunity gap
Eurasia Group's Atlas of Impunity report reveals a widening gap between accountable and impunity-prone countries, driven largely by the erosion of press freedom and unaccountable governance. The report identifies four structural drivers, including economic rebalancing and technological change, that erode accountability pillars. It also highlights the US as a bellwether where policy changes impact global accountability networks.
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Eurasia Group and an expert advisory board today launched the fourth edition of The Atlas of Impunity, a comprehensive global measure of abuse of power and accountability. The report finds the gap between the most accountable and most impunity-prone countries is widening to its largest level on record, with declining press freedom identified as a central driver. This erosion of accountability poses a material concern for business leaders, activists, and policymakers by impacting investment environments and the rule of law.
The Atlas ranks nearly 200 countries and territories across five metrics: abuse of human rights, unaccountable governance, conflict and violence, economic exploitation, and environmental degradation. It defines impunity as the exercise of power without accountability. While the global average impunity score has remained flat since 2020, the distribution is becoming increasingly polarized, with accountability deteriorating in the most repressive and conflict-ridden states.
Key Findings of the 2025 Report
The report highlights six key learnings regarding the state of global impunity. Unaccountable governance, specifically the erosion of press freedoms, personal liberties, and democratic political culture, serves as the primary engine of rising impunity across all countries and regions. Additionally, the toll of global conflict is highly concentrated in a handful of high-impunity territories, despite a sharp rise in active conflicts and state-based battle fatalities globally.
Structural Drivers of Impunity
Countering impunity requires addressing four macro-trends that systematically erode the pillars of global accountability:
| Structural Driver | Description |
|---|---|
| Global economic rebalancing | Empowers autocratic regimes and a rising class of ultrawealthy elites. |
| Rapid technological change | Expands the toolkit of those employing repression and evading consequences. |
| Advancing illiberalism | Occurs within democratic states and through transnational authoritarian networks. |
| "G-Zero" leadership deficit | Allows regional conflicts to emerge and rules to be broken without effective guardrails. |
Pillars of Accountability
The Atlas identifies four essential pillars of accountability that are weakened by the causes of impunity: rules and norms for acceptable conduct, a high-quality information environment, a system of deliberation for alleged violations, and just consequences delivered through fair mechanisms. The report also notes that the United States emerged as a bellwether, where its policies are both a cause and consequence of global impunity, driven by eroding public administration and rising inequality under the second Trump administration.
The Atlas is developed in partnership between Eurasia Group and a global advisory board of human rights experts, with financial support from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation. The full report is available at atlasofimpunity.com.
How might the widening gap in accountability indices influence foreign direct investment flows toward emerging markets?
What specific regulatory frameworks can businesses adopt to mitigate risks associated with the erosion of press freedom and rule of law?
How will the 'G-Zero' leadership deficit likely impact the effectiveness of international sanctions in high-impunity territories?
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