If we use Freedom House’s 2026 classification and define the Middle East as its 13-country regional grouping, the answer is 1 clear democracy: Israel. 🇮🇱 Israel — Free (73/100) — parliamentary, multiparty democracy. 🇱🇧 Lebanon — Partly Free (41/100) — has elections and political pluralism but does not meet the standard of a full democracy. 🇹🇳 Tunisia — Partly Free (42/100) — democratic institutions have substantially eroded since 2021. 🇯🇴 Jordan — Partly Free 🇮🇶 Iraq — Not Free 🇰🇼 Kuwait — Not Free 🇹🇷 Turkey — Not Free 🇮🇷 Iran — Not Free 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia — Not Free 🇦🇪 UAE — Not Free 🇧🇭 Bahrain — Not Free 🇾🇪 Yemen — Not Free 🇸🇾 Syria — Not Free So, roughly 1 out of 13 Middle Eastern countries (about 8%) is classified as “Free.” Freedom House’s 2026 report specifically describes the region as dominated by entrenched authoritarian rule. Important caveat: “democracy” depends on the definition. If you count countries that hold competitive elections but have serious institutional or civil-liberty problems, you could get a higher number—particularly if you include Lebanon and Iraq. But under a relatively strict definition of functioning liberal democracy, Israel is the only clear case in the Middle East.