Country profile
Argentina
República Argentina
South America · Latin America and the Caribbean · Americas
AR · ARG
- Capital
- Buenos Aires
- Population
- 46,735,004
- Area
- 2,780,400 km²
- Democracy index
- 71
- Regime type
- Fragmented Democracy
Events
Ballots from Argentina
The latest elections, referendums, and opinion polls from Argentina. Community totals are not official results.
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Classification
Democracy profile
The score and regime label are assigned by Porto Voto using our in-house democracy index and classification framework, not ratings from governments or external agencies.
Democracy index
71/100
Regime type
Fragmented Democracy
Argentina is currently categorized as a fragmented democracy, defined by a profound political shift under President Javier Milei that has tested the resilience of its institutional framework. Following a decisive midterm election victory in late 2025, the Milei administration entered 2026 with a strengthened mandate to pursue radical structural reforms, yet it continues to govern with a parliamentary minority and no provincial governors from its own coalition. This has led to a reliance on executive decrees and a confrontational governance style that has deepened social polarization. While the 2026 BTI Transformation Index recognizes Argentina as a defective democracy with free and fair elections, it highlights significant concerns regarding the rule of law and the safety of dissent. The implementation of the Anti-Piquete Protocol has enabled more repressive responses to protests, such as the police intervention during the March 2026 university funding demonstrations, which resulted in numerous arbitrary arrests. Additionally, the president's hostile rhetoric toward journalists and minority groups has raised alarms about the narrowing space for pluralism. Despite these pressures, the judiciary and the legislature have occasionally acted as checks on executive power, notably seen in the March 2026 rejection of key judicial reforms by the Senate, ensuring the system remains functionally democratic despite severe internal friction.
Last evaluation:
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Country background
A concise introduction to Argentina, together with notes on how power and law are organized, to put local ballots in context.
In 1816, the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata declared their independence from Spain. After Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay went their separate ways, the area that remained became Argentina. European immigrants heavily shaped the country's population and culture, with Italy and Spain providing the largest percentage of newcomers from 1860 to 1930.
Until about the mid-20th century, much of Argentina's history was dominated by periods of internal political unrest and conflict between civilian and military factions. After World War II, former President Juan Domingo PERÓN -- the founder of the Peronist political movement -- introduced an era of populism, serving three non-consecutive terms in office until his death in 1974. Direct and indirect military interference in government throughout the PERÓN years led to a military junta taking power in 1976.
In 1982, the junta failed in its bid to seize the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) by force from the United Kingdom. Democracy was reinstated in 1983 and has persisted despite numerous challenges, the most formidable of which was a severe economic crisis in 2001-02 that led to violent public protests and the successive resignations of several presidents. The years 2003-15 saw Peronist rule by Néstor KIRCHNER (2003-07) and his spouse Cristina FERNÁNDEZ DE KIRCHNER (2007-15), who oversaw several years of strong economic growth (2003-11) followed by a gradual deterioration in the government’s fiscal situation and eventual economic stagnation and isolation.
Argentina underwent a brief period of economic reform and international reintegration under Mauricio MACRI (2015-19), but a recession in 2018-19 and frustration with MACRI’s economic policies ushered in a new Peronist government in 2019 led by President Alberto FERNÁNDEZ and Vice President Cristina FERNÁNDEZ DE KIRCHNER. Argentina's high public debts, its pandemic-related inflationary pressures, and systemic monetary woes served as the catalyst for the 2023 elections, culminating with President Javier MILEI's electoral success. Argentina has since eliminated half of its government agencies and is seeking shock therapy to amend taxation and monetary policies.