Which has higher direct democracy index, Estonia or Somalia?

Estonia, at 0.038 against 0.033 in Somalia as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for Estonia and Somalia?

126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.

Where does this data come from?

V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Direct Democracy Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Estonia vs Somalia: Direct Democracy Index

Estonia

0.038

in 2025

Somalia

0.033

in 2025

Estonia rank

85th

Somalia rank

86th

Direct Democracy Index over time

Estonia
Somalia

How they compare

Estonia currently reports 0.038 against 0.033 in Somalia, a difference of 0.005.

That makes Estonia's figure about 1.2 times Somalia's.

The two have swapped places 7 times across 126 shared years of data; in 1900 it was Somalia ahead.

Estonia ranks 85th and Somalia ranks 86th of 175 countries.

Across the 13 decades both report, Estonia averaged higher in 9 and Somalia in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Estonia	Somalia	Difference	Ahead
1900s	0	0	0	—
1910s	0	0	0	—
1920s	0.0674	0	0.0674	Estonia
1930s	0.1075	0	0.1075	Estonia
1940s	0.02	0	0.02	Estonia
1950s	0.02	0	0.02	Estonia
1960s	0.02	0.1102	0.0902	Somalia
1970s	0.0239	0.0643	0.0404	Somalia
1980s	0.033	0	0.033	Estonia
1990s	0.1872	0	0.1872	Estonia
2000s	0.2227	0.012	0.2107	Estonia
2010s	0.1175	0.0304	0.0871	Estonia
2020s	0.0432	0.033	0.0102	Estonia

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher direct democracy index, Estonia or Somalia?: Estonia, at 0.038 against 0.033 in Somalia as of 2025.
What is the difference in direct democracy index between Estonia and Somalia?: 0.005, with Estonia ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Estonia and Somalia?: 126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
How do Estonia and Somalia rank globally for direct democracy index?: Estonia ranks 85th and Somalia ranks 86th of 175 countries.
Where does this data come from?: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Direct Democracy Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator: Direct Democracy Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 175 places, 20,802 data points, 1900–2025
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

Measures the extent of how easy it is for citizens to vote on specific issues themselves in popular initiatives, referendums, and plebiscites.