Which has higher direct democracy index, Paraguay or Zambia?

Paraguay, at 0.072 against 0.065 in Zambia as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for Paraguay and Zambia?

115 years are reported by both, from 1911 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.

Paraguay vs Zambia: Direct Democracy Index

Paraguay

0.072

in 2025

Zambia

0.065

in 2025

Paraguay rank

70th

Zambia rank

73rd

Direct Democracy Index over time

Paraguay
Zambia

How they compare

Paraguay currently reports 0.072 against 0.065 in Zambia, a difference of 0.007.

That makes Paraguay's figure about 1.1 times Zambia's.

The two have swapped places 7 times across 115 shared years of data; in 1911 it was Zambia ahead.

Paraguay ranks 70th and Zambia ranks 73rd of 175 countries.

Across the 12 decades both report, Paraguay averaged higher in 4 and Zambia in 5.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Paraguay	Zambia	Difference	Ahead
1910s	0	0	0	—
1920s	0	0	0	—
1930s	0.01	0	0.01	Paraguay
1940s	0.01	0	0.01	Paraguay
1950s	0	0	0	—
1960s	0	0.002	0.002	Zambia
1970s	0	0.02	0.02	Zambia
1980s	0	0.02	0.02	Zambia
1990s	0.0264	0.0299	0.0035	Zambia
2000s	0.033	0.031	0.002	Paraguay
2010s	0.1315	0.067	0.0645	Paraguay
2020s	0.092	0.0932	0.0012	Zambia

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher direct democracy index, Paraguay or Zambia?: Paraguay, at 0.072 against 0.065 in Zambia as of 2025.
What is the difference in direct democracy index between Paraguay and Zambia?: 0.007, with Paraguay ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Paraguay and Zambia?: 115 years are reported by both, from 1911 to 2025.
How do Paraguay and Zambia rank globally for direct democracy index?: Paraguay ranks 70th and Zambia ranks 73rd 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.