Which has higher direct democracy index, Switzerland or Taiwan?

Switzerland, at 0.679 against 0.518 in Taiwan as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for Switzerland and Taiwan?

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.

Switzerland vs Taiwan: Direct Democracy Index

Switzerland

0.679

in 2025

Taiwan

0.518

in 2025

Switzerland rank

1st

Taiwan rank

4th

Direct Democracy Index over time

Switzerland
Taiwan

How they compare

Switzerland currently reports 0.679 against 0.518 in Taiwan, a difference of 0.161.

That makes Switzerland's figure about 1.3 times Taiwan's.

Across all 126 years both countries report, Switzerland has been ahead every year.

Switzerland ranks 1st and Taiwan ranks 4th of 175 countries.

Switzerland has averaged higher in every one of the 13 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Switzerland	Taiwan	Difference	Ahead
1900s	0.6135	0	0.6135	Switzerland
1910s	0.6078	0	0.6078	Switzerland
1920s	0.6707	0	0.6707	Switzerland
1930s	0.6517	0	0.6517	Switzerland
1940s	0.6418	0	0.6418	Switzerland
1950s	0.6584	0	0.6584	Switzerland
1960s	0.6438	0	0.6438	Switzerland
1970s	0.6487	0	0.6487	Switzerland
1980s	0.6708	0	0.6708	Switzerland
1990s	0.6749	0	0.6749	Switzerland
2000s	0.6738	0.1588	0.515	Switzerland
2010s	0.6775	0.2992	0.3783	Switzerland
2020s	0.6747	0.3877	0.287	Switzerland

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher direct democracy index, Switzerland or Taiwan?: Switzerland, at 0.679 against 0.518 in Taiwan as of 2025.
What is the difference in direct democracy index between Switzerland and Taiwan?: 0.161, with Switzerland ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Switzerland and Taiwan?: 126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
How do Switzerland and Taiwan rank globally for direct democracy index?: Switzerland ranks 1st and Taiwan ranks 4th 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.