Which has higher liberal democracy index, Bhutan or Malawi?

Malawi, at 0.462 against 0.457 in Bhutan as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for Bhutan and Malawi?

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 Liberal Democracy Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Bhutan vs Malawi: Liberal Democracy Index

Bhutan

0.457

in 2025

Malawi

0.462

in 2025

Bhutan rank

71st

Malawi rank

70th

Liberal Democracy Index over time

Bhutan
Malawi

How they compare

Malawi currently reports 0.462 against 0.457 in Bhutan, a difference of 0.005.

The two have swapped places 5 times across 126 shared years of data; in 1900 it was Bhutan ahead.

Bhutan ranks 71st and Malawi ranks 70th of 176 countries.

Across the 13 decades both report, Bhutan averaged higher in 10 and Malawi in 3.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Bhutan	Malawi	Difference	Ahead
1900s	0.0628	0.032	0.0308	Bhutan
1910s	0.075	0.0398	0.0352	Bhutan
1920s	0.0758	0.04	0.0358	Bhutan
1930s	0.0788	0.04	0.0388	Bhutan
1940s	0.079	0.04	0.039	Bhutan
1950s	0.1011	0.041	0.0601	Bhutan
1960s	0.1204	0.088	0.0324	Bhutan
1970s	0.1244	0.0828	0.0416	Bhutan
1980s	0.1252	0.077	0.0482	Bhutan
1990s	0.1329	0.2798	0.1469	Malawi
2000s	0.2195	0.3779	0.1584	Malawi
2010s	0.4915	0.4314	0.0601	Bhutan
2020s	0.4707	0.4848	0.0142	Malawi

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher liberal democracy index, Bhutan or Malawi?: Malawi, at 0.462 against 0.457 in Bhutan as of 2025.
What is the difference in liberal democracy index between Bhutan and Malawi?: 0.005, with Malawi ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Bhutan and Malawi?: 126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
How do Bhutan and Malawi rank globally for liberal democracy index?: Bhutan ranks 71st and Malawi ranks 70th of 176 countries.
Where does this data come from?: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Liberal Democracy Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator: Liberal Democracy Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 28,671 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

Central estimate of the extent of suffrage, the freedom and fairness of elections, freedoms of association and expression, individual and minority rights, equality before the law, and executive constraints.