Which has higher liberal democracy index, Iran, Islamic Rep. or Lao PDR?

Lao PDR, at 0.11 against 0.103 in Iran, Islamic Rep. as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for Iran, Islamic Rep. and Lao PDR?

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.

Iran, Islamic Rep. vs Lao PDR: Liberal Democracy Index

Iran, Islamic Rep.

0.103

in 2025

Lao PDR

0.11

in 2025

Iran, Islamic Rep. rank

137th

Lao PDR rank

135th

Liberal Democracy Index over time

Iran, Islamic Rep.
Lao PDR

How they compare

Lao PDR currently reports 0.11 against 0.103 in Iran, Islamic Rep., a difference of 0.007.

That makes Lao PDR's figure about 1.1 times Iran, Islamic Rep.'s.

The two have swapped places 6 times across 126 shared years of data; in 1900 it was Lao PDR ahead.

Iran, Islamic Rep. ranks 137th and Lao PDR ranks 135th of 176 countries.

Across the 13 decades both report, Iran, Islamic Rep. averaged higher in 5 and Lao PDR in 8.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Iran, Islamic Rep.	Lao PDR	Difference	Ahead
1900s	0.0206	0.065	0.0444	Lao PDR
1910s	0.0365	0.065	0.0285	Lao PDR
1920s	0.0382	0.065	0.0268	Lao PDR
1930s	0.0387	0.065	0.0263	Lao PDR
1940s	0.0851	0.0809	0.0042	Iran, Islamic Rep.
1950s	0.0853	0.1368	0.0515	Lao PDR
1960s	0.0767	0.1252	0.0485	Lao PDR
1970s	0.0817	0.0991	0.0174	Lao PDR
1980s	0.0941	0.0712	0.0229	Iran, Islamic Rep.
1990s	0.1279	0.0871	0.0408	Iran, Islamic Rep.
2000s	0.1393	0.0884	0.0509	Iran, Islamic Rep.
2010s	0.128	0.0916	0.0364	Iran, Islamic Rep.
2020s	0.0927	0.1073	0.0147	Lao PDR

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher liberal democracy index, Iran, Islamic Rep. or Lao PDR?: Lao PDR, at 0.11 against 0.103 in Iran, Islamic Rep. as of 2025.
What is the difference in liberal democracy index between Iran, Islamic Rep. and Lao PDR?: 0.007, with Lao PDR ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Iran, Islamic Rep. and Lao PDR?: 126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
How do Iran, Islamic Rep. and Lao PDR rank globally for liberal democracy index?: Iran, Islamic Rep. ranks 137th and Lao PDR ranks 135th 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.