Which has higher participatory democracy index, Botswana or Bulgaria?

Bulgaria, at 0.397 against 0.369 in Botswana as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for Botswana and Bulgaria?

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

Botswana vs Bulgaria: Participatory Democracy Index

Botswana

0.369

in 2025

Bulgaria

0.397

in 2025

Botswana rank

67th

Bulgaria rank

64th

Participatory Democracy Index over time

Botswana
Bulgaria

How they compare

Bulgaria currently reports 0.397 against 0.369 in Botswana, a difference of 0.028.

That makes Bulgaria's figure about 1.1 times Botswana's.

The two have swapped places 4 times across 126 shared years of data; in 1900 it was Bulgaria ahead.

Botswana ranks 67th and Bulgaria ranks 64th of 176 countries.

Across the 13 decades both report, Botswana averaged higher in 5 and Bulgaria in 8.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Botswana	Bulgaria	Difference	Ahead
1900s	0.017	0.1497	0.1327	Bulgaria
1910s	0.017	0.1479	0.1309	Bulgaria
1920s	0.017	0.1428	0.1258	Bulgaria
1930s	0.017	0.1167	0.0997	Bulgaria
1940s	0.0177	0.1008	0.0831	Bulgaria
1950s	0.0204	0.0967	0.0763	Bulgaria
1960s	0.1532	0.0824	0.0708	Botswana
1970s	0.3671	0.0978	0.2693	Botswana
1980s	0.4025	0.0915	0.311	Botswana
1990s	0.4487	0.429	0.0197	Botswana
2000s	0.4705	0.4429	0.0276	Botswana
2010s	0.4383	0.4541	0.0158	Bulgaria
2020s	0.357	0.4517	0.0947	Bulgaria

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher participatory democracy index, Botswana or Bulgaria?: Bulgaria, at 0.397 against 0.369 in Botswana as of 2025.
What is the difference in participatory democracy index between Botswana and Bulgaria?: 0.028, with Bulgaria ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Botswana and Bulgaria?: 126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
How do Botswana and Bulgaria rank globally for participatory democracy index?: Botswana ranks 67th and Bulgaria ranks 64th of 176 countries.
Where does this data come from?: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Participatory Democracy Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator: Participatory Democracy Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 29,363 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, as well as the extent to which citizens can engage in regional and local government, civil society organizations, and direct democracy.