Which has higher participatory democracy index, Finland or Germany?

Finland, at 0.597 against 0.593 in Germany as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for Finland and Germany?

137 years are reported by both, from 1789 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.

Finland vs Germany: Participatory Democracy Index

Finland

0.597

in 2025

Germany

0.593

in 2025

Finland rank

12th

Germany rank

15th

Participatory Democracy Index over time

Finland
Germany

How they compare

Finland currently reports 0.597 against 0.593 in Germany, a difference of 0.004.

The two have swapped places 6 times across 137 shared years of data; in 1789 it was Finland ahead.

Finland ranks 12th and Germany ranks 15th of 176 countries.

Across the 16 decades both report, Finland averaged higher in 11 and Germany in 5.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Finland	Germany	Difference	Ahead
1780s	0.049	0.03	0.019	Finland
1790s	0.0494	0.03	0.0194	Finland
1800s	0.049	0.0304	0.0186	Finland
1860s	0.1607	0.1014	0.0593	Finland
1870s	0.165	0.1442	0.0208	Finland
1880s	0.179	0.146	0.033	Finland
1890s	0.185	0.1588	0.0262	Finland
1900s	0.203	0.1669	0.0361	Finland
1910s	0.2505	0.1863	0.0642	Finland
1920s	0.4175	0.4243	0.0068	Germany
1930s	0.3907	0.1574	0.2333	Finland
1940s	0.3182	0.0344	0.2838	Finland
1990s	0.6308	0.6474	0.0167	Germany
2000s	0.6327	0.6527	0.02	Germany
2010s	0.6213	0.6444	0.0231	Germany
2020s	0.605	0.611	0.006	Germany

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher participatory democracy index, Finland or Germany?: Finland, at 0.597 against 0.593 in Germany as of 2025.
What is the difference in participatory democracy index between Finland and Germany?: 0.004, with Finland ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Finland and Germany?: 137 years are reported by both, from 1789 to 2025.
How do Finland and Germany rank globally for participatory democracy index?: Finland ranks 12th and Germany ranks 15th 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.