Which has higher participatory democracy index, Iceland or Spain?

Spain, at 0.572 against 0.565 in Iceland as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for Iceland and Spain?

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.

Iceland vs Spain: Participatory Democracy Index

Iceland

0.565

in 2025

Spain

0.572

in 2025

Iceland rank

22nd

Spain rank

20th

Participatory Democracy Index over time

Iceland
Spain

How they compare

Spain currently reports 0.572 against 0.565 in Iceland, a difference of 0.007.

The two have swapped places 7 times across 126 shared years of data; in 1900 it was Iceland ahead.

Iceland ranks 22nd and Spain ranks 20th of 176 countries.

Across the 13 decades both report, Iceland averaged higher in 10 and Spain in 3.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Iceland	Spain	Difference	Ahead
1900s	0.3248	0.091	0.2338	Iceland
1910s	0.4369	0.0901	0.3468	Iceland
1920s	0.5236	0.0465	0.4771	Iceland
1930s	0.5327	0.2223	0.3104	Iceland
1940s	0.5677	0.0185	0.5492	Iceland
1950s	0.5861	0.0264	0.5597	Iceland
1960s	0.5662	0.0182	0.548	Iceland
1970s	0.5804	0.1278	0.4526	Iceland
1980s	0.6008	0.6481	0.0473	Spain
1990s	0.6123	0.6516	0.0393	Spain
2000s	0.6169	0.6328	0.0159	Spain
2010s	0.643	0.6217	0.0213	Iceland
2020s	0.6043	0.596	0.0083	Iceland

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher participatory democracy index, Iceland or Spain?: Spain, at 0.572 against 0.565 in Iceland as of 2025.
What is the difference in participatory democracy index between Iceland and Spain?: 0.007, with Spain ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Iceland and Spain?: 126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
How do Iceland and Spain rank globally for participatory democracy index?: Iceland ranks 22nd and Spain ranks 20th 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.