Which has higher participatory democracy index, Italy or Spain?

Spain, at 0.572 against 0.569 in Italy as of 2025.

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

211 years are reported by both, from 1815 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.

Italy vs Spain: Participatory Democracy Index

Italy

0.569

in 2025

Spain

0.572

in 2025

Italy rank

21st

Spain rank

20th

Participatory Democracy Index over time

Italy
Spain

How they compare

Spain currently reports 0.572 against 0.569 in Italy, a difference of 0.003.

The two have swapped places 10 times across 211 shared years of data; in 1815 it was Spain ahead.

Italy ranks 21st and Spain ranks 20th of 176 countries.

Across the 22 decades both report, Italy averaged higher in 13 and Spain in 9.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Italy	Spain	Difference	Ahead
1810s	0.008	0.049	0.041	Spain
1820s	0.008	0.0682	0.0602	Spain
1830s	0.008	0.0668	0.0588	Spain
1840s	0.0179	0.0804	0.0625	Spain
1850s	0.063	0.0798	0.0168	Spain
1860s	0.0898	0.0842	0.0056	Italy
1870s	0.0956	0.103	0.0074	Spain
1880s	0.1114	0.0913	0.0201	Italy
1890s	0.1174	0.0929	0.0245	Italy
1900s	0.148	0.091	0.057	Italy
1910s	0.1562	0.0901	0.0661	Italy
1920s	0.0727	0.0465	0.0262	Italy
1930s	0.0201	0.2223	0.2022	Spain
1940s	0.1548	0.0185	0.1363	Italy
1950s	0.4249	0.0264	0.3985	Italy
1960s	0.4554	0.0182	0.4372	Italy
1970s	0.5156	0.1278	0.3878	Italy
1980s	0.5899	0.6481	0.0582	Spain
1990s	0.6382	0.6516	0.0134	Spain
2000s	0.6653	0.6328	0.0325	Italy
2010s	0.6791	0.6217	0.0574	Italy
2020s	0.6357	0.596	0.0397	Italy

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher participatory democracy index, Italy or Spain?: Spain, at 0.572 against 0.569 in Italy as of 2025.
What is the difference in participatory democracy index between Italy and Spain?: 0.003, with Spain ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Italy and Spain?: 211 years are reported by both, from 1815 to 2025.
How do Italy and Spain rank globally for participatory democracy index?: Italy ranks 21st 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.