Which has higher participatory democracy index, South Korea or Malta?

South Korea, at 0.551 against 0.529 in Malta as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for South Korea and Malta?

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.

South Korea vs Malta: Participatory Democracy Index

South Korea

0.551

in 2025

Malta

0.529

in 2025

South Korea rank

27th

Malta rank

29th

Participatory Democracy Index over time

South Korea
Malta

How they compare

South Korea currently reports 0.551 against 0.529 in Malta, a difference of 0.022.

The two have swapped places 9 times across 126 shared years of data; in 1900 it was Malta ahead.

South Korea ranks 27th and Malta ranks 29th of 176 countries.

Across the 13 decades both report, South Korea averaged higher in 1 and Malta in 12.

Head to head by decade

Decade	South Korea	Malta	Difference	Ahead
1900s	0.0094	0.0556	0.0462	Malta
1910s	0.0061	0.056	0.0499	Malta
1920s	0.006	0.1013	0.0953	Malta
1930s	0.006	0.0703	0.0643	Malta
1940s	0.0227	0.0988	0.0761	Malta
1950s	0.0949	0.193	0.0981	Malta
1960s	0.0853	0.2219	0.1366	Malta
1970s	0.0798	0.2919	0.2121	Malta
1980s	0.1354	0.2918	0.1564	Malta
1990s	0.438	0.4728	0.0348	Malta
2000s	0.5729	0.5393	0.0336	South Korea
2010s	0.517	0.5581	0.0411	Malta
2020s	0.5355	0.5432	0.0077	Malta

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher participatory democracy index, South Korea or Malta?: South Korea, at 0.551 against 0.529 in Malta as of 2025.
What is the difference in participatory democracy index between South Korea and Malta?: 0.022, with South Korea ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for South Korea and Malta?: 126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
How do South Korea and Malta rank globally for participatory democracy index?: South Korea ranks 27th and Malta ranks 29th 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.