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

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

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

237 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.

South Korea vs Portugal: Participatory Democracy Index

South Korea

0.551

in 2025

Portugal

0.529

in 2025

South Korea rank

27th

Portugal rank

29th

Participatory Democracy Index over time

South Korea
Portugal

How they compare

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

The two have swapped places 4 times across 237 shared years of data; in 1789 it was South Korea ahead.

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

Across the 25 decades both report, South Korea averaged higher in 6 and Portugal in 19.

Head to head by decade

Decade	South Korea	Portugal	Difference	Ahead
1780s	0.011	0.008	0.003	South Korea
1790s	0.011	0.008	0.003	South Korea
1800s	0.011	0.008	0.003	South Korea
1810s	0.011	0.008	0.003	South Korea
1820s	0.011	0.0282	0.0172	Portugal
1830s	0.011	0.064	0.053	Portugal
1840s	0.011	0.0601	0.0491	Portugal
1850s	0.011	0.0488	0.0378	Portugal
1860s	0.011	0.057	0.046	Portugal
1870s	0.011	0.0634	0.0524	Portugal
1880s	0.011	0.0972	0.0862	Portugal
1890s	0.0095	0.0583	0.0488	Portugal
1900s	0.0094	0.0677	0.0583	Portugal
1910s	0.0061	0.1164	0.1103	Portugal
1920s	0.006	0.0817	0.0757	Portugal
1930s	0.006	0.0438	0.0378	Portugal
1940s	0.0227	0.043	0.0203	Portugal
1950s	0.0949	0.0439	0.051	South Korea
1960s	0.0853	0.0443	0.041	South Korea
1970s	0.0798	0.2256	0.1458	Portugal
1980s	0.1354	0.563	0.4276	Portugal
1990s	0.438	0.5893	0.1513	Portugal
2000s	0.5729	0.6361	0.0632	Portugal
2010s	0.517	0.6423	0.1253	Portugal
2020s	0.5355	0.5793	0.0438	Portugal

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher participatory democracy index, South Korea or Portugal?: South Korea, at 0.551 against 0.529 in Portugal as of 2025.
What is the difference in participatory democracy index between South Korea and Portugal?: 0.022, with South Korea ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for South Korea and Portugal?: 237 years are reported by both, from 1789 to 2025.
How do South Korea and Portugal rank globally for participatory democracy index?: South Korea ranks 27th and Portugal 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.

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South Korea vs Portugal: Participatory Democracy Index. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 08 November 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/compare/participatory-democracy-index/korea-rep/portugal/

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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: 30 October 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.