Which has higher participatory democracy index, Qatar or Saudi Arabia?

Qatar, at 0.034 against 0.026 in Saudi Arabia as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for Qatar and Saudi Arabia?

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.

Qatar vs Saudi Arabia: Participatory Democracy Index

Qatar

0.034

in 2025

Saudi Arabia

0.026

in 2025

Qatar rank

171st

Saudi Arabia rank

174th

Participatory Democracy Index over time

Qatar
Saudi Arabia

How they compare

Qatar currently reports 0.034 against 0.026 in Saudi Arabia, a difference of 0.008.

That makes Qatar's figure about 1.3 times Saudi Arabia's.

The two have swapped places 5 times across 126 shared years of data; in 1900 it was Saudi Arabia ahead.

Qatar ranks 171st and Saudi Arabia ranks 174th of 176 countries.

Across the 13 decades both report, Qatar averaged higher in 2 and Saudi Arabia in 11.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Qatar	Saudi Arabia	Difference	Ahead
1900s	0.004	0.008	0.004	Saudi Arabia
1910s	0.0044	0.008	0.0036	Saudi Arabia
1920s	0.006	0.008	0.002	Saudi Arabia
1930s	0.006	0.008	0.002	Saudi Arabia
1940s	0.006	0.008	0.002	Saudi Arabia
1950s	0.006	0.0098	0.0038	Saudi Arabia
1960s	0.006	0.0105	0.0045	Saudi Arabia
1970s	0.0095	0.0101	0.0006	Saudi Arabia
1980s	0.0112	0.0143	0.0031	Saudi Arabia
1990s	0.0139	0.0189	0.005	Saudi Arabia
2000s	0.0269	0.0226	0.0043	Qatar
2010s	0.0251	0.0244	0.0007	Qatar
2020s	0.0242	0.0245	0.0003	Saudi Arabia

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher participatory democracy index, Qatar or Saudi Arabia?: Qatar, at 0.034 against 0.026 in Saudi Arabia as of 2025.
What is the difference in participatory democracy index between Qatar and Saudi Arabia?: 0.008, with Qatar ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Qatar and Saudi Arabia?: 126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
How do Qatar and Saudi Arabia rank globally for participatory democracy index?: Qatar ranks 171st and Saudi Arabia ranks 174th 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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Qatar vs Saudi Arabia: 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/qatar/saudi-arabia/

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<a href="https://social-development.statizoid.com/compare/participatory-democracy-index/qatar/saudi-arabia/">Qatar vs Saudi Arabia: Participatory Democracy Index</a> — Statizoid

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.