What is citizen satisfaction with democracy in Ireland?

Citizen satisfaction with democracy in Ireland was 1.28 in 2020, according to Claassen (2022) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest citizen satisfaction with democracy recorded in Ireland?

The highest recorded value was 1.35 in 2018.

What is the lowest citizen satisfaction with democracy recorded in Ireland?

The lowest recorded value was -0.2908 in 1983.

How does Ireland rank for citizen satisfaction with democracy?

Ireland ranks 14th out of 131 regions with data for 2020.

Is citizen satisfaction with democracy rising or falling in Ireland?

Over the last ten years it is up 799.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this Ireland data come from?

The figures come from Claassen (2022) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Citizen satisfaction with democracy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Citizen satisfaction with democracy in Ireland

Name: Citizen satisfaction with democracy in Ireland
Creator: Claassen (2022) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Ireland: Citizen satisfaction with democracy was 1.28 in 2020. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2020)

1.28

Change on year

down 4.1%

Rank

14th

of 131 regions

All-time high

1.35

in 2018

All-time low

-0.2908

in 1983

Years of data

1973–2020

Citizen satisfaction with democracy in Ireland, 1973–2020

Source: Claassen (2022) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for citizen satisfaction with democracy in Ireland is 1.28, measured in 2020.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.1% on the previous year and up 799.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, citizen satisfaction with democracy in Ireland peaked at 1.35 in 2018 and was at its lowest, -0.2908, in 1983.

Ireland ranks 14th of 131 regions on this measure, in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1970s	0.2421	0.0647	0.4269	7
1980s	-0.1023	-0.2908	0.2237	10
1990s	0.6883	0.3558	1.01	10
2000s	0.8285	0.2784	1.04	10
2010s	0.6169	0.0366	1.35	10
2020s	1.28	1.28	1.28	1

Countries ranked near Ireland

11 Sweden 1.41 compare
12 Austria 1.35 compare
13 Ghana 1.32 compare
15 Germany 1.15 compare
16 Namibia 1.11 compare
17 Burundi 1.1 compare

See the full ranking of 131 places →

More social development data for Ireland

Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 137,869 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 69 (2025)
Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
Key features of democracy 0.887 (2025)
Freedom of Expression Index 0.97 (2025)
Freedom of Association Index 0.912 (2025)
Electoral Democracy Index 0.887 (2025)
Participatory Democracy Index 0.619 (2025)
Liberal Democracy Index 0.822 (2025)

All data for Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is citizen satisfaction with democracy in Ireland?: Citizen satisfaction with democracy in Ireland was 1.28 in 2020, according to Claassen (2022) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest citizen satisfaction with democracy recorded in Ireland?: The highest recorded value was 1.35 in 2018.
What is the lowest citizen satisfaction with democracy recorded in Ireland?: The lowest recorded value was -0.2908 in 1983.
How does Ireland rank for citizen satisfaction with democracy?: Ireland ranks 14th out of 131 regions with data for 2020.
Is citizen satisfaction with democracy rising or falling in Ireland?: Over the last ten years it is up 799.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Ireland data come from?: The figures come from Claassen (2022) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Citizen satisfaction with democracy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 48 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator: Citizen satisfaction with democracy
Source: Claassen (2022) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 131 places, 3,021 data points, 1973–2020
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

Central estimate of the average extent to which citizens are satisfied with democracy in their own country. It combines responses across more than one thousand nationally-representative surveys on how citizens' satisfaction with democracy.