Deliberative Democracy Index in Iran
Iran: Deliberative Democracy Index was 0.094 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Deliberative Democracy Index in Iran, 1900–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for deliberative democracy index in Iran is 0.094, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 13.0% on the previous year and down 46.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, deliberative democracy index in Iran peaked at 0.261 in 2001 and was at its lowest, 0.01, in 1926.
Iran ranks 147th of 175 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Deliberative Democracy Index in Iran, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 0.014 | — |
| 1901 | 0.014 | +0.0% |
| 1902 | 0.014 | +0.0% |
| 1903 | 0.014 | +0.0% |
| 1904 | 0.014 | +0.0% |
| 1905 | 0.014 | +0.0% |
| 1906 | 0.055 | +292.9% |
| 1907 | 0.061 | +10.9% |
| 1908 | 0.06 | -1.6% |
| 1909 | 0.055 | -8.3% |
| 1910 | 0.066 | +20.0% |
| 1911 | 0.066 | +0.0% |
| 1912 | 0.063 | -4.5% |
| 1913 | 0.063 | +0.0% |
| 1914 | 0.063 | +0.0% |
| 1915 | 0.063 | +0.0% |
| 1916 | 0.063 | +0.0% |
| 1917 | 0.063 | +0.0% |
| 1918 | 0.063 | +0.0% |
| 1919 | 0.063 | +0.0% |
| 1920 | 0.063 | +0.0% |
| 1921 | 0.029 | -54.0% |
| 1922 | 0.037 | +27.6% |
| 1923 | 0.032 | -13.5% |
| 1924 | 0.028 | -12.5% |
| 1925 | 0.016 | -42.9% |
| 1926 | 0.01 | -37.5% |
| 1927 | 0.016 | +60.0% |
| 1928 | 0.016 | +0.0% |
| 1929 | 0.016 | +0.0% |
| 1930 | 0.016 | +0.0% |
| 1931 | 0.016 | +0.0% |
| 1932 | 0.016 | +0.0% |
| 1933 | 0.014 | -12.5% |
| 1934 | 0.014 | +0.0% |
| 1935 | 0.014 | +0.0% |
| 1936 | 0.014 | +0.0% |
| 1937 | 0.014 | +0.0% |
| 1938 | 0.014 | +0.0% |
| 1939 | 0.014 | +0.0% |
| 1940 | 0.014 | +0.0% |
| 1941 | 0.021 | +50.0% |
| 1942 | 0.074 | +252.4% |
| 1943 | 0.081 | +9.5% |
| 1944 | 0.087 | +7.4% |
| 1945 | 0.088 | +1.1% |
| 1946 | 0.122 | +38.6% |
| 1947 | 0.122 | +0.0% |
| 1948 | 0.172 | +41.0% |
| 1949 | 0.202 | +17.4% |
| 1950 | 0.202 | +0.0% |
| 1951 | 0.212 | +5.0% |
| 1952 | 0.219 | +3.3% |
| 1953 | 0.106 | -51.6% |
| 1954 | 0.052 | -50.9% |
| 1955 | 0.041 | -21.2% |
| 1956 | 0.023 | -43.9% |
| 1957 | 0.023 | +0.0% |
| 1958 | 0.023 | +0.0% |
| 1959 | 0.023 | +0.0% |
| 1960 | 0.023 | +0.0% |
| 1961 | 0.027 | +17.4% |
| 1962 | 0.024 | -11.1% |
| 1963 | 0.02 | -16.7% |
| 1964 | 0.021 | +5.0% |
| 1965 | 0.021 | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 0.021 | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 0.021 | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 0.021 | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 0.021 | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 0.021 | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 0.021 | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 0.021 | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 0.022 | +4.8% |
| 1974 | 0.022 | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 0.021 | -4.5% |
| 1976 | 0.021 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 0.021 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 0.021 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 0.194 | +823.8% |
| 1980 | 0.182 | -6.2% |
| 1981 | 0.16 | -12.1% |
| 1982 | 0.156 | -2.5% |
| 1983 | 0.145 | -7.1% |
| 1984 | 0.146 | +0.7% |
| 1985 | 0.145 | -0.7% |
| 1986 | 0.146 | +0.7% |
| 1987 | 0.162 | +11.0% |
| 1988 | 0.164 | +1.2% |
| 1989 | 0.185 | +12.8% |
| 1990 | 0.182 | -1.6% |
| 1991 | 0.182 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 0.181 | -0.5% |
| 1993 | 0.183 | +1.1% |
| 1994 | 0.19 | +3.8% |
| 1995 | 0.185 | -2.6% |
| 1996 | 0.189 | +2.2% |
| 1997 | 0.254 | +34.4% |
| 1998 | 0.259 | +2.0% |
| 1999 | 0.26 | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 0.26 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 0.261 | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 0.26 | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 0.26 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 0.249 | -4.2% |
| 2005 | 0.2 | -19.7% |
| 2006 | 0.183 | -8.5% |
| 2007 | 0.183 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 0.181 | -1.1% |
| 2009 | 0.178 | -1.7% |
| 2010 | 0.176 | -1.1% |
| 2011 | 0.176 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 0.18 | +2.3% |
| 2013 | 0.169 | -6.1% |
| 2014 | 0.176 | +4.1% |
| 2015 | 0.177 | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 0.18 | +1.7% |
| 2017 | 0.161 | -10.6% |
| 2018 | 0.142 | -11.8% |
| 2019 | 0.147 | +3.5% |
| 2020 | 0.122 | -17.0% |
| 2021 | 0.121 | -0.8% |
| 2022 | 0.086 | -28.9% |
| 2023 | 0.086 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 0.108 | +25.6% |
| 2025 | 0.094 | -13.0% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's 0.094 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.3275, 29% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
- Iran's 0.094 is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 0.166, 57% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Deliberative Democracy Index in Iran changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | +823.8% | 0.021 | 0.194 |
| 1906 | +292.9% | 0.014 | 0.055 |
| 1942 | +252.4% | 0.021 | 0.074 |
| 1927 | +60.0% | 0.01 | 0.016 |
| 1921 | -54.0% | 0.063 | 0.029 |
| 1953 | -51.6% | 0.219 | 0.106 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0.0315 | 0.014 | 0.061 | 10 |
| 1910s | 0.0636 | 0.063 | 0.066 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.0263 | 0.01 | 0.063 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.0146 | 0.014 | 0.016 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.0983 | 0.014 | 0.202 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.0924 | 0.023 | 0.219 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.022 | 0.02 | 0.027 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.0385 | 0.021 | 0.194 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.1591 | 0.145 | 0.185 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.2065 | 0.181 | 0.26 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.2215 | 0.178 | 0.261 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.1684 | 0.142 | 0.18 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1028 | 0.086 | 0.122 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iran
More social development data for Iran
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 770,514 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 157,912 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 7 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 7 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0017 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 157,912 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0083 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is deliberative democracy index in Iran?
- Deliberative democracy index in Iran was 0.094 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest deliberative democracy index recorded in Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 0.261 in 2001.
- What is the lowest deliberative democracy index recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.01 in 1926.
- How does Iran rank for deliberative democracy index?
- Iran ranks 147th out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
- Is deliberative democracy index rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is down 46.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Iran data come from?
- The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Deliberative Democracy Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 126 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
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 political elites justify their positions, justify them with the common good, acknowledge counterarguments, consult elites in policy changes, and society deliberates policy changes.