Deliberative Democracy Index in New Zealand
New Zealand: Deliberative Democracy Index was 0.644 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
0.644
Change on year
down 9.3%
World rank
37th
of 175 countries
All-time high
0.772
in 2010
All-time low
0.473
in 1917
Years of data
126
1900–2025
Deliberative Democracy Index in New Zealand, 1900–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for deliberative democracy index in New Zealand is 0.644, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 9.3% on the previous year and down 15.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, deliberative democracy index in New Zealand peaked at 0.772 in 2010 and was at its lowest, 0.473, in 1917.
New Zealand ranks 37th of 175 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 126 years of available data.
Deliberative Democracy Index in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 0.562 | — |
| 1901 | 0.57 | +1.4% |
| 1902 | 0.571 | +0.2% |
| 1903 | 0.577 | +1.1% |
| 1904 | 0.577 | +0.0% |
| 1905 | 0.577 | +0.0% |
| 1906 | 0.575 | -0.3% |
| 1907 | 0.575 | +0.0% |
| 1908 | 0.575 | +0.0% |
| 1909 | 0.576 | +0.2% |
| 1910 | 0.576 | +0.0% |
| 1911 | 0.577 | +0.2% |
| 1912 | 0.56 | -2.9% |
| 1913 | 0.562 | +0.4% |
| 1914 | 0.518 | -7.8% |
| 1915 | 0.477 | -7.9% |
| 1916 | 0.483 | +1.3% |
| 1917 | 0.473 | -2.1% |
| 1918 | 0.473 | +0.0% |
| 1919 | 0.564 | +19.2% |
| 1920 | 0.584 | +3.5% |
| 1921 | 0.583 | -0.2% |
| 1922 | 0.585 | +0.3% |
| 1923 | 0.585 | +0.0% |
| 1924 | 0.585 | +0.0% |
| 1925 | 0.585 | +0.0% |
| 1926 | 0.581 | -0.7% |
| 1927 | 0.581 | +0.0% |
| 1928 | 0.582 | +0.2% |
| 1929 | 0.588 | +1.0% |
| 1930 | 0.592 | +0.7% |
| 1931 | 0.592 | +0.0% |
| 1932 | 0.583 | -1.5% |
| 1933 | 0.591 | +1.4% |
| 1934 | 0.591 | +0.0% |
| 1935 | 0.653 | +10.5% |
| 1936 | 0.639 | -2.1% |
| 1937 | 0.639 | +0.0% |
| 1938 | 0.639 | +0.0% |
| 1939 | 0.634 | -0.8% |
| 1940 | 0.565 | -10.9% |
| 1941 | 0.565 | +0.0% |
| 1942 | 0.565 | +0.0% |
| 1943 | 0.565 | +0.0% |
| 1944 | 0.565 | +0.0% |
| 1945 | 0.565 | +0.0% |
| 1946 | 0.665 | +17.7% |
| 1947 | 0.673 | +1.2% |
| 1948 | 0.669 | -0.6% |
| 1949 | 0.668 | -0.1% |
| 1950 | 0.637 | -4.6% |
| 1951 | 0.613 | -3.8% |
| 1952 | 0.628 | +2.4% |
| 1953 | 0.628 | +0.0% |
| 1954 | 0.634 | +1.0% |
| 1955 | 0.643 | +1.4% |
| 1956 | 0.643 | +0.0% |
| 1957 | 0.673 | +4.7% |
| 1958 | 0.677 | +0.6% |
| 1959 | 0.677 | +0.0% |
| 1960 | 0.687 | +1.5% |
| 1961 | 0.689 | +0.3% |
| 1962 | 0.694 | +0.7% |
| 1963 | 0.698 | +0.6% |
| 1964 | 0.699 | +0.1% |
| 1965 | 0.699 | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 0.699 | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 0.699 | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 0.699 | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 0.699 | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 0.713 | +2.0% |
| 1971 | 0.713 | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 0.727 | +2.0% |
| 1973 | 0.723 | -0.6% |
| 1974 | 0.729 | +0.8% |
| 1975 | 0.713 | -2.2% |
| 1976 | 0.668 | -6.3% |
| 1977 | 0.664 | -0.6% |
| 1978 | 0.665 | +0.2% |
| 1979 | 0.659 | -0.9% |
| 1980 | 0.665 | +0.9% |
| 1981 | 0.664 | -0.2% |
| 1982 | 0.668 | +0.6% |
| 1983 | 0.617 | -7.6% |
| 1984 | 0.602 | -2.4% |
| 1985 | 0.648 | +7.6% |
| 1986 | 0.648 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 0.648 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 0.649 | +0.2% |
| 1989 | 0.649 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 0.654 | +0.8% |
| 1991 | 0.655 | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 0.655 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 0.66 | +0.8% |
| 1994 | 0.719 | +8.9% |
| 1995 | 0.719 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 0.727 | +1.1% |
| 1997 | 0.731 | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 0.731 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 0.756 | +3.4% |
| 2000 | 0.767 | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 0.767 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.766 | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 0.765 | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 0.765 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 0.764 | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 0.761 | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 0.761 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 0.767 | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 0.77 | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 0.772 | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 0.771 | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 0.772 | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 0.767 | -0.6% |
| 2014 | 0.767 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 0.765 | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 0.765 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 0.758 | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 0.764 | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 0.759 | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 0.759 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 0.74 | -2.5% |
| 2022 | 0.772 | +4.3% |
| 2023 | 0.748 | -3.1% |
| 2024 | 0.71 | -5.1% |
| 2025 | 0.644 | -9.3% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 0.644 is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.665, 97% of the median. (55 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 0.644 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.358, 1.8× the median. (22 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0.5735 | 0.562 | 0.577 | 10 |
| 1910s | 0.5263 | 0.473 | 0.577 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.5839 | 0.581 | 0.588 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.6153 | 0.583 | 0.653 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.6065 | 0.565 | 0.673 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.6453 | 0.613 | 0.677 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.6962 | 0.687 | 0.699 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.6974 | 0.659 | 0.729 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.6458 | 0.602 | 0.668 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.7007 | 0.654 | 0.756 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.7653 | 0.761 | 0.77 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.766 | 0.758 | 0.772 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.7288 | 0.644 | 0.772 | 6 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More social development data for New Zealand
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2,148 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 58 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 1 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 58 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0004 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 New Zealand?
- Deliberative democracy index in New Zealand was 0.644 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest deliberative democracy index recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 0.772 in 2010.
- What is the lowest deliberative democracy index recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.473 in 1917.
- How does New Zealand rank for deliberative democracy index?
- New Zealand ranks 37th out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
- Is deliberative democracy index rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this New Zealand 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.