Deliberative Democracy Index in Panama
Panama: Deliberative Democracy Index was 0.56 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Deliberative Democracy Index in Panama, 1903–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Panama recorded 0.56 for deliberative democracy index in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.4% on the previous year and down 11.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, deliberative democracy index in Panama peaked at 0.647 in 2009 and was at its lowest, 0.034, in 1988.
Panama ranks 47th of 175 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Deliberative Democracy Index in Panama, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1903 | 0.039 | — |
| 1904 | 0.099 | +153.8% |
| 1905 | 0.092 | -7.1% |
| 1906 | 0.091 | -1.1% |
| 1907 | 0.09 | -1.1% |
| 1908 | 0.09 | +0.0% |
| 1909 | 0.091 | +1.1% |
| 1910 | 0.091 | +0.0% |
| 1911 | 0.092 | +1.1% |
| 1912 | 0.09 | -2.2% |
| 1913 | 0.089 | -1.1% |
| 1914 | 0.09 | +1.1% |
| 1915 | 0.091 | +1.1% |
| 1916 | 0.091 | +0.0% |
| 1917 | 0.091 | +0.0% |
| 1918 | 0.091 | +0.0% |
| 1919 | 0.121 | +33.0% |
| 1920 | 0.121 | +0.0% |
| 1921 | 0.122 | +0.8% |
| 1922 | 0.122 | +0.0% |
| 1923 | 0.122 | +0.0% |
| 1924 | 0.122 | +0.0% |
| 1925 | 0.123 | +0.8% |
| 1926 | 0.123 | +0.0% |
| 1927 | 0.123 | +0.0% |
| 1928 | 0.126 | +2.4% |
| 1929 | 0.127 | +0.8% |
| 1930 | 0.126 | -0.8% |
| 1931 | 0.097 | -23.0% |
| 1932 | 0.119 | +22.7% |
| 1933 | 0.117 | -1.7% |
| 1934 | 0.117 | +0.0% |
| 1935 | 0.117 | +0.0% |
| 1936 | 0.132 | +12.8% |
| 1937 | 0.127 | -3.8% |
| 1938 | 0.127 | +0.0% |
| 1939 | 0.127 | +0.0% |
| 1940 | 0.127 | +0.0% |
| 1941 | 0.098 | -22.8% |
| 1942 | 0.134 | +36.7% |
| 1943 | 0.134 | +0.0% |
| 1944 | 0.134 | +0.0% |
| 1945 | 0.132 | -1.5% |
| 1946 | 0.105 | -20.5% |
| 1947 | 0.148 | +41.0% |
| 1948 | 0.172 | +16.2% |
| 1949 | 0.153 | -11.0% |
| 1950 | 0.145 | -5.2% |
| 1951 | 0.098 | -32.4% |
| 1952 | 0.135 | +37.8% |
| 1953 | 0.169 | +25.2% |
| 1954 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1955 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1956 | 0.172 | +1.8% |
| 1957 | 0.186 | +8.1% |
| 1958 | 0.186 | +0.0% |
| 1959 | 0.186 | +0.0% |
| 1960 | 0.178 | -4.3% |
| 1961 | 0.18 | +1.1% |
| 1962 | 0.18 | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 0.18 | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 0.206 | +14.4% |
| 1965 | 0.154 | -25.2% |
| 1966 | 0.154 | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 0.152 | -1.3% |
| 1968 | 0.15 | -1.3% |
| 1969 | 0.103 | -31.3% |
| 1970 | 0.099 | -3.9% |
| 1971 | 0.099 | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 0.1 | +1.0% |
| 1973 | 0.135 | +35.0% |
| 1974 | 0.135 | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 0.119 | -11.9% |
| 1976 | 0.111 | -6.7% |
| 1977 | 0.13 | +17.1% |
| 1978 | 0.13 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 0.119 | -8.5% |
| 1980 | 0.122 | +2.5% |
| 1981 | 0.108 | -11.5% |
| 1982 | 0.035 | -67.6% |
| 1983 | 0.035 | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 0.045 | +28.6% |
| 1985 | 0.042 | -6.7% |
| 1986 | 0.037 | -11.9% |
| 1987 | 0.037 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 0.034 | -8.1% |
| 1989 | 0.035 | +2.9% |
| 1990 | 0.397 | +1034.3% |
| 1991 | 0.555 | +39.8% |
| 1992 | 0.559 | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 0.562 | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 0.582 | +3.6% |
| 1995 | 0.581 | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 0.581 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 0.581 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 0.572 | -1.5% |
| 1999 | 0.57 | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 0.623 | +9.3% |
| 2001 | 0.629 | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 0.629 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 0.629 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 0.632 | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 0.637 | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 0.643 | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 0.639 | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 0.639 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 0.647 | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 0.647 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 0.647 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 0.647 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 0.627 | -3.1% |
| 2014 | 0.622 | -0.8% |
| 2015 | 0.632 | +1.6% |
| 2016 | 0.632 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 0.617 | -2.4% |
| 2018 | 0.614 | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 0.59 | -3.9% |
| 2020 | 0.563 | -4.6% |
| 2021 | 0.575 | +2.1% |
| 2022 | 0.568 | -1.2% |
| 2023 | 0.556 | -2.1% |
| 2024 | 0.562 | +1.1% |
| 2025 | 0.56 | -0.4% |
Panama compared with similar countries
- Panama's 0.56 is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.665, 84% of the median. (55 countries reporting)
- Panama's 0.56 is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 0.41, 1.4× the median. (25 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Deliberative Democracy Index in Panama 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | +1034.3% | 0.035 | 0.397 |
| 1904 | +153.8% | 0.039 | 0.099 |
| 1982 | -67.6% | 0.108 | 0.035 |
| 1947 | +41.0% | 0.105 | 0.148 |
| 1991 | +39.8% | 0.397 | 0.555 |
| 1952 | +37.8% | 0.098 | 0.135 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0.0846 | 0.039 | 0.099 | 7 |
| 1910s | 0.0937 | 0.089 | 0.121 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.1231 | 0.121 | 0.127 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.1206 | 0.097 | 0.132 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.1337 | 0.098 | 0.172 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.1615 | 0.098 | 0.186 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.1637 | 0.103 | 0.206 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.1177 | 0.099 | 0.135 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.053 | 0.034 | 0.122 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.554 | 0.397 | 0.582 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.6347 | 0.623 | 0.647 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.6275 | 0.59 | 0.647 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.564 | 0.556 | 0.575 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Panama
- 45 Trinidad and Tobago 0.602 compare
- 46 Ghana 0.583 compare
- 48 Senegal 0.555 compare
- 49 Cape Verde 0.549 compare
- 50 East Timor 0.54 compare
More social development data for Panama
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2,694 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 375 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0001 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 375 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0006 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 Panama?
- Deliberative democracy index in Panama was 0.56 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest deliberative democracy index recorded in Panama?
- The highest recorded value was 0.647 in 2009.
- What is the lowest deliberative democracy index recorded in Panama?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.034 in 1988.
- How does Panama rank for deliberative democracy index?
- Panama ranks 47th out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
- Is deliberative democracy index rising or falling in Panama?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Panama 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 — 123 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.