What is democracy index in Finland?

Democracy index in Finland was 10 in 2018, according to Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest democracy index recorded in Finland?

The highest recorded value was 10 in 1919.

What is the lowest democracy index recorded in Finland?

The lowest recorded value was 4 in 1931.

How does Finland rank for democracy index?

Finland ranks 1st out of 167 countries with data for 2018.

Is democracy index rising or falling in Finland?

Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.

Where does this Finland data come from?

The figures come from Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Democracy Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Democracy Index in Finland

Name: Democracy Index in Finland
Creator: Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Finland: Democracy Index was 10 in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)

Change on year

unchanged

World rank

1st

of 167 countries

All-time high

in 1919

All-time low

in 1931

Years of data

102

1917–2018

Democracy Index in Finland, 1917–2018

Source: Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

Finland recorded 10 for democracy index in 2018. That is the highest value across all 102 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.

Over the whole period, democracy index in Finland peaked at 10 in 1919 and was at its lowest, 4, in 1931.

That places Finland 1st out of 167 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 102 years of available data.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1910s	8.67	8	10	3
1920s	10	10	10	10
1930s	4.3	4	7	10
1940s	7.6	4	10	10
1950s	10	10	10	10
1960s	10	10	10	10
1970s	10	10	10	10
1980s	10	10	10	10
1990s	10	10	10	10
2000s	10	10	10	10
2010s	10	10	10	9

Countries ranked near Finland

See the full ranking of 168 places →

More social development data for Finland

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 102,544 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 5 (2025)
Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
Key features of liberal democracy 0.808 (2025)
Varieties of democracy 0.852 (2025)
Freedom of Expression Index 0.946 (2025)
Freedom of Association Index 0.864 (2025)
Electoral Democracy Index 0.852 (2025)
Liberal democracy 3 (2025)

All data for Finland →

Frequently asked questions

What is democracy index in Finland?: Democracy index in Finland was 10 in 2018, according to Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest democracy index recorded in Finland?: The highest recorded value was 10 in 1919.
What is the lowest democracy index recorded in Finland?: The lowest recorded value was 4 in 1931.
How does Finland rank for democracy index?: Finland ranks 1st out of 167 countries with data for 2018.
Is democracy index rising or falling in Finland?: Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Finland data come from?: The figures come from Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Democracy Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 102 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator: Democracy Index
Source: Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 168 places, 18,392 data points, 1776–2020
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

It combines information on the extent to which open, multi-party, and competitive elections choose a chief executive who faces comprehensive institutional constraints, and political participation is competitive. It ranges from -10 to 10 (fully democratic).