Direct Democracy Index in Australia
Australia: Direct Democracy Index was 0.264 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
0.264
Change on year
down 3.3%
World rank
12th
of 175 countries
All-time high
0.317
in 1977
All-time low
0.032
in 1963
Years of data
125
1901–2025
Direct Democracy Index in Australia, 1901–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for direct democracy index in Australia is 0.264, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 3.3% on the previous year and up 725.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, direct democracy index in Australia peaked at 0.317 in 1977 and was at its lowest, 0.032, in 1963.
Australia ranks 12th of 175 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 125 years of available data.
Direct Democracy Index in Australia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1901 | 0.167 | — |
| 1902 | 0.167 | +0.0% |
| 1903 | 0.167 | +0.0% |
| 1904 | 0.167 | +0.0% |
| 1905 | 0.167 | +0.0% |
| 1906 | 0.308 | +84.4% |
| 1907 | 0.299 | -2.9% |
| 1908 | 0.29 | -3.0% |
| 1909 | 0.281 | -3.1% |
| 1910 | 0.272 | -3.2% |
| 1911 | 0.263 | -3.3% |
| 1912 | 0.254 | -3.4% |
| 1913 | 0.245 | -3.5% |
| 1914 | 0.236 | -3.7% |
| 1915 | 0.21 | -11.0% |
| 1916 | 0.285 | +35.7% |
| 1917 | 0.285 | +0.0% |
| 1918 | 0.269 | -5.6% |
| 1919 | 0.285 | +5.9% |
| 1920 | 0.285 | +0.0% |
| 1921 | 0.285 | +0.0% |
| 1922 | 0.27 | -5.3% |
| 1923 | 0.255 | -5.6% |
| 1924 | 0.224 | -12.2% |
| 1925 | 0.192 | -14.3% |
| 1926 | 0.21 | +9.4% |
| 1927 | 0.195 | -7.1% |
| 1928 | 0.197 | +1.0% |
| 1929 | 0.182 | -7.6% |
| 1930 | 0.182 | +0.0% |
| 1931 | 0.182 | +0.0% |
| 1932 | 0.182 | +0.0% |
| 1933 | 0.172 | -5.5% |
| 1934 | 0.162 | -5.8% |
| 1935 | 0.152 | -6.2% |
| 1936 | 0.142 | -6.6% |
| 1937 | 0.182 | +28.2% |
| 1938 | 0.182 | +0.0% |
| 1939 | 0.182 | +0.0% |
| 1940 | 0.182 | +0.0% |
| 1941 | 0.182 | +0.0% |
| 1942 | 0.172 | -5.5% |
| 1943 | 0.162 | -5.8% |
| 1944 | 0.165 | +1.9% |
| 1945 | 0.165 | +0.0% |
| 1946 | 0.182 | +10.3% |
| 1947 | 0.182 | +0.0% |
| 1948 | 0.182 | +0.0% |
| 1949 | 0.182 | +0.0% |
| 1950 | 0.182 | +0.0% |
| 1951 | 0.165 | -9.3% |
| 1952 | 0.165 | +0.0% |
| 1953 | 0.165 | +0.0% |
| 1954 | 0.165 | +0.0% |
| 1955 | 0.165 | +0.0% |
| 1956 | 0.149 | -9.7% |
| 1957 | 0.132 | -11.4% |
| 1958 | 0.115 | -12.9% |
| 1959 | 0.098 | -14.8% |
| 1960 | 0.082 | -16.3% |
| 1961 | 0.065 | -20.7% |
| 1962 | 0.048 | -26.2% |
| 1963 | 0.032 | -33.3% |
| 1964 | 0.032 | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 0.032 | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 0.032 | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 0.182 | +468.8% |
| 1968 | 0.182 | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 0.182 | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 0.182 | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 0.182 | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 0.172 | -5.5% |
| 1973 | 0.165 | -4.1% |
| 1974 | 0.165 | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 0.165 | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 0.165 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 0.317 | +92.1% |
| 1978 | 0.317 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 0.317 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 0.317 | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 0.317 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 0.298 | -6.0% |
| 1983 | 0.279 | -6.4% |
| 1984 | 0.273 | -2.2% |
| 1985 | 0.264 | -3.3% |
| 1986 | 0.255 | -3.4% |
| 1987 | 0.246 | -3.5% |
| 1988 | 0.237 | -3.7% |
| 1989 | 0.228 | -3.8% |
| 1990 | 0.219 | -3.9% |
| 1991 | 0.21 | -4.1% |
| 1992 | 0.201 | -4.3% |
| 1993 | 0.176 | -12.4% |
| 1994 | 0.15 | -14.8% |
| 1995 | 0.124 | -17.3% |
| 1996 | 0.098 | -21.0% |
| 1997 | 0.082 | -16.3% |
| 1998 | 0.065 | -20.7% |
| 1999 | 0.165 | +153.8% |
| 2000 | 0.165 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 0.165 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.165 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 0.165 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 0.149 | -9.7% |
| 2005 | 0.132 | -11.4% |
| 2006 | 0.115 | -12.9% |
| 2007 | 0.098 | -14.8% |
| 2008 | 0.082 | -16.3% |
| 2009 | 0.065 | -20.7% |
| 2010 | 0.048 | -26.2% |
| 2011 | 0.032 | -33.3% |
| 2012 | 0.032 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 0.032 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 0.032 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 0.032 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 0.032 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 0.167 | +421.9% |
| 2018 | 0.167 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 0.167 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 0.167 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 0.167 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 0.158 | -5.4% |
| 2023 | 0.282 | +78.5% |
| 2024 | 0.273 | -3.2% |
| 2025 | 0.264 | -3.3% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 0.264 is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.033, 8.0× the median. (55 countries reporting)
- Australia's 0.264 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.0155, 17.0× the median. (22 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Direct Democracy Index in Australia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | +468.8% | 0.032 | 0.182 |
| 2017 | +421.9% | 0.032 | 0.167 |
| 1999 | +153.8% | 0.065 | 0.165 |
| 1977 | +92.1% | 0.165 | 0.317 |
| 1906 | +84.4% | 0.167 | 0.308 |
| 2023 | +78.5% | 0.158 | 0.282 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0.2237 | 0.167 | 0.308 | 9 |
| 1910s | 0.2604 | 0.21 | 0.285 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.2295 | 0.182 | 0.285 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.172 | 0.142 | 0.182 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.1756 | 0.162 | 0.182 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.1501 | 0.098 | 0.182 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.0869 | 0.032 | 0.182 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.2147 | 0.165 | 0.317 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.2714 | 0.228 | 0.317 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.149 | 0.065 | 0.219 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.1301 | 0.065 | 0.165 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0741 | 0.032 | 0.167 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.2185 | 0.158 | 0.282 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More social development data for Australia
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 33,415 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 41 (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 41 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0012 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 direct democracy index in Australia?
- Direct democracy index in Australia was 0.264 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest direct democracy index recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 0.317 in 1977.
- What is the lowest direct democracy index recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.032 in 1963.
- How does Australia rank for direct democracy index?
- Australia ranks 12th out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
- Is direct democracy index rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 725.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Direct Democracy Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 125 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measures the extent of how easy it is for citizens to vote on specific issues themselves in popular initiatives, referendums, and plebiscites.