Direct Democracy Index in Benin
Benin: Direct Democracy Index was 0.033 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
0.033
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
86th
of 175 countries
All-time high
0.2
in 1990
All-time low
0
in 1900
Years of data
126
1900–2025
Direct Democracy Index in Benin, 1900–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Benin recorded 0.033 for direct democracy index in 2025.
That represents a change of up 65.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, direct democracy index in Benin peaked at 0.2 in 1990 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1900.
That places Benin 86th out of 175 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Direct Democracy Index in Benin, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 0 | — |
| 1901 | 0 | — |
| 1902 | 0 | — |
| 1903 | 0 | — |
| 1904 | 0 | — |
| 1905 | 0 | — |
| 1906 | 0 | — |
| 1907 | 0 | — |
| 1908 | 0 | — |
| 1909 | 0 | — |
| 1910 | 0 | — |
| 1911 | 0 | — |
| 1912 | 0 | — |
| 1913 | 0 | — |
| 1914 | 0 | — |
| 1915 | 0 | — |
| 1916 | 0 | — |
| 1917 | 0 | — |
| 1918 | 0 | — |
| 1919 | 0 | — |
| 1920 | 0 | — |
| 1921 | 0 | — |
| 1922 | 0 | — |
| 1923 | 0 | — |
| 1924 | 0 | — |
| 1925 | 0 | — |
| 1926 | 0 | — |
| 1927 | 0 | — |
| 1928 | 0 | — |
| 1929 | 0 | — |
| 1930 | 0 | — |
| 1931 | 0 | — |
| 1932 | 0 | — |
| 1933 | 0 | — |
| 1934 | 0 | — |
| 1935 | 0 | — |
| 1936 | 0 | — |
| 1937 | 0 | — |
| 1938 | 0 | — |
| 1939 | 0 | — |
| 1940 | 0 | — |
| 1941 | 0 | — |
| 1942 | 0 | — |
| 1943 | 0 | — |
| 1944 | 0 | — |
| 1945 | 0 | — |
| 1946 | 0 | — |
| 1947 | 0 | — |
| 1948 | 0 | — |
| 1949 | 0 | — |
| 1950 | 0 | — |
| 1951 | 0 | — |
| 1952 | 0 | — |
| 1953 | 0 | — |
| 1954 | 0 | — |
| 1955 | 0 | — |
| 1956 | 0 | — |
| 1957 | 0 | — |
| 1958 | 0 | — |
| 1959 | 0 | — |
| 1960 | 0 | — |
| 1961 | 0 | — |
| 1962 | 0 | — |
| 1963 | 0 | — |
| 1964 | 0.1 | — |
| 1965 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 1966 | 0 | — |
| 1967 | 0 | — |
| 1968 | 0.1 | — |
| 1969 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 1970 | 0 | — |
| 1971 | 0 | — |
| 1972 | 0 | — |
| 1973 | 0 | — |
| 1974 | 0 | — |
| 1975 | 0 | — |
| 1976 | 0 | — |
| 1977 | 0 | — |
| 1978 | 0 | — |
| 1979 | 0 | — |
| 1980 | 0 | — |
| 1981 | 0 | — |
| 1982 | 0 | — |
| 1983 | 0 | — |
| 1984 | 0 | — |
| 1985 | 0 | — |
| 1986 | 0 | — |
| 1987 | 0 | — |
| 1988 | 0 | — |
| 1989 | 0 | — |
| 1990 | 0.2 | — |
| 1991 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 0.188 | -6.0% |
| 1996 | 0.176 | -6.4% |
| 1997 | 0.164 | -6.8% |
| 1998 | 0.152 | -7.3% |
| 1999 | 0.14 | -7.9% |
| 2000 | 0.128 | -8.6% |
| 2001 | 0.116 | -9.4% |
| 2002 | 0.104 | -10.3% |
| 2003 | 0.092 | -11.5% |
| 2004 | 0.08 | -13.0% |
| 2005 | 0.068 | -15.0% |
| 2006 | 0.056 | -17.6% |
| 2007 | 0.044 | -21.4% |
| 2008 | 0.032 | -27.3% |
| 2009 | 0.02 | -37.5% |
| 2010 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 0.033 | +65.0% |
| 2021 | 0.033 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 0.033 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 0.033 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 0.033 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 0.033 | +0.0% |
Benin compared with similar countries
- Benin's 0.033 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.0275, 1.2× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Benin's 0.033 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.033, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1910s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.02 | 0 | 0.1 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.182 | 0.14 | 0.2 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.074 | 0.02 | 0.128 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.033 | 0.033 | 0.033 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Benin
More social development data for Benin
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 16,974 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1,279 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 4 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 4 (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 1,279 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0011 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 Benin?
- Direct democracy index in Benin was 0.033 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest direct democracy index recorded in Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 0.2 in 1990.
- What is the lowest direct democracy index recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1900.
- How does Benin rank for direct democracy index?
- Benin ranks 86th out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
- Is direct democracy index rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is up 65.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Benin 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 — 126 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.