Direct Democracy Index in Iran
Iran: Direct Democracy Index was 0.029 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
0.029
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
96th
of 175 countries
All-time high
0.222
in 1989
All-time low
0
in 1900
Years of data
126
1900–2025
Direct Democracy Index in Iran, 1900–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, direct democracy index in Iran stood at 0.029.
That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, direct democracy index in Iran peaked at 0.222 in 1989 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1900.
Iran ranks 96th 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.
Direct Democracy Index in Iran, 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 | 0.1 | — |
| 1953 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 1954 | 0 | — |
| 1955 | 0 | — |
| 1956 | 0 | — |
| 1957 | 0 | — |
| 1958 | 0 | — |
| 1959 | 0 | — |
| 1960 | 0 | — |
| 1961 | 0 | — |
| 1962 | 0 | — |
| 1963 | 0.1 | — |
| 1964 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 1965 | 0 | — |
| 1966 | 0 | — |
| 1967 | 0 | — |
| 1968 | 0 | — |
| 1969 | 0 | — |
| 1970 | 0 | — |
| 1971 | 0 | — |
| 1972 | 0 | — |
| 1973 | 0 | — |
| 1974 | 0 | — |
| 1975 | 0 | — |
| 1976 | 0 | — |
| 1977 | 0 | — |
| 1978 | 0 | — |
| 1979 | 0.209 | — |
| 1980 | 0.209 | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 0.209 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 0.209 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 0.209 | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 0.197 | -5.7% |
| 1985 | 0.185 | -6.1% |
| 1986 | 0.173 | -6.5% |
| 1987 | 0.161 | -6.9% |
| 1988 | 0.149 | -7.5% |
| 1989 | 0.222 | +49.0% |
| 1990 | 0.21 | -5.4% |
| 1991 | 0.198 | -5.7% |
| 1992 | 0.186 | -6.1% |
| 1993 | 0.174 | -6.5% |
| 1994 | 0.156 | -10.3% |
| 1995 | 0.138 | -11.5% |
| 1996 | 0.121 | -12.3% |
| 1997 | 0.103 | -14.9% |
| 1998 | 0.086 | -16.5% |
| 1999 | 0.08 | -7.0% |
| 2000 | 0.074 | -7.5% |
| 2001 | 0.069 | -6.8% |
| 2002 | 0.063 | -8.7% |
| 2003 | 0.058 | -7.9% |
| 2004 | 0.052 | -10.3% |
| 2005 | 0.046 | -11.5% |
| 2006 | 0.041 | -10.9% |
| 2007 | 0.035 | -14.6% |
| 2008 | 0.029 | -17.1% |
| 2009 | 0.029 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 0.029 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 0.029 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 0.029 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 0.029 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 0.029 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 0.029 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 0.029 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 0.029 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 0.029 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 0.029 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 0.029 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 0.029 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 0.029 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 0.029 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 0.029 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 0.029 | +0.0% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's 0.029 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.06, 48% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
- Iran's 0.029 is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 0.02, 1.4× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Direct Democracy Index in Iran 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | -100.0% | 0.1 | 0 |
| 1964 | -100.0% | 0.1 | 0 |
| 1989 | +49.0% | 0.149 | 0.222 |
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 | 0.01 | 0 | 0.1 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.01 | 0 | 0.1 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.0209 | 0 | 0.209 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.1923 | 0.149 | 0.222 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.1452 | 0.08 | 0.21 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.0496 | 0.029 | 0.074 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.029 | 0.029 | 0.029 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.029 | 0.029 | 0.029 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iran
More social development data for Iran
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 770,514 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 157,912 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 7 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 7 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0017 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 157,912 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0083 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 Iran?
- Direct democracy index in Iran was 0.029 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest direct democracy index recorded in Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 0.222 in 1989.
- What is the lowest direct democracy index recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1900.
- How does Iran rank for direct democracy index?
- Iran ranks 96th out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
- Is direct democracy index rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Iran 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.