Direct Democracy Index in Iraq
Iraq: Direct Democracy Index was 0.013 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
0.013
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
128th
of 175 countries
All-time high
0.131
in 2005
All-time low
0
in 1900
Years of data
126
1900–2025
Direct Democracy Index in Iraq, 1900–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Iraq recorded 0.013 for direct democracy index in 2025.
The figure is down 84.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, direct democracy index in Iraq peaked at 0.131 in 2005 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1900.
That places Iraq 128th 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 Iraq, 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 | — |
| 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 | — |
| 1980 | 0 | — |
| 1981 | 0 | — |
| 1982 | 0 | — |
| 1983 | 0 | — |
| 1984 | 0 | — |
| 1985 | 0 | — |
| 1986 | 0 | — |
| 1987 | 0 | — |
| 1988 | 0 | — |
| 1989 | 0 | — |
| 1990 | 0 | — |
| 1991 | 0 | — |
| 1992 | 0 | — |
| 1993 | 0 | — |
| 1994 | 0 | — |
| 1995 | 0.113 | — |
| 1996 | 0.013 | -88.5% |
| 1997 | 0.013 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 0.013 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 0.013 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 0.013 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 0.013 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.113 | +769.2% |
| 2003 | 0.013 | -88.5% |
| 2004 | 0.013 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 0.131 | +907.7% |
| 2006 | 0.131 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 0.131 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 0.131 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 0.131 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 0.123 | -6.1% |
| 2011 | 0.116 | -5.7% |
| 2012 | 0.108 | -6.9% |
| 2013 | 0.1 | -7.4% |
| 2014 | 0.092 | -8.0% |
| 2015 | 0.084 | -8.7% |
| 2016 | 0.076 | -9.5% |
| 2017 | 0.068 | -10.5% |
| 2018 | 0.06 | -11.8% |
| 2019 | 0.052 | -13.3% |
| 2020 | 0.045 | -13.5% |
| 2021 | 0.037 | -17.8% |
| 2022 | 0.029 | -21.6% |
| 2023 | 0.021 | -27.6% |
| 2024 | 0.013 | -38.1% |
| 2025 | 0.013 | +0.0% |
Iraq compared with similar countries
- Iraq's 0.013 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.06, 22% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
- Iraq's 0.013 is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 0.02, 65% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Direct Democracy Index in Iraq 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | +907.7% | 0.013 | 0.131 |
| 2002 | +769.2% | 0.013 | 0.113 |
| 1996 | -88.5% | 0.113 | 0.013 |
| 2003 | -88.5% | 0.113 | 0.013 |
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 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.0165 | 0 | 0.113 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.082 | 0.013 | 0.131 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0879 | 0.052 | 0.123 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.0263 | 0.013 | 0.045 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iraq
- 128 Botswana 0.013 compare
- 128 Czechia 0.013 compare
- 128 El Salvador 0.013 compare
- 128 Eswatini 0.013 compare
- 128 Ethiopia 0.013 compare
- 128 Guyana 0.013 compare
- 128 Israel 0.013 compare
- 128 Jamaica 0.013 compare
- 128 Lesotho 0.013 compare
- 128 Malawi 0.013 compare
- 128 Panama 0.013 compare
- 128 Papua New Guinea 0.013 compare
- 128 Yemen 0.013 compare
More social development data for Iraq
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 322,345 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 270,671 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 5 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 5 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0058 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 270,671 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0069 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 Iraq?
- Direct democracy index in Iraq was 0.013 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest direct democracy index recorded in Iraq?
- The highest recorded value was 0.131 in 2005.
- What is the lowest direct democracy index recorded in Iraq?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1900.
- How does Iraq rank for direct democracy index?
- Iraq ranks 128th out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
- Is direct democracy index rising or falling in Iraq?
- Over the last ten years it is down 84.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Iraq 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.