Statizoid

Direct Democracy Index in Ireland

Ireland: Direct Democracy Index was 0.189 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
0.189
Change on year
down 4.1%
World rank
29th
of 175 countries
All-time high
0.21
in 1922
All-time low
0
in 1900
Years of data
126
1900–2025

Direct Democracy Index in Ireland, 1900–2025

00.050.10.150.2190019622025

Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2025, direct democracy index in Ireland stood at 0.189.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.1% on the previous year and down 9.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, direct democracy index in Ireland peaked at 0.21 in 1922 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1900.

That places Ireland 29th out of 175 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Direct Democracy Index in Ireland, 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 0.21 —
1923 0.21 +0.0%
1924 0.21 +0.0%
1925 0.21 +0.0%
1926 0.21 +0.0%
1927 0.202 -3.8%
1928 0.194 -4.0%
1929 0.128 -34.0%
1930 0.12 -6.3%
1931 0.112 -6.7%
1932 0.104 -7.1%
1933 0.096 -7.7%
1934 0.088 -8.3%
1935 0.08 -9.1%
1936 0.072 -10.0%
1937 0.208 +188.9%
1938 0.208 +0.0%
1939 0.208 +0.0%
1940 0.208 +0.0%
1941 0.208 +0.0%
1942 0.197 -5.3%
1943 0.185 -6.1%
1944 0.174 -5.9%
1945 0.163 -6.3%
1946 0.151 -7.4%
1947 0.14 -7.3%
1948 0.129 -7.9%
1949 0.117 -9.3%
1950 0.106 -9.4%
1951 0.095 -10.4%
1952 0.083 -12.6%
1953 0.072 -13.3%
1954 0.061 -15.3%
1955 0.049 -19.7%
1956 0.038 -22.4%
1957 0.038 +0.0%
1958 0.038 +0.0%
1959 0.189 +397.4%
1960 0.189 +0.0%
1961 0.189 +0.0%
1962 0.189 +0.0%
1963 0.189 +0.0%
1964 0.17 -10.1%
1965 0.151 -11.2%
1966 0.132 -12.6%
1967 0.113 -14.4%
1968 0.189 +67.3%
1969 0.189 +0.0%
1970 0.189 +0.0%
1971 0.189 +0.0%
1972 0.208 +10.1%
1973 0.208 +0.0%
1974 0.208 +0.0%
1975 0.208 +0.0%
1976 0.208 +0.0%
1977 0.197 -5.3%
1978 0.185 -6.1%
1979 0.208 +12.4%
1980 0.208 +0.0%
1981 0.208 +0.0%
1982 0.208 +0.0%
1983 0.208 +0.0%
1984 0.208 +0.0%
1985 0.208 +0.0%
1986 0.208 +0.0%
1987 0.208 +0.0%
1988 0.208 +0.0%
1989 0.208 +0.0%
1990 0.208 +0.0%
1991 0.208 +0.0%
1992 0.208 +0.0%
1993 0.208 +0.0%
1994 0.208 +0.0%
1995 0.208 +0.0%
1996 0.208 +0.0%
1997 0.208 +0.0%
1998 0.208 +0.0%
1999 0.208 +0.0%
2000 0.208 +0.0%
2001 0.208 +0.0%
2002 0.208 +0.0%
2003 0.208 +0.0%
2004 0.208 +0.0%
2005 0.208 +0.0%
2006 0.208 +0.0%
2007 0.208 +0.0%
2008 0.208 +0.0%
2009 0.208 +0.0%
2010 0.208 +0.0%
2011 0.208 +0.0%
2012 0.208 +0.0%
2013 0.208 +0.0%
2014 0.208 +0.0%
2015 0.208 +0.0%
2016 0.208 +0.0%
2017 0.208 +0.0%
2018 0.208 +0.0%
2019 0.208 +0.0%
2020 0.208 +0.0%
2021 0.208 +0.0%
2022 0.208 +0.0%
2023 0.208 +0.0%
2024 0.197 -5.3%
2025 0.189 -4.1%

Ireland compared with similar countries

  • Ireland's 0.189 is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.033, 5.7× the median. (55 countries reporting)
  • Ireland's 0.189 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.1205, 1.6× the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1900s 0 0 0 10
1910s 0 0 0 10
1920s 0.1574 0 0.21 10
1930s 0.1296 0.072 0.208 10
1940s 0.1672 0.117 0.208 10
1950s 0.0769 0.038 0.189 10
1960s 0.17 0.113 0.189 10
1970s 0.2008 0.185 0.208 10
1980s 0.208 0.208 0.208 10
1990s 0.208 0.208 0.208 10
2000s 0.208 0.208 0.208 10
2010s 0.208 0.208 0.208 10
2020s 0.203 0.189 0.208 6

Countries ranked near Ireland

  1. 26 Peru 0.195 compare
  2. 27 Kazakhstan 0.194 compare
  3. 28 Malta 0.19 compare
  4. 30 Uzbekistan 0.188 compare
  5. 31 Denmark 0.185 compare
  6. 32 Croatia 0.174 compare

See the full ranking of 175 places →

More social development data for Ireland

All data for Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is direct democracy index in Ireland?
Direct democracy index in Ireland was 0.189 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest direct democracy index recorded in Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 0.21 in 1922.
What is the lowest direct democracy index recorded in Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1900.
How does Ireland rank for direct democracy index?
Ireland ranks 29th out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
Is direct democracy index rising or falling in Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is down 9.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Ireland 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.

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Direct Democracy Index in Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/direct-democracy-index/ireland/

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About this data

Indicator
Direct Democracy Index
Source
V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
175 places, 20,802 data points, 1900–2025
Last refreshed

Measures the extent of how easy it is for citizens to vote on specific issues themselves in popular initiatives, referendums, and plebiscites.