Statizoid

Direct Democracy Index in Italy

Italy: Direct Democracy Index was 0.353 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
0.353
Change on year
down 3.6%
World rank
7th
of 175 countries
All-time high
0.392
in 2020
All-time low
0
in 1900
Years of data
126
1900–2025

Direct Democracy Index in Italy, 1900–2025

00.10.20.30.4190019622025

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for direct democracy index in Italy is 0.353, measured in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.6% on the previous year and up 12.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, direct democracy index in Italy peaked at 0.392 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1900.

That places Italy 7th out of 175 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.

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

Direct Democracy Index in Italy, 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 0.1 —
1930 0 -100.0%
1931 0 —
1932 0 —
1933 0 —
1934 0.1 —
1935 0 -100.0%
1936 0 —
1937 0 —
1938 0 —
1939 0 —
1940 0 —
1941 0 —
1942 0 —
1943 0 —
1944 0 —
1945 0 —
1946 0.1 —
1947 0.039 -61.0%
1948 0.039 +0.0%
1949 0.039 +0.0%
1950 0.039 +0.0%
1951 0.039 +0.0%
1952 0.039 +0.0%
1953 0.039 +0.0%
1954 0.039 +0.0%
1955 0.039 +0.0%
1956 0.039 +0.0%
1957 0.039 +0.0%
1958 0.039 +0.0%
1959 0.039 +0.0%
1960 0.039 +0.0%
1961 0.039 +0.0%
1962 0.039 +0.0%
1963 0.039 +0.0%
1964 0.039 +0.0%
1965 0.039 +0.0%
1966 0.039 +0.0%
1967 0.039 +0.0%
1968 0.039 +0.0%
1969 0.039 +0.0%
1970 0.039 +0.0%
1971 0.039 +0.0%
1972 0.039 +0.0%
1973 0.039 +0.0%
1974 0.248 +535.9%
1975 0.248 +0.0%
1976 0.248 +0.0%
1977 0.248 +0.0%
1978 0.248 +0.0%
1979 0.248 +0.0%
1980 0.248 +0.0%
1981 0.248 +0.0%
1982 0.248 +0.0%
1983 0.248 +0.0%
1984 0.248 +0.0%
1985 0.248 +0.0%
1986 0.248 +0.0%
1987 0.274 +10.5%
1988 0.274 +0.0%
1989 0.374 +36.5%
1990 0.274 -26.7%
1991 0.274 +0.0%
1992 0.274 +0.0%
1993 0.274 +0.0%
1994 0.274 +0.0%
1995 0.274 +0.0%
1996 0.274 +0.0%
1997 0.274 +0.0%
1998 0.274 +0.0%
1999 0.274 +0.0%
2000 0.248 -9.5%
2001 0.366 +47.6%
2002 0.366 +0.0%
2003 0.366 +0.0%
2004 0.366 +0.0%
2005 0.366 +0.0%
2006 0.358 -2.2%
2007 0.353 -1.4%
2008 0.353 +0.0%
2009 0.353 +0.0%
2010 0.353 +0.0%
2011 0.366 +3.7%
2012 0.353 -3.6%
2013 0.34 -3.7%
2014 0.327 -3.8%
2015 0.314 -4.0%
2016 0.379 +20.7%
2017 0.379 +0.0%
2018 0.379 +0.0%
2019 0.379 +0.0%
2020 0.392 +3.4%
2021 0.376 -4.1%
2022 0.366 -2.7%
2023 0.366 +0.0%
2024 0.366 +0.0%
2025 0.353 -3.6%

Italy compared with similar countries

  • Italy's 0.353 is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.033, 10.7× the median. (55 countries reporting)
  • Italy's 0.353 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.1205, 2.9× the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1900s 0 0 0 10
1910s 0 0 0 10
1920s 0.01 0 0.1 10
1930s 0.01 0 0.1 10
1940s 0.0217 0 0.1 10
1950s 0.039 0.039 0.039 10
1960s 0.039 0.039 0.039 10
1970s 0.1644 0.039 0.248 10
1980s 0.2658 0.248 0.374 10
1990s 0.274 0.274 0.274 10
2000s 0.3495 0.248 0.366 10
2010s 0.3569 0.314 0.379 10
2020s 0.3698 0.353 0.392 6

Countries ranked near Italy

  1. 4 Taiwan 0.518 compare
  2. 5 Mexico 0.466 compare
  3. 6 Romania 0.403 compare
  4. 8 Kyrgyzstan 0.326 compare
  5. 9 Venezuela 0.297 compare
  6. 10 Moldova 0.291 compare

See the full ranking of 175 places →

More social development data for Italy

All data for Italy →

Frequently asked questions

What is direct democracy index in Italy?
Direct democracy index in Italy was 0.353 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest direct democracy index recorded in Italy?
The highest recorded value was 0.392 in 2020.
What is the lowest direct democracy index recorded in Italy?
The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1900.
How does Italy rank for direct democracy index?
Italy ranks 7th out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
Is direct democracy index rising or falling in Italy?
Over the last ten years it is up 12.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Italy 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 Italy. 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/italy/

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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.