Direct Democracy Index in Mauritania
Mauritania: Direct Democracy Index was 0.165 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
0.165
Change on year
down 6.8%
World rank
35th
of 175 countries
All-time high
0.213
in 1991
All-time low
0
in 1904
Years of data
122
1904–2025
Direct Democracy Index in Mauritania, 1904–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, direct democracy index in Mauritania stood at 0.165.
That represents a change of down 6.8% on the previous year and up 7.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, direct democracy index in Mauritania peaked at 0.213 in 1991 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1904.
That places Mauritania 35th 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 Mauritania, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 0.02 | — |
| 1961 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 0.213 | +965.0% |
| 1992 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 0.201 | -5.6% |
| 1997 | 0.189 | -6.0% |
| 1998 | 0.177 | -6.3% |
| 1999 | 0.165 | -6.8% |
| 2000 | 0.153 | -7.3% |
| 2001 | 0.141 | -7.8% |
| 2002 | 0.129 | -8.5% |
| 2003 | 0.117 | -9.3% |
| 2004 | 0.105 | -10.3% |
| 2005 | 0.093 | -11.4% |
| 2006 | 0.213 | +129.0% |
| 2007 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 0.201 | -5.6% |
| 2012 | 0.189 | -6.0% |
| 2013 | 0.177 | -6.3% |
| 2014 | 0.165 | -6.8% |
| 2015 | 0.153 | -7.3% |
| 2016 | 0.141 | -7.8% |
| 2017 | 0.213 | +51.1% |
| 2018 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 0.201 | -5.6% |
| 2023 | 0.189 | -6.0% |
| 2024 | 0.177 | -6.3% |
| 2025 | 0.165 | -6.8% |
Mauritania compared with similar countries
- Mauritania's 0.165 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.0275, 6.0× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Mauritania's 0.165 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.033, 5.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 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 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.1817 | 0.02 | 0.213 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.159 | 0.093 | 0.213 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.1878 | 0.141 | 0.213 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.193 | 0.165 | 0.213 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Mauritania
More social development data for Mauritania
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 301,490 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 43,906 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 5 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (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 0.0083 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 43,906 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0567 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 Mauritania?
- Direct democracy index in Mauritania was 0.165 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest direct democracy index recorded in Mauritania?
- The highest recorded value was 0.213 in 1991.
- What is the lowest direct democracy index recorded in Mauritania?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1904.
- How does Mauritania rank for direct democracy index?
- Mauritania ranks 35th out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
- Is direct democracy index rising or falling in Mauritania?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Mauritania 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 — 122 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.