Direct Democracy Index in Russia
Russia: Direct Democracy Index was 0.229 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Direct Democracy Index in Russia, 1900–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, direct democracy index in Russia stood at 0.229. That is the highest value across all 126 years on record.
That represents a change of up 218.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, direct democracy index in Russia peaked at 0.229 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1900.
Russia ranks 17th of 175 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1910s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.008 | 0 | 0.02 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.0239 | 0.02 | 0.033 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.033 | 0.033 | 0.033 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.1831 | 0.033 | 0.212 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.1317 | 0.101 | 0.174 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0751 | 0.072 | 0.093 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.229 | 0.229 | 0.229 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Russia
More social development data for Russia
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 11,811 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 99,360 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 7 (2025)
- Key features of liberal democracy 0.056 (2025)
- Varieties of democracy 0.17 (2025)
- Freedom of Expression Index 0.08 (2025)
- Freedom of Association Index 0.115 (2025)
- Electoral Democracy Index 0.17 (2025)
- Liberal democracy 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is direct democracy index in Russia?
- Direct democracy index in Russia was 0.229 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest direct democracy index recorded in Russia?
- The highest recorded value was 0.229 in 2020.
- What is the lowest direct democracy index recorded in Russia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1900.
- How does Russia rank for direct democracy index?
- Russia ranks 17th out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
- Is direct democracy index rising or falling in Russia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 218.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Russia 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.