Direct Democracy Index in Syria
Syria: Direct Democracy Index was 0.092 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
0.092
Change on year
down 11.5%
World rank
61st
of 175 countries
All-time high
0.2
in 1973
All-time low
0
in 1900
Years of data
124
1900–2025
Direct Democracy Index in Syria, 1900–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, direct democracy index in Syria stood at 0.092.
That represents a change of down 11.5% on the previous year and down 54.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, direct democracy index in Syria peaked at 0.2 in 1973 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1900.
That places Syria 61st 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 Syria, 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 | — |
| 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 | 0.1 | — |
| 1950 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 1951 | 0 | — |
| 1952 | 0 | — |
| 1953 | 0.1 | — |
| 1954 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 1955 | 0 | — |
| 1956 | 0 | — |
| 1957 | 0 | — |
| 1958 | 0.1 | — |
| 1959 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 1960 | 0 | — |
| 1961 | 0.1 | — |
| 1962 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 1963 | 0 | — |
| 1964 | 0 | — |
| 1965 | 0 | — |
| 1966 | 0 | — |
| 1967 | 0 | — |
| 1968 | 0 | — |
| 1969 | 0 | — |
| 1970 | 0 | — |
| 1971 | 0.1 | — |
| 1972 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 1973 | 0.2 | — |
| 1974 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 0.188 | -6.0% |
| 1984 | 0.176 | -6.4% |
| 1985 | 0.2 | +13.6% |
| 1986 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 0.188 | -6.0% |
| 1991 | 0.2 | +6.4% |
| 1992 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 0.188 | -6.0% |
| 1997 | 0.176 | -6.4% |
| 1998 | 0.164 | -6.8% |
| 1999 | 0.2 | +22.0% |
| 2000 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 0.188 | -6.0% |
| 2006 | 0.176 | -6.4% |
| 2007 | 0.2 | +13.6% |
| 2008 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 0.188 | -6.0% |
| 2018 | 0.176 | -6.4% |
| 2019 | 0.164 | -6.8% |
| 2020 | 0.152 | -7.3% |
| 2021 | 0.14 | -7.9% |
| 2022 | 0.128 | -8.6% |
| 2023 | 0.116 | -9.4% |
| 2024 | 0.104 | -10.3% |
| 2025 | 0.092 | -11.5% |
Syria compared with similar countries
- Syria's 0.092 is above the median for low income countries, which is 0.033, 2.8× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Syria's 0.092 is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 0.02, 4.6× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1910s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 1930s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.01 | 0 | 0.1 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.02 | 0 | 0.1 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.01 | 0 | 0.1 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.15 | 0 | 0.2 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.1964 | 0.176 | 0.2 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.1916 | 0.164 | 0.2 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.1964 | 0.176 | 0.2 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.1928 | 0.164 | 0.2 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.122 | 0.092 | 0.152 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Syria
More social development data for Syria
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 9,885 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 4.87 million (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 7 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 7 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.1899 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 4.87 million (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0004 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is direct democracy index in Syria?
- Direct democracy index in Syria was 0.092 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest direct democracy index recorded in Syria?
- The highest recorded value was 0.2 in 1973.
- What is the lowest direct democracy index recorded in Syria?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1900.
- How does Syria rank for direct democracy index?
- Syria ranks 61st out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
- Is direct democracy index rising or falling in Syria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 54.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Syria 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 — 124 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.