Direct Democracy Index in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Direct Democracy Index was 0.06 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
0.06
Change on year
down 20.0%
World rank
77th
of 175 countries
All-time high
0.15
in 1976
All-time low
0
in 1900
Years of data
126
1900–2025
Direct Democracy Index in United Kingdom, 1900–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
United Kingdom recorded 0.06 for direct democracy index in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 20.0% on the previous year and down 55.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, direct democracy index in United Kingdom peaked at 0.15 in 1976 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1900.
United Kingdom ranks 77th of 175 countries on this measure, 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 United Kingdom, 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 | — |
| 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 | — |
| 1961 | 0 | — |
| 1962 | 0 | — |
| 1963 | 0 | — |
| 1964 | 0 | — |
| 1965 | 0 | — |
| 1966 | 0 | — |
| 1967 | 0 | — |
| 1968 | 0 | — |
| 1969 | 0 | — |
| 1970 | 0 | — |
| 1971 | 0 | — |
| 1972 | 0 | — |
| 1973 | 0 | — |
| 1974 | 0 | — |
| 1975 | 0.1 | — |
| 1976 | 0.15 | +50.0% |
| 1977 | 0.15 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 0.15 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 0.15 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 0.141 | -6.0% |
| 1981 | 0.132 | -6.4% |
| 1982 | 0.123 | -6.8% |
| 1983 | 0.114 | -7.3% |
| 1984 | 0.105 | -7.9% |
| 1985 | 0.096 | -8.6% |
| 1986 | 0.087 | -9.4% |
| 1987 | 0.078 | -10.3% |
| 1988 | 0.069 | -11.5% |
| 1989 | 0.06 | -13.0% |
| 1990 | 0.051 | -15.0% |
| 1991 | 0.042 | -17.6% |
| 1992 | 0.033 | -21.4% |
| 1993 | 0.024 | -27.3% |
| 1994 | 0.015 | -37.5% |
| 1995 | 0.015 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 0.015 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 0.015 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 0.015 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 0.015 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 0.015 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 0.015 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.015 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 0.015 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 0.015 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 0.015 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 0.015 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 0.015 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 0.015 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 0.015 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 0.015 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 0.135 | +800.0% |
| 2012 | 0.135 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 0.135 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 0.135 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 0.135 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 0.135 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 0.135 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 0.135 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 0.135 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 0.135 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 0.12 | -11.1% |
| 2022 | 0.105 | -12.5% |
| 2023 | 0.09 | -14.3% |
| 2024 | 0.075 | -16.7% |
| 2025 | 0.06 | -20.0% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 0.06 is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.033, 1.8× the median. (55 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 0.06 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.1205, 50% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
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 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.07 | 0 | 0.15 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.1005 | 0.06 | 0.141 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.024 | 0.015 | 0.051 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.015 | 0.015 | 0.015 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.123 | 0.015 | 0.135 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.0975 | 0.06 | 0.135 | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More social development data for United Kingdom
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 581,072 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 517 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 1 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 517 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0084 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 United Kingdom?
- Direct democracy index in United Kingdom was 0.06 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest direct democracy index recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 0.15 in 1976.
- What is the lowest direct democracy index recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1900.
- How does United Kingdom rank for direct democracy index?
- United Kingdom ranks 77th out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
- Is direct democracy index rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 55.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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.