Electoral Democracy Index in Benin

Benin: Electoral Democracy Index was 0.493 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
0.493
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
89th
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.713
in 2017
All-time low
0.032
in 1900
Years of data
126
1900–2025

Electoral Democracy Index in Benin, 1900–2025

00.20.40.60.8190019622025

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for electoral democracy index in Benin is 0.493, measured in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.4% on the previous year and down 24.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, electoral democracy index in Benin peaked at 0.713 in 2017 and was at its lowest, 0.032, in 1900.

Benin ranks 89th of 176 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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1900s 0.032 0.032 0.032 10
1910s 0.032 0.032 0.032 10
1920s 0.0325 0.032 0.033 10
1930s 0.033 0.033 0.033 10
1940s 0.0399 0.033 0.049 10
1950s 0.098 0.049 0.151 10
1960s 0.2712 0.174 0.331 10
1970s 0.1077 0.085 0.176 10
1980s 0.1036 0.101 0.106 10
1990s 0.5567 0.221 0.624 10
2000s 0.6228 0.601 0.659 10
2010s 0.6174 0.452 0.713 10
2020s 0.4487 0.39 0.493 6

Countries ranked near Benin

  1. 86 Malaysia 0.504 compare
  2. 87 Bosnia and Herzegovina 0.498 compare
  3. 88 Zambia 0.497 compare
  4. 90 Albania 0.484 compare
  5. 91 Sierra Leone 0.471 compare
  6. 92 Mexico 0.469 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for Benin

All data for Benin →

Frequently asked questions

What is electoral democracy index in Benin?
Electoral democracy index in Benin was 0.493 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest electoral democracy index recorded in Benin?
The highest recorded value was 0.713 in 2017.
What is the lowest electoral democracy index recorded in Benin?
The lowest recorded value was 0.032 in 1900.
How does Benin rank for electoral democracy index?
Benin ranks 89th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is electoral democracy index rising or falling in Benin?
Over the last ten years it is down 24.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Benin data come from?
The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Electoral 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

Indicator
Electoral Democracy Index
Source
V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
176 places, 29,649 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed

Central estimate of the extent to which political leaders are elected under comprehensive suffrage in free and fair elections, and freedoms of association and expression are guaranteed.