Electoral Democracy Index in Germany

Germany: Electoral Democracy Index was 0.828 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
0.828
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
21st
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.902
in 2006
All-time low
0.026
in 1789
Years of data
191
1789–2025

Electoral Democracy Index in Germany, 1789–2025

00.20.40.60.81178919072025

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

Analysis

In 2025, electoral democracy index in Germany stood at 0.828.

The figure is up 0.4% on the previous year and down 6.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, electoral democracy index in Germany peaked at 0.902 in 2006 and was at its lowest, 0.026, in 1789.

Germany ranks 21st of 176 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1780s 0.026 0.026 0.026 1
1790s 0.026 0.026 0.026 10
1800s 0.026 0.026 0.026 10
1810s 0.028 0.026 0.03 10
1820s 0.03 0.03 0.03 10
1830s 0.03 0.03 0.03 10
1840s 0.0572 0.03 0.169 10
1850s 0.157 0.157 0.157 10
1860s 0.1894 0.157 0.202 10
1870s 0.2287 0.205 0.232 10
1880s 0.2315 0.23 0.233 10
1890s 0.2385 0.236 0.241 10
1900s 0.2491 0.238 0.256 10
1910s 0.2812 0.24 0.577 10
1920s 0.6222 0.604 0.646 10
1930s 0.2421 0.071 0.593 10
1940s 0.0714 0.071 0.072 5
1990s 0.8938 0.893 0.899 9
2000s 0.899 0.896 0.902 10
2010s 0.8893 0.878 0.9 10
2020s 0.8493 0.825 0.87 6

Countries ranked near Germany

  1. 19 Latvia 0.834 compare
  2. 20 Netherlands 0.832 compare
  3. 22 Portugal 0.822 compare
  4. 22 Spain 0.822 compare
  5. 24 Japan 0.819 compare
  6. 24 South Korea 0.819 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for Germany

All data for Germany →

Frequently asked questions

What is electoral democracy index in Germany?
Electoral democracy index in Germany was 0.828 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest electoral democracy index recorded in Germany?
The highest recorded value was 0.902 in 2006.
What is the lowest electoral democracy index recorded in Germany?
The lowest recorded value was 0.026 in 1789.
How does Germany rank for electoral democracy index?
Germany ranks 21st out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is electoral democracy index rising or falling in Germany?
Over the last ten years it is down 6.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Germany 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 — 191 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.