Electoral Democracy Index in Malaysia

Malaysia: Electoral Democracy Index was 0.504 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
0.504
Change on year
down 1.8%
World rank
86th
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.513
in 2024
All-time low
0.035
in 1942
Years of data
126
1900–2025

Electoral Democracy Index in Malaysia, 1900–2025

00.10.20.30.40.5190019622025

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

Analysis

In 2025, electoral democracy index in Malaysia stood at 0.504.

That represents a change of down 1.8% on the previous year and up 55.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, electoral democracy index in Malaysia peaked at 0.513 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.035, in 1942.

That places Malaysia 86th out of 176 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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1900s 0.046 0.046 0.046 10
1910s 0.046 0.046 0.046 10
1920s 0.046 0.046 0.046 10
1930s 0.046 0.046 0.046 10
1940s 0.05 0.035 0.069 10
1950s 0.1794 0.069 0.315 10
1960s 0.2945 0.209 0.311 10
1970s 0.2318 0.146 0.276 10
1980s 0.2685 0.257 0.278 10
1990s 0.2591 0.257 0.266 10
2000s 0.303 0.277 0.331 10
2010s 0.3527 0.321 0.47 10
2020s 0.4735 0.425 0.513 6

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 83 Honduras 0.511 compare
  2. 84 Fiji 0.507 compare
  3. 85 Nigeria 0.505 compare
  4. 87 Bosnia and Herzegovina 0.498 compare
  5. 88 Zambia 0.497 compare
  6. 89 Benin 0.493 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is electoral democracy index in Malaysia?
Electoral democracy index in Malaysia was 0.504 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest electoral democracy index recorded in Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 0.513 in 2024.
What is the lowest electoral democracy index recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 0.035 in 1942.
How does Malaysia rank for electoral democracy index?
Malaysia ranks 86th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is electoral democracy index rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is up 55.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Malaysia 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.