What is electoral democracy index in Portugal?

Electoral democracy index in Portugal was 0.822 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest electoral democracy index recorded in Portugal?

The highest recorded value was 0.899 in 2018.

What is the lowest electoral democracy index recorded in Portugal?

The lowest recorded value was 0.015 in 1789.

How does Portugal rank for electoral democracy index?

Portugal ranks 22nd out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is electoral democracy index rising or falling in Portugal?

Over the last ten years it is down 7.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this Portugal 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.

Electoral Democracy Index in Portugal

Name: Electoral Democracy Index in Portugal
Creator: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Portugal: Electoral Democracy Index was 0.822 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)

0.822

Change on year

down 1.7%

World rank

22nd

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.899

in 2018

All-time low

0.015

in 1789

Years of data

237

1789–2025

Electoral Democracy Index in Portugal, 1789–2025

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

Analysis

In 2025, electoral democracy index in Portugal stood at 0.822.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.7% on the previous year and down 7.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, electoral democracy index in Portugal peaked at 0.899 in 2018 and was at its lowest, 0.015, in 1789.

That places Portugal 22nd out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.

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

Electoral Democracy Index in Portugal, year by year

Annual values for Electoral Democracy Index in Portugal, 1789 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1789	0.015	—
1790	0.015	+0.0%
1791	0.015	+0.0%
1792	0.015	+0.0%
1793	0.015	+0.0%
1794	0.015	+0.0%
1795	0.015	+0.0%
1796	0.015	+0.0%
1797	0.015	+0.0%
1798	0.015	+0.0%
1799	0.015	+0.0%
1800	0.015	+0.0%
1801	0.015	+0.0%
1802	0.015	+0.0%
1803	0.015	+0.0%
1804	0.015	+0.0%
1805	0.015	+0.0%
1806	0.015	+0.0%
1807	0.015	+0.0%
1808	0.015	+0.0%
1809	0.015	+0.0%
1810	0.015	+0.0%
1811	0.015	+0.0%
1812	0.015	+0.0%
1813	0.015	+0.0%
1814	0.015	+0.0%
1815	0.015	+0.0%
1816	0.015	+0.0%
1817	0.015	+0.0%
1818	0.015	+0.0%
1819	0.015	+0.0%
1820	0.167	+1013.3%
1821	0.23	+37.7%
1822	0.231	+0.4%
1823	0.206	-10.8%
1824	0.19	-7.8%
1825	0.19	+0.0%
1826	0.12	-36.8%
1827	0.117	-2.5%
1828	0.043	-63.2%
1829	0.042	-2.3%
1830	0.042	+0.0%
1831	0.042	+0.0%
1832	0.042	+0.0%
1833	0.042	+0.0%
1834	0.052	+23.8%
1835	0.115	+121.2%
1836	0.144	+25.2%
1837	0.146	+1.4%
1838	0.128	-12.3%
1839	0.131	+2.3%
1840	0.131	+0.0%
1841	0.131	+0.0%
1842	0.126	-3.8%
1843	0.131	+4.0%
1844	0.131	+0.0%
1845	0.13	-0.8%
1846	0.128	-1.5%
1847	0.128	+0.0%
1848	0.127	-0.8%
1849	0.127	+0.0%
1850	0.127	+0.0%
1851	0.135	+6.3%
1852	0.135	+0.0%
1853	0.135	+0.0%
1854	0.135	+0.0%
1855	0.135	+0.0%
1856	0.137	+1.5%
1857	0.149	+8.8%
1858	0.151	+1.3%
1859	0.151	+0.0%
1860	0.163	+7.9%
1861	0.162	-0.6%
1862	0.162	+0.0%
1863	0.162	+0.0%
1864	0.162	+0.0%
1865	0.163	+0.6%
1866	0.163	+0.0%
1867	0.163	+0.0%
1868	0.16	-1.8%
1869	0.161	+0.6%
1870	0.158	-1.9%
1871	0.162	+2.5%
1872	0.166	+2.5%
1873	0.166	+0.0%
1874	0.165	-0.6%
1875	0.164	-0.6%
1876	0.164	+0.0%
1877	0.164	+0.0%
1878	0.176	+7.3%
1879	0.178	+1.1%
1880	0.178	+0.0%
1881	0.178	+0.0%
1882	0.177	-0.6%
1883	0.177	+0.0%
1884	0.177	+0.0%
1885	0.178	+0.6%
1886	0.178	+0.0%
1887	0.179	+0.6%
1888	0.179	+0.0%
1889	0.179	+0.0%
1890	0.179	+0.0%
1891	0.179	+0.0%
1892	0.179	+0.0%
1893	0.178	-0.6%
1894	0.174	-2.2%
1895	0.16	-8.0%
1896	0.164	+2.5%
1897	0.162	-1.2%
1898	0.161	-0.6%
1899	0.16	-0.6%
1900	0.153	-4.4%
1901	0.149	-2.6%
1902	0.147	-1.3%
1903	0.147	+0.0%
1904	0.147	+0.0%
1905	0.147	+0.0%
1906	0.148	+0.7%
1907	0.146	-1.4%
1908	0.146	+0.0%
1909	0.148	+1.4%
1910	0.161	+8.8%
1911	0.2	+24.2%
1912	0.258	+29.0%
1913	0.256	-0.8%
1914	0.251	-2.0%
1915	0.241	-4.0%
1916	0.241	+0.0%
1917	0.232	-3.7%
1918	0.219	-5.6%
1919	0.227	+3.7%
1920	0.252	+11.0%
1921	0.249	-1.2%
1922	0.25	+0.4%
1923	0.25	+0.0%
1924	0.25	+0.0%
1925	0.248	-0.8%
1926	0.107	-56.9%
1927	0.048	-55.1%
1928	0.096	+100.0%
1929	0.112	+16.7%
1930	0.107	-4.5%
1931	0.122	+14.0%
1932	0.117	-4.1%
1933	0.118	+0.9%
1934	0.115	-2.5%
1935	0.111	-3.5%
1936	0.111	+0.0%
1937	0.111	+0.0%
1938	0.111	+0.0%
1939	0.111	+0.0%
1940	0.115	+3.6%
1941	0.116	+0.9%
1942	0.116	+0.0%
1943	0.116	+0.0%
1944	0.116	+0.0%
1945	0.118	+1.7%
1946	0.118	+0.0%
1947	0.118	+0.0%
1948	0.118	+0.0%
1949	0.118	+0.0%
1950	0.12	+1.7%
1951	0.12	+0.0%
1952	0.12	+0.0%
1953	0.121	+0.8%
1954	0.12	-0.8%
1955	0.12	+0.0%
1956	0.12	+0.0%
1957	0.122	+1.7%
1958	0.122	+0.0%
1959	0.121	-0.8%
1960	0.128	+5.8%
1961	0.129	+0.8%
1962	0.128	-0.8%
1963	0.128	+0.0%
1964	0.128	+0.0%
1965	0.128	+0.0%
1966	0.119	-7.0%
1967	0.119	+0.0%
1968	0.12	+0.8%
1969	0.128	+6.7%
1970	0.147	+14.8%
1971	0.147	+0.0%
1972	0.147	+0.0%
1973	0.151	+2.7%
1974	0.228	+51.0%
1975	0.307	+34.6%
1976	0.513	+67.1%
1977	0.747	+45.6%
1978	0.746	-0.1%
1979	0.753	+0.9%
1980	0.841	+11.7%
1981	0.842	+0.1%
1982	0.842	+0.0%
1983	0.857	+1.8%
1984	0.864	+0.8%
1985	0.864	+0.0%
1986	0.86	-0.5%
1987	0.864	+0.5%
1988	0.87	+0.7%
1989	0.87	+0.0%
1990	0.869	-0.1%
1991	0.859	-1.2%
1992	0.858	-0.1%
1993	0.858	+0.0%
1994	0.858	+0.0%
1995	0.861	+0.3%
1996	0.869	+0.9%
1997	0.869	+0.0%
1998	0.869	+0.0%
1999	0.868	-0.1%
2000	0.867	-0.1%
2001	0.871	+0.5%
2002	0.876	+0.6%
2003	0.876	+0.0%
2004	0.876	+0.0%
2005	0.889	+1.5%
2006	0.894	+0.6%
2007	0.894	+0.0%
2008	0.893	-0.1%
2009	0.894	+0.1%
2010	0.894	+0.0%
2011	0.884	-1.1%
2012	0.885	+0.1%
2013	0.886	+0.1%
2014	0.886	+0.0%
2015	0.887	+0.1%
2016	0.888	+0.1%
2017	0.898	+1.1%
2018	0.899	+0.1%
2019	0.886	-1.4%
2020	0.886	+0.0%
2021	0.884	-0.2%
2022	0.847	-4.2%
2023	0.854	+0.8%
2024	0.836	-2.1%
2025	0.822	-1.7%

Portugal compared with similar countries

Portugal's 0.822 is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.786, 1.0× the median. (55 countries reporting)
Portugal's 0.822 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.737, 1.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Electoral Democracy Index in Portugal changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

Year	Change	From	To
1820	+1013.3%	0.015	0.167
1835	+121.2%	0.052	0.115
1928	+100.0%	0.048	0.096
1976	+67.1%	0.307	0.513
1828	-63.2%	0.117	0.043
1926	-56.9%	0.248	0.107

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1780s	0.015	0.015	0.015	1
1790s	0.015	0.015	0.015	10
1800s	0.015	0.015	0.015	10
1810s	0.015	0.015	0.015	10
1820s	0.1536	0.042	0.231	10
1830s	0.0884	0.042	0.146	10
1840s	0.129	0.126	0.131	10
1850s	0.139	0.127	0.151	10
1860s	0.1621	0.16	0.163	10
1870s	0.1663	0.158	0.178	10
1880s	0.178	0.177	0.179	10
1890s	0.1696	0.16	0.179	10
1900s	0.1478	0.146	0.153	10
1910s	0.2286	0.161	0.258	10
1920s	0.1862	0.048	0.252	10
1930s	0.1134	0.107	0.122	10
1940s	0.1169	0.115	0.118	10
1950s	0.1206	0.12	0.122	10
1960s	0.1255	0.119	0.129	10
1970s	0.3886	0.147	0.753	10
1980s	0.8574	0.841	0.87	10
1990s	0.8638	0.858	0.869	10
2000s	0.883	0.867	0.894	10
2010s	0.8893	0.884	0.899	10
2020s	0.8548	0.822	0.886	6

Countries ranked near Portugal

19 Latvia 0.834 compare
20 Netherlands 0.832 compare
21 Germany 0.828 compare
22 Spain 0.822 compare
24 Japan 0.819 compare
24 South Korea 0.819 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for Portugal

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 70,349 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 109 (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 109 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0065 units per person (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)

All data for Portugal →

Frequently asked questions

What is electoral democracy index in Portugal?: Electoral democracy index in Portugal was 0.822 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest electoral democracy index recorded in Portugal?: The highest recorded value was 0.899 in 2018.
What is the lowest electoral democracy index recorded in Portugal?: The lowest recorded value was 0.015 in 1789.
How does Portugal rank for electoral democracy index?: Portugal ranks 22nd out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is electoral democracy index rising or falling in Portugal?: Over the last ten years it is down 7.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Portugal 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.

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Electoral Democracy Index in Portugal. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/electoral-democracy-index/portugal/

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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: 18 September 2026

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.