What is key features of democracy in Ireland?

Key features of democracy in Ireland was 0.887 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest key features of democracy recorded in Ireland?

The highest recorded value was 0.898 in 2021.

What is the lowest key features of democracy recorded in Ireland?

The lowest recorded value was 0.243 in 1789.

How does Ireland rank for key features of democracy?

Ireland ranks 5th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is key features of democracy rising or falling in Ireland?

Over the last ten years it is down 0.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.

Where does this Ireland data come from?

The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Key features of democracy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Key features of democracy in Ireland

Name: Key features of democracy in Ireland
Creator: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Ireland: Key features of democracy was 0.887 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)

0.887

Change on year

down 0.9%

World rank

5th

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.898

in 2021

All-time low

0.243

in 1789

Years of data

237

1789–2025

Key features of democracy in Ireland, 1789–2025

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

Analysis

Ireland recorded 0.887 for key features of democracy in 2025.

That represents a change of down 0.9% on the previous year and down 0.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, key features of democracy in Ireland peaked at 0.898 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 0.243, in 1789.

That places Ireland 5th out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 237 years of available data.

Key features of democracy in Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Key features of democracy in Ireland, 1789 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1789	0.243	—
1790	0.264	+8.6%
1791	0.278	+5.3%
1792	0.274	-1.4%
1793	0.274	+0.0%
1794	0.274	+0.0%
1795	0.27	-1.5%
1796	0.275	+1.9%
1797	0.27	-1.8%
1798	0.27	+0.0%
1799	0.27	+0.0%
1800	0.27	+0.0%
1801	0.275	+1.9%
1802	0.276	+0.4%
1803	0.27	-2.2%
1804	0.27	+0.0%
1805	0.27	+0.0%
1806	0.275	+1.9%
1807	0.276	+0.4%
1808	0.27	-2.2%
1809	0.27	+0.0%
1810	0.276	+2.2%
1811	0.271	-1.8%
1812	0.276	+1.8%
1813	0.271	-1.8%
1814	0.271	+0.0%
1815	0.271	+0.0%
1816	0.266	-1.8%
1817	0.266	+0.0%
1818	0.271	+1.9%
1819	0.258	-4.8%
1820	0.267	+3.5%
1821	0.262	-1.9%
1822	0.262	+0.0%
1823	0.262	+0.0%
1824	0.262	+0.0%
1825	0.276	+5.3%
1826	0.288	+4.3%
1827	0.282	-2.1%
1828	0.282	+0.0%
1829	0.279	-1.1%
1830	0.285	+2.2%
1831	0.285	+0.0%
1832	0.293	+2.8%
1833	0.301	+2.7%
1834	0.301	+0.0%
1835	0.306	+1.7%
1836	0.301	-1.6%
1837	0.305	+1.3%
1838	0.3	-1.6%
1839	0.304	+1.3%
1840	0.311	+2.3%
1841	0.318	+2.3%
1842	0.311	-2.2%
1843	0.311	+0.0%
1844	0.311	+0.0%
1845	0.311	+0.0%
1846	0.311	+0.0%
1847	0.317	+1.9%
1848	0.312	-1.6%
1849	0.312	+0.0%
1850	0.314	+0.6%
1851	0.316	+0.6%
1852	0.322	+1.9%
1853	0.314	-2.5%
1854	0.314	+0.0%
1855	0.314	+0.0%
1856	0.314	+0.0%
1857	0.32	+1.9%
1858	0.314	-1.9%
1859	0.321	+2.2%
1860	0.316	-1.6%
1861	0.316	+0.0%
1862	0.316	+0.0%
1863	0.316	+0.0%
1864	0.316	+0.0%
1865	0.327	+3.5%
1866	0.327	+0.0%
1867	0.345	+5.5%
1868	0.348	+0.9%
1869	0.345	-0.9%
1870	0.345	+0.0%
1871	0.345	+0.0%
1872	0.345	+0.0%
1873	0.35	+1.4%
1874	0.365	+4.3%
1875	0.36	-1.4%
1876	0.36	+0.0%
1877	0.36	+0.0%
1878	0.36	+0.0%
1879	0.36	+0.0%
1880	0.373	+3.6%
1881	0.375	+0.5%
1882	0.375	+0.0%
1883	0.375	+0.0%
1884	0.409	+9.1%
1885	0.413	+1.0%
1886	0.437	+5.8%
1887	0.442	+1.1%
1888	0.442	+0.0%
1889	0.442	+0.0%
1890	0.442	+0.0%
1891	0.442	+0.0%
1892	0.448	+1.4%
1893	0.464	+3.6%
1894	0.464	+0.0%
1895	0.459	-1.1%
1896	0.463	+0.9%
1897	0.463	+0.0%
1898	0.466	+0.6%
1899	0.466	+0.0%
1900	0.471	+1.1%
1901	0.477	+1.3%
1902	0.477	+0.0%
1903	0.477	+0.0%
1904	0.477	+0.0%
1905	0.477	+0.0%
1906	0.477	+0.0%
1907	0.477	+0.0%
1908	0.477	+0.0%
1909	0.477	+0.0%
1910	0.477	+0.0%
1911	0.477	+0.0%
1912	0.477	+0.0%
1913	0.477	+0.0%
1914	0.467	-2.1%
1915	0.464	-0.6%
1916	0.464	+0.0%
1917	0.464	+0.0%
1918	0.464	+0.0%
1919	0.273	-41.2%
1920	0.279	+2.2%
1921	0.439	+57.3%
1922	0.6	+36.7%
1923	0.643	+7.2%
1924	0.723	+12.4%
1925	0.723	+0.0%
1926	0.723	+0.0%
1927	0.728	+0.7%
1928	0.74	+1.6%
1929	0.74	+0.0%
1930	0.74	+0.0%
1931	0.74	+0.0%
1932	0.748	+1.1%
1933	0.75	+0.3%
1934	0.75	+0.0%
1935	0.75	+0.0%
1936	0.759	+1.2%
1937	0.76	+0.1%
1938	0.756	-0.5%
1939	0.741	-2.0%
1940	0.741	+0.0%
1941	0.741	+0.0%
1942	0.741	+0.0%
1943	0.744	+0.4%
1944	0.747	+0.4%
1945	0.75	+0.4%
1946	0.766	+2.1%
1947	0.766	+0.0%
1948	0.767	+0.1%
1949	0.777	+1.3%
1950	0.777	+0.0%
1951	0.775	-0.3%
1952	0.776	+0.1%
1953	0.776	+0.0%
1954	0.776	+0.0%
1955	0.776	+0.0%
1956	0.776	+0.0%
1957	0.778	+0.3%
1958	0.778	+0.0%
1959	0.778	+0.0%
1960	0.783	+0.6%
1961	0.79	+0.9%
1962	0.804	+1.8%
1963	0.803	-0.1%
1964	0.811	+1.0%
1965	0.808	-0.4%
1966	0.809	+0.1%
1967	0.811	+0.2%
1968	0.811	+0.0%
1969	0.809	-0.2%
1970	0.819	+1.2%
1971	0.819	+0.0%
1972	0.819	+0.0%
1973	0.816	-0.4%
1974	0.824	+1.0%
1975	0.824	+0.0%
1976	0.824	+0.0%
1977	0.824	+0.0%
1978	0.825	+0.1%
1979	0.825	+0.0%
1980	0.825	+0.0%
1981	0.831	+0.7%
1982	0.83	-0.1%
1983	0.829	-0.1%
1984	0.829	+0.0%
1985	0.833	+0.5%
1986	0.833	+0.0%
1987	0.842	+1.1%
1988	0.843	+0.1%
1989	0.841	-0.2%
1990	0.851	+1.2%
1991	0.866	+1.8%
1992	0.867	+0.1%
1993	0.871	+0.5%
1994	0.871	+0.0%
1995	0.871	+0.0%
1996	0.875	+0.5%
1997	0.878	+0.3%
1998	0.88	+0.2%
1999	0.88	+0.0%
2000	0.885	+0.6%
2001	0.885	+0.0%
2002	0.883	-0.2%
2003	0.882	-0.1%
2004	0.882	+0.0%
2005	0.882	+0.0%
2006	0.882	+0.0%
2007	0.891	+1.0%
2008	0.896	+0.6%
2009	0.896	+0.0%
2010	0.896	+0.0%
2011	0.896	+0.0%
2012	0.897	+0.1%
2013	0.895	-0.2%
2014	0.895	+0.0%
2015	0.895	+0.0%
2016	0.886	-1.0%
2017	0.887	+0.1%
2018	0.89	+0.3%
2019	0.887	-0.3%
2020	0.891	+0.5%
2021	0.898	+0.8%
2022	0.892	-0.7%
2023	0.894	+0.2%
2024	0.895	+0.1%
2025	0.887	-0.9%

Ireland compared with similar countries

Ireland's 0.887 is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.786, 1.1× the median. (55 countries reporting)
Ireland's 0.887 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.737, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Key features of democracy in Ireland 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
1921	+57.3%	0.279	0.439
1919	-41.2%	0.464	0.273
1922	+36.7%	0.439	0.6

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1780s	0.243	0.243	0.243	1
1790s	0.2719	0.264	0.278	10
1800s	0.2722	0.27	0.276	10
1810s	0.2697	0.258	0.276	10
1820s	0.2722	0.262	0.288	10
1830s	0.2981	0.285	0.306	10
1840s	0.3125	0.311	0.318	10
1850s	0.3163	0.314	0.322	10
1860s	0.3272	0.316	0.348	10
1870s	0.355	0.345	0.365	10
1880s	0.4083	0.373	0.442	10
1890s	0.4577	0.442	0.466	10
1900s	0.4764	0.471	0.477	10
1910s	0.4504	0.273	0.477	10
1920s	0.6338	0.279	0.74	10
1930s	0.7494	0.74	0.76	10
1940s	0.754	0.741	0.777	10
1950s	0.7766	0.775	0.778	10
1960s	0.8039	0.783	0.811	10
1970s	0.8219	0.816	0.825	10
1980s	0.8336	0.825	0.843	10
1990s	0.871	0.851	0.88	10
2000s	0.8864	0.882	0.896	10
2010s	0.8924	0.886	0.897	10
2020s	0.8928	0.887	0.898	6

Countries ranked near Ireland

2 Norway 0.89 compare
3 Belgium 0.889 compare
3 Sweden 0.889 compare
5 Estonia 0.887 compare
7 Switzerland 0.882 compare
8 Luxembourg 0.869 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for Ireland

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 137,869 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 69 (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 69 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0251 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 Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is key features of democracy in Ireland?: Key features of democracy in Ireland was 0.887 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest key features of democracy recorded in Ireland?: The highest recorded value was 0.898 in 2021.
What is the lowest key features of democracy recorded in Ireland?: The lowest recorded value was 0.243 in 1789.
How does Ireland rank for key features of democracy?: Ireland ranks 5th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is key features of democracy rising or falling in Ireland?: Over the last ten years it is down 0.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Ireland data come from?: The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Key features of democracy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Key features of democracy in Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 08 October 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/key-features-of-democracy/ireland/

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About this data

Indicator: Key features of democracy
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.