Key features of democracy in Italy
Italy: Key features of democracy was 0.745 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Key features of democracy in Italy, 1815–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for key features of democracy in Italy is 0.745, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.0% on the previous year and down 13.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, key features of democracy in Italy peaked at 0.87 in 2017 and was at its lowest, 0.018, in 1815.
That places Italy 40th 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1810s | 0.018 | 0.018 | 0.018 | 5 |
| 1820s | 0.018 | 0.018 | 0.018 | 10 |
| 1830s | 0.0188 | 0.018 | 0.019 | 10 |
| 1840s | 0.047 | 0.019 | 0.2 | 10 |
| 1850s | 0.2061 | 0.205 | 0.208 | 10 |
| 1860s | 0.2339 | 0.205 | 0.274 | 10 |
| 1870s | 0.2429 | 0.237 | 0.271 | 10 |
| 1880s | 0.2859 | 0.272 | 0.291 | 10 |
| 1890s | 0.2952 | 0.282 | 0.303 | 10 |
| 1900s | 0.3058 | 0.303 | 0.308 | 10 |
| 1910s | 0.3379 | 0.307 | 0.367 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.1836 | 0.06 | 0.375 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.0552 | 0.053 | 0.058 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.2805 | 0.052 | 0.678 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.6924 | 0.678 | 0.711 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.7286 | 0.727 | 0.732 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.7524 | 0.741 | 0.764 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.8121 | 0.792 | 0.821 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.8338 | 0.821 | 0.843 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.8455 | 0.833 | 0.861 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.8638 | 0.854 | 0.87 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.8152 | 0.745 | 0.857 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Italy
- 37 United Kingdom 0.772 compare
- 38 Poland 0.768 compare
- 39 Seychelles 0.76 compare
- 40 Cape Verde 0.745 compare
- 42 South Africa 0.743 compare
- 43 Greece 0.741 compare
More social development data for Italy
- Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 192,914 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 266 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Public Sector Corruption Index 0.112 (2025)
- Freedom of Expression Index 0.756 (2025)
- Freedom of Association Index 0.875 (2025)
- Electoral Democracy Index 0.745 (2025)
- Participatory Democracy Index 0.569 (2025)
- Liberal Democracy Index 0.642 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is key features of democracy in Italy?
- Key features of democracy in Italy was 0.745 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest key features of democracy recorded in Italy?
- The highest recorded value was 0.87 in 2017.
- What is the lowest key features of democracy recorded in Italy?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.018 in 1815.
- How does Italy rank for key features of democracy?
- Italy ranks 40th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
- Is key features of democracy rising or falling in Italy?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Italy 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 211 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
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.