Key features of democracy in Italy
Italy: Key features of democracy was 0.745 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
0.745
Change on year
down 5.0%
World rank
40th
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.87
in 2017
All-time low
0.018
in 1815
Years of data
211
1815–2025
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.
Key features of democracy in Italy, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1815 | 0.018 | — |
| 1816 | 0.018 | +0.0% |
| 1817 | 0.018 | +0.0% |
| 1818 | 0.018 | +0.0% |
| 1819 | 0.018 | +0.0% |
| 1820 | 0.018 | +0.0% |
| 1821 | 0.018 | +0.0% |
| 1822 | 0.018 | +0.0% |
| 1823 | 0.018 | +0.0% |
| 1824 | 0.018 | +0.0% |
| 1825 | 0.018 | +0.0% |
| 1826 | 0.018 | +0.0% |
| 1827 | 0.018 | +0.0% |
| 1828 | 0.018 | +0.0% |
| 1829 | 0.018 | +0.0% |
| 1830 | 0.018 | +0.0% |
| 1831 | 0.018 | +0.0% |
| 1832 | 0.019 | +5.6% |
| 1833 | 0.019 | +0.0% |
| 1834 | 0.019 | +0.0% |
| 1835 | 0.019 | +0.0% |
| 1836 | 0.019 | +0.0% |
| 1837 | 0.019 | +0.0% |
| 1838 | 0.019 | +0.0% |
| 1839 | 0.019 | +0.0% |
| 1840 | 0.019 | +0.0% |
| 1841 | 0.019 | +0.0% |
| 1842 | 0.019 | +0.0% |
| 1843 | 0.019 | +0.0% |
| 1844 | 0.019 | +0.0% |
| 1845 | 0.019 | +0.0% |
| 1846 | 0.019 | +0.0% |
| 1847 | 0.019 | +0.0% |
| 1848 | 0.118 | +521.1% |
| 1849 | 0.2 | +69.5% |
| 1850 | 0.205 | +2.5% |
| 1851 | 0.205 | +0.0% |
| 1852 | 0.205 | +0.0% |
| 1853 | 0.205 | +0.0% |
| 1854 | 0.207 | +1.0% |
| 1855 | 0.207 | +0.0% |
| 1856 | 0.207 | +0.0% |
| 1857 | 0.208 | +0.5% |
| 1858 | 0.206 | -1.0% |
| 1859 | 0.206 | +0.0% |
| 1860 | 0.211 | +2.4% |
| 1861 | 0.212 | +0.5% |
| 1862 | 0.207 | -2.4% |
| 1863 | 0.207 | +0.0% |
| 1864 | 0.207 | +0.0% |
| 1865 | 0.205 | -1.0% |
| 1866 | 0.272 | +32.7% |
| 1867 | 0.27 | -0.7% |
| 1868 | 0.274 | +1.5% |
| 1869 | 0.274 | +0.0% |
| 1870 | 0.271 | -1.1% |
| 1871 | 0.241 | -11.1% |
| 1872 | 0.241 | +0.0% |
| 1873 | 0.241 | +0.0% |
| 1874 | 0.237 | -1.7% |
| 1875 | 0.24 | +1.3% |
| 1876 | 0.238 | -0.8% |
| 1877 | 0.24 | +0.8% |
| 1878 | 0.24 | +0.0% |
| 1879 | 0.24 | +0.0% |
| 1880 | 0.272 | +13.3% |
| 1881 | 0.276 | +1.5% |
| 1882 | 0.286 | +3.6% |
| 1883 | 0.291 | +1.7% |
| 1884 | 0.291 | +0.0% |
| 1885 | 0.291 | +0.0% |
| 1886 | 0.289 | -0.7% |
| 1887 | 0.291 | +0.7% |
| 1888 | 0.286 | -1.7% |
| 1889 | 0.286 | +0.0% |
| 1890 | 0.296 | +3.5% |
| 1891 | 0.301 | +1.7% |
| 1892 | 0.3 | -0.3% |
| 1893 | 0.303 | +1.0% |
| 1894 | 0.303 | +0.0% |
| 1895 | 0.293 | -3.3% |
| 1896 | 0.297 | +1.4% |
| 1897 | 0.295 | -0.7% |
| 1898 | 0.282 | -4.4% |
| 1899 | 0.282 | +0.0% |
| 1900 | 0.307 | +8.9% |
| 1901 | 0.303 | -1.3% |
| 1902 | 0.303 | +0.0% |
| 1903 | 0.303 | +0.0% |
| 1904 | 0.304 | +0.3% |
| 1905 | 0.308 | +1.3% |
| 1906 | 0.308 | +0.0% |
| 1907 | 0.308 | +0.0% |
| 1908 | 0.308 | +0.0% |
| 1909 | 0.306 | -0.6% |
| 1910 | 0.307 | +0.3% |
| 1911 | 0.309 | +0.7% |
| 1912 | 0.309 | +0.0% |
| 1913 | 0.367 | +18.8% |
| 1914 | 0.364 | -0.8% |
| 1915 | 0.34 | -6.6% |
| 1916 | 0.339 | -0.3% |
| 1917 | 0.339 | +0.0% |
| 1918 | 0.338 | -0.3% |
| 1919 | 0.367 | +8.6% |
| 1920 | 0.375 | +2.2% |
| 1921 | 0.362 | -3.5% |
| 1922 | 0.301 | -16.9% |
| 1923 | 0.26 | -13.6% |
| 1924 | 0.186 | -28.5% |
| 1925 | 0.088 | -52.7% |
| 1926 | 0.068 | -22.7% |
| 1927 | 0.068 | +0.0% |
| 1928 | 0.068 | +0.0% |
| 1929 | 0.06 | -11.8% |
| 1930 | 0.058 | -3.3% |
| 1931 | 0.057 | -1.7% |
| 1932 | 0.057 | +0.0% |
| 1933 | 0.058 | +1.8% |
| 1934 | 0.054 | -6.9% |
| 1935 | 0.053 | -1.9% |
| 1936 | 0.053 | +0.0% |
| 1937 | 0.054 | +1.9% |
| 1938 | 0.054 | +0.0% |
| 1939 | 0.054 | +0.0% |
| 1940 | 0.054 | +0.0% |
| 1941 | 0.054 | +0.0% |
| 1942 | 0.054 | +0.0% |
| 1943 | 0.052 | -3.7% |
| 1944 | 0.1 | +92.3% |
| 1945 | 0.132 | +32.0% |
| 1946 | 0.429 | +225.0% |
| 1947 | 0.629 | +46.6% |
| 1948 | 0.623 | -1.0% |
| 1949 | 0.678 | +8.8% |
| 1950 | 0.678 | +0.0% |
| 1951 | 0.678 | +0.0% |
| 1952 | 0.678 | +0.0% |
| 1953 | 0.684 | +0.9% |
| 1954 | 0.688 | +0.6% |
| 1955 | 0.688 | +0.0% |
| 1956 | 0.705 | +2.5% |
| 1957 | 0.705 | +0.0% |
| 1958 | 0.709 | +0.6% |
| 1959 | 0.711 | +0.3% |
| 1960 | 0.727 | +2.3% |
| 1961 | 0.727 | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 0.727 | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 0.728 | +0.1% |
| 1964 | 0.729 | +0.1% |
| 1965 | 0.729 | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 0.729 | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 0.729 | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 0.729 | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 0.732 | +0.4% |
| 1970 | 0.744 | +1.6% |
| 1971 | 0.741 | -0.4% |
| 1972 | 0.742 | +0.1% |
| 1973 | 0.748 | +0.8% |
| 1974 | 0.748 | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 0.752 | +0.5% |
| 1976 | 0.758 | +0.8% |
| 1977 | 0.764 | +0.8% |
| 1978 | 0.764 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 0.763 | -0.1% |
| 1980 | 0.792 | +3.8% |
| 1981 | 0.802 | +1.3% |
| 1982 | 0.802 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 0.806 | +0.5% |
| 1984 | 0.819 | +1.6% |
| 1985 | 0.819 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 0.819 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 0.82 | +0.1% |
| 1988 | 0.821 | +0.1% |
| 1989 | 0.821 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 0.821 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 0.829 | +1.0% |
| 1992 | 0.831 | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 0.835 | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 0.83 | -0.6% |
| 1995 | 0.828 | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 0.835 | +0.8% |
| 1997 | 0.843 | +1.0% |
| 1998 | 0.843 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 0.843 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 0.84 | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 0.833 | -0.8% |
| 2002 | 0.837 | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 0.837 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 0.837 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 0.846 | +1.1% |
| 2006 | 0.852 | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 0.861 | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 0.855 | -0.7% |
| 2009 | 0.857 | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 0.856 | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 0.862 | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 0.869 | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 0.864 | -0.6% |
| 2014 | 0.865 | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 0.865 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 0.869 | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 0.87 | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 0.864 | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 0.854 | -1.2% |
| 2020 | 0.857 | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 0.857 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 0.842 | -1.8% |
| 2023 | 0.806 | -4.3% |
| 2024 | 0.784 | -2.7% |
| 2025 | 0.745 | -5.0% |
Italy compared with similar countries
- Italy's 0.745 is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.786, 95% of the median. (55 countries reporting)
- Italy's 0.745 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.737, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Key features of democracy in Italy 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1848 | +521.1% | 0.019 | 0.118 |
| 1946 | +225.0% | 0.132 | 0.429 |
| 1944 | +92.3% | 0.052 | 0.1 |
| 1849 | +69.5% | 0.118 | 0.2 |
| 1925 | -52.7% | 0.186 | 0.088 |
| 1947 | +46.6% | 0.429 | 0.629 |
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
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 192,914 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 266 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 100 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 2 (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 266 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0033 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (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.