Key features of democracy in Nigeria

Nigeria: Key features of democracy was 0.505 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
0.505
Change on year
up 1.2%
World rank
85th
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.556
in 2017
All-time low
0.109
in 1920
Years of data
112
1914–2025

Key features of democracy in Nigeria, 1914–2025

0.10.20.30.40.50.6191419692025

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

Analysis

Nigeria recorded 0.505 for key features of democracy in 2025.

The figure is up 1.2% on the previous year and down 8.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, key features of democracy in Nigeria peaked at 0.556 in 2017 and was at its lowest, 0.109, in 1920.

Nigeria ranks 85th of 176 countries on this measure, 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
1910s 0.1138 0.113 0.114 6
1920s 0.1331 0.109 0.14 10
1930s 0.1406 0.14 0.141 10
1940s 0.1417 0.138 0.144 10
1950s 0.1743 0.144 0.211 10
1960s 0.2235 0.181 0.25 10
1970s 0.1915 0.179 0.262 10
1980s 0.2593 0.187 0.376 10
1990s 0.2232 0.189 0.376 10
2000s 0.4317 0.408 0.471 10
2010s 0.5202 0.43 0.556 10
2020s 0.4963 0.484 0.512 6

Countries ranked near Nigeria

  1. 82 Guyana 0.515 compare
  2. 83 Honduras 0.511 compare
  3. 84 Fiji 0.507 compare
  4. 86 Malaysia 0.504 compare
  5. 87 Bosnia and Herzegovina 0.498 compare
  6. 88 Zambia 0.497 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for Nigeria

All data for Nigeria →

Frequently asked questions

What is key features of democracy in Nigeria?
Key features of democracy in Nigeria was 0.505 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest key features of democracy recorded in Nigeria?
The highest recorded value was 0.556 in 2017.
What is the lowest key features of democracy recorded in Nigeria?
The lowest recorded value was 0.109 in 1920.
How does Nigeria rank for key features of democracy?
Nigeria ranks 85th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is key features of democracy rising or falling in Nigeria?
Over the last ten years it is down 8.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Nigeria 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 — 112 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

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

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.