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Key features of electoral democracy in Portugal

Portugal: Key features of electoral democracy 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

Key features of electoral democracy in Portugal, 1789–2025

00.20.40.60.8178919072025

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for key features of electoral democracy in Portugal is 0.822, measured in 2025.

The figure is down 1.7% on the previous year and down 7.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, key features of electoral democracy 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.

Key features of electoral democracy in Portugal, year by year

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 Key features of electoral democracy 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.

YearChange FromTo
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

DecadeAverage LowestHighest 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

  1. 19 Latvia 0.834 compare
  2. 20 Netherlands 0.832 compare
  3. 21 Germany 0.828 compare
  4. 22 Spain 0.822 compare
  5. 24 Japan 0.819 compare
  6. 24 South Korea 0.819 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for Portugal

All data for Portugal →

Frequently asked questions

What is key features of electoral democracy in Portugal?
Key features of electoral democracy in Portugal was 0.822 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest key features of electoral democracy recorded in Portugal?
The highest recorded value was 0.899 in 2018.
What is the lowest key features of electoral democracy recorded in Portugal?
The lowest recorded value was 0.015 in 1789.
How does Portugal rank for key features of electoral democracy?
Portugal ranks 22nd out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is key features of electoral democracy 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 Key features of electoral democracy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Key features of electoral democracy in Portugal. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 09 October 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/key-features-of-electoral-democracy/portugal/

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About this data

Indicator
Key features of electoral 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.