Key features of electoral democracy in United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates: Key features of electoral democracy was 0.104 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Key features of electoral democracy in United Arab Emirates, 1971–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for key features of electoral democracy in United Arab Emirates is 0.104, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.
That represents a change of up 9.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, key features of electoral democracy in United Arab Emirates peaked at 0.104 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.014, in 1973.
United Arab Emirates ranks 167th of 176 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Key features of electoral democracy in United Arab Emirates, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 0.016 | — |
| 1972 | 0.016 | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 0.014 | -12.5% |
| 1974 | 0.016 | +14.3% |
| 1975 | 0.016 | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 0.017 | +6.3% |
| 1977 | 0.019 | +11.8% |
| 1978 | 0.019 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 0.019 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 0.017 | -10.5% |
| 1981 | 0.017 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 0.017 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 0.018 | +5.9% |
| 1984 | 0.019 | +5.6% |
| 1985 | 0.02 | +5.3% |
| 1986 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 0.023 | +15.0% |
| 1988 | 0.023 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 0.023 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 0.023 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 0.022 | -4.3% |
| 1992 | 0.025 | +13.6% |
| 1993 | 0.023 | -8.0% |
| 1994 | 0.024 | +4.3% |
| 1995 | 0.027 | +12.5% |
| 1996 | 0.027 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 0.027 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 0.028 | +3.7% |
| 1999 | 0.028 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 0.028 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 0.028 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.025 | -10.7% |
| 2003 | 0.025 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 0.019 | -24.0% |
| 2005 | 0.021 | +10.5% |
| 2006 | 0.024 | +14.3% |
| 2007 | 0.071 | +195.8% |
| 2008 | 0.071 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 0.071 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 0.072 | +1.4% |
| 2011 | 0.081 | +12.5% |
| 2012 | 0.09 | +11.1% |
| 2013 | 0.091 | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 0.089 | -2.2% |
| 2015 | 0.095 | +6.7% |
| 2016 | 0.1 | +5.3% |
| 2017 | 0.095 | -5.0% |
| 2018 | 0.096 | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 0.102 | +6.2% |
| 2020 | 0.102 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 0.1 | -2.0% |
| 2022 | 0.101 | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 0.102 | +1.0% |
| 2024 | 0.104 | +2.0% |
| 2025 | 0.104 | +0.0% |
United Arab Emirates compared with similar countries
- United Arab Emirates's 0.104 is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.786, 13% of the median. (55 countries reporting)
- United Arab Emirates's 0.104 is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 0.187, 56% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Key features of electoral democracy in United Arab Emirates 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | +195.8% | 0.024 | 0.071 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.0169 | 0.014 | 0.019 | 9 |
| 1980s | 0.0197 | 0.017 | 0.023 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.0254 | 0.022 | 0.028 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.0383 | 0.019 | 0.071 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0911 | 0.072 | 0.102 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1022 | 0.1 | 0.104 | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Arab Emirates
More social development data for United Arab Emirates
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1,377 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 252 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 7 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 7 (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 252 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0001 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is key features of electoral democracy in United Arab Emirates?
- Key features of electoral democracy in United Arab Emirates was 0.104 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest key features of electoral democracy recorded in United Arab Emirates?
- The highest recorded value was 0.104 in 2024.
- What is the lowest key features of electoral democracy recorded in United Arab Emirates?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.014 in 1973.
- How does United Arab Emirates rank for key features of electoral democracy?
- United Arab Emirates ranks 167th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
- Is key features of electoral democracy rising or falling in United Arab Emirates?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this United Arab Emirates 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 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.