Key features of liberal democracy by country
Central estimate of the extent of suffrage, the freedom and fairness of elections, freedoms of association and expression, individual and minority rights, equality before the law, and executive constraints.
Countries reporting
173
Highest
0.884
Denmark
Lowest
0.009
Eritrea
Median
0.339
Years covered
237
1789–2025
Data points
28,671
What the numbers show
Key features of liberal democracy is currently reported for 173 countries. The highest value is 0.884 in Denmark; the lowest is 0.009 in Eritrea.
The median across all reporting countries is 0.339, and the mean is 0.3657.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 98.
Over the past decade 50 countries rose and 119 fell. The largest increase was in Gambia (up 392.5%), and the largest decrease in Myanmar (down 91.7%).
Key features of liberal democracy: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denmark | 0.884 | 2025 | down 1.1% | volatile |
| 2 | Sweden | 0.853 | 2025 | down 3.2% | rising |
| 3 | Norway | 0.847 | 2025 | down 2.8% | volatile |
| 4 | Switzerland | 0.843 | 2025 | down 1.7% | rising |
| 5 | Estonia | 0.837 | 2025 | down 0.9% | volatile |
| 7 | Costa Rica | 0.809 | 2025 | down 5.3% | volatile |
| 8 | Finland | 0.808 | 2025 | down 2.3% | volatile |
| 9 | France | 0.8 | 2025 | down 1.5% | volatile |
| 10 | Belgium | 0.794 | 2025 | down 5.1% | volatile |
| 10 | Czechia | 0.794 | 2025 | up 3.7% | volatile |
| 12 | Australia | 0.793 | 2025 | down 3.9% | rising |
| 13 | Uruguay | 0.79 | 2025 | down 5.0% | volatile |
| 14 | New Zealand | 0.787 | 2025 | down 5.0% | rising |
| 15 | Germany | 0.782 | 2025 | down 7.5% | volatile |
| 16 | Chile | 0.781 | 2025 | down 6.9% | volatile |
| 18 | Netherlands | 0.774 | 2025 | down 6.9% | volatile |
| 19 | Austria | 0.757 | 2025 | down 6.0% | volatile |
| 20 | Latvia | 0.751 | 2025 | down 0.4% | volatile |
| 21 | Spain | 0.741 | 2025 | down 2.4% | volatile |
| 22 | South Korea | 0.739 | 2025 | up 23.4% | volatile |
| 23 | Canada | 0.736 | 2025 | up 0.1% | rising |
| 24 | Japan | 0.734 | 2025 | down 0.8% | volatile |
| 25 | Iceland | 0.72 | 2025 | down 7.3% | rising |
| 26 | Portugal | 0.717 | 2025 | down 13.5% | volatile |
| 27 | Lithuania | 0.712 | 2025 | down 8.7% | volatile |
| 28 | Brazil | 0.704 | 2025 | down 8.5% | volatile |
| 28 | Taiwan | 0.704 | 2025 | up 2.6% | volatile |
| 30 | United Kingdom | 0.689 | 2025 | down 12.6% | rising |
| 31 | Seychelles | 0.68 | 2025 | up 59.3% | volatile |
| 32 | Barbados | 0.679 | 2025 | up 2.6% | volatile |
| 32 | Jamaica | 0.679 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 34 | Trinidad and Tobago | 0.668 | 2025 | down 1.2% | volatile |
| 35 | Cyprus | 0.664 | 2025 | down 9.9% | volatile |
| 36 | Poland | 0.645 | 2025 | down 16.8% | volatile |
| 37 | Italy | 0.642 | 2025 | down 18.3% | volatile |
| 38 | Mauritius | 0.639 | 2025 | up 1.9% | volatile |
| 39 | South Africa | 0.633 | 2025 | down 2.5% | volatile |
| 40 | Cape Verde | 0.631 | 2025 | down 10.7% | volatile |
| 41 | Suriname | 0.626 | 2025 | down 1.1% | volatile |
| 42 | Vanuatu | 0.623 | 2025 | down 2.5% | volatile |
| 44 | Sri Lanka | 0.613 | 2025 | up 54.4% | rising |
| 45 | Ghana | 0.606 | 2025 | down 4.0% | volatile |
| 46 | Croatia | 0.593 | 2025 | down 15.6% | volatile |
| 47 | Slovenia | 0.589 | 2025 | down 26.7% | volatile |
| 48 | Israel | 0.588 | 2025 | down 10.1% | volatile |
| 49 | Panama | 0.575 | 2025 | up 4.0% | volatile |
| 50 | Slovakia | 0.573 | 2025 | down 21.0% | volatile |
| 51 | United States | 0.571 | 2025 | down 32.7% | rising |
| 52 | Greece | 0.568 | 2025 | down 27.6% | volatile |
| 53 | Colombia | 0.555 | 2025 | up 0.7% | volatile |
| 54 | East Timor | 0.549 | 2025 | up 17.8% | rising |
| 55 | Solomon Islands | 0.539 | 2025 | up 18.2% | volatile |
| 56 | Argentina | 0.524 | 2025 | down 11.2% | volatile |
| 57 | Guatemala | 0.523 | 2025 | up 23.1% | volatile |
| 58 | Gambia | 0.522 | 2025 | up 392.5% | volatile |
| 59 | Botswana | 0.52 | 2025 | down 11.4% | volatile |
| 60 | Namibia | 0.519 | 2025 | down 10.4% | volatile |
| 60 | Sao Tome and Principe | 0.519 | 2025 | down 6.3% | volatile |
| 62 | Lesotho | 0.512 | 2025 | up 15.1% | volatile |
| 63 | Peru | 0.506 | 2025 | down 26.5% | volatile |
| 64 | Dominican Republic | 0.505 | 2025 | up 46.8% | volatile |
| 64 | Nepal | 0.505 | 2025 | down 5.4% | volatile |
| 66 | Montenegro | 0.5 | 2025 | up 29.2% | volatile |
| 67 | Bulgaria | 0.499 | 2025 | down 11.8% | volatile |
| 68 | Senegal | 0.484 | 2025 | down 17.4% | volatile |
| 69 | Romania | 0.464 | 2025 | down 23.8% | volatile |
| 70 | Malawi | 0.462 | 2025 | up 4.1% | volatile |
| 71 | Bhutan | 0.457 | 2025 | down 4.6% | volatile |
| 72 | Moldova | 0.449 | 2025 | down 5.7% | volatile |
| 73 | Kenya | 0.446 | 2025 | up 4.7% | volatile |
| 74 | Mongolia | 0.424 | 2025 | down 23.7% | volatile |
| 75 | Liberia | 0.417 | 2025 | down 7.5% | volatile |
| 76 | Maldives | 0.416 | 2025 | up 122.5% | volatile |
| 77 | Fiji | 0.398 | 2025 | up 47.4% | rising |
| 78 | Ecuador | 0.386 | 2025 | up 46.8% | volatile |
| 79 | Papua New Guinea | 0.384 | 2025 | up 11.3% | volatile |
| 80 | Albania | 0.382 | 2025 | down 12.2% | volatile |
| 81 | Honduras | 0.38 | 2025 | up 55.1% | volatile |
| 82 | Paraguay | 0.376 | 2025 | down 9.6% | volatile |
| 83 | Zambia | 0.375 | 2025 | up 1.1% | volatile |
| 84 | North Macedonia | 0.374 | 2025 | up 38.5% | volatile |
| 85 | Armenia | 0.371 | 2025 | up 82.8% | volatile |
| 86 | Singapore | 0.36 | 2025 | up 8.8% | rising |
| 87 | Malaysia | 0.355 | 2025 | up 74.0% | rising |
| 88 | Bolivia | 0.352 | 2025 | down 4.3% | volatile |
| 89 | Sierra Leone | 0.348 | 2025 | up 9.4% | volatile |
| 90 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 0.339 | 2025 | down 6.6% | volatile |
| 91 | Guyana | 0.328 | 2025 | down 26.1% | rising |
| 92 | Benin | 0.323 | 2025 | down 38.2% | volatile |
| 93 | Hungary | 0.315 | 2025 | down 34.0% | volatile |
| 94 | Thailand | 0.314 | 2025 | up 199.0% | volatile |
| 95 | Nigeria | 0.311 | 2025 | down 22.4% | volatile |
| 96 | Tanzania | 0.297 | 2025 | down 24.0% | volatile |
| 97 | Indonesia | 0.296 | 2025 | down 42.1% | volatile |
| 98 | Philippines | 0.291 | 2025 | down 28.9% | volatile |
| 99 | Georgia | 0.275 | 2025 | down 45.4% | volatile |
| 100 | Jordan | 0.274 | 2025 | up 24.0% | rising |
| 101 | Lebanon | 0.267 | 2025 | down 9.5% | rising |
| 102 | Tunisia | 0.265 | 2025 | down 57.9% | volatile |
| 103 | India | 0.26 | 2025 | down 37.6% | volatile |
| 104 | Morocco | 0.251 | 2025 | up 9.1% | volatile |
| 105 | Ukraine | 0.24 | 2025 | up 5.3% | volatile |
| 106 | Cote d'Ivoire | 0.228 | 2025 | down 25.0% | volatile |
| 107 | Mexico | 0.221 | 2025 | down 49.0% | volatile |
| 108 | Iraq | 0.22 | 2025 | down 6.8% | volatile |
| 109 | Serbia | 0.208 | 2025 | down 39.0% | volatile |
| 110 | Madagascar | 0.187 | 2025 | down 27.5% | volatile |
| 111 | Gabon | 0.178 | 2025 | down 20.2% | volatile |
| 111 | Kyrgyzstan | 0.178 | 2025 | down 43.8% | volatile |
| 113 | Niger | 0.177 | 2025 | down 64.1% | volatile |
| 114 | Pakistan | 0.176 | 2025 | down 33.3% | rising |
| 115 | Mozambique | 0.175 | 2025 | down 41.5% | volatile |
| 116 | Uganda | 0.165 | 2025 | down 25.7% | volatile |
| 117 | Angola | 0.163 | 2025 | up 33.6% | volatile |
| 118 | Togo | 0.157 | 2025 | down 39.1% | volatile |
| 119 | Mali | 0.15 | 2025 | down 57.0% | volatile |
| 120 | Zimbabwe | 0.147 | 2025 | down 30.7% | rising |
| 121 | Hong Kong | 0.142 | 2025 | down 53.1% | rising |
| 122 | Oman | 0.14 | 2025 | down 0.7% | volatile |
| 123 | Comoros | 0.132 | 2025 | down 45.0% | volatile |
| 124 | Kazakhstan | 0.131 | 2025 | up 19.1% | volatile |
| 125 | Somalia | 0.128 | 2025 | up 4.1% | volatile |
| 126 | Kuwait | 0.127 | 2025 | down 54.3% | rising |
| 126 | Mauritania | 0.127 | 2025 | down 28.7% | rising |
| 128 | Algeria | 0.126 | 2025 | down 28.0% | rising |
| 129 | Djibouti | 0.118 | 2025 | up 3.5% | volatile |
| 130 | Bangladesh | 0.116 | 2025 | up 7.4% | rising |
| 131 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 0.115 | 2025 | down 5.7% | volatile |
| 131 | Congo | 0.115 | 2025 | up 12.7% | volatile |
| 131 | Egypt | 0.115 | 2025 | up 23.7% | rising |
| 134 | Cameroon | 0.114 | 2025 | down 25.0% | rising |
| 135 | Laos | 0.11 | 2025 | up 23.6% | rising |
| 135 | Turkey | 0.11 | 2025 | down 52.2% | volatile |
| 137 | Burkina Faso | 0.103 | 2025 | down 66.3% | volatile |
| 137 | Iran | 0.103 | 2025 | down 24.3% | volatile |
| 139 | Central African Republic | 0.102 | 2025 | down 43.0% | volatile |
| 139 | Vietnam | 0.102 | 2025 | down 11.3% | rising |
| 141 | Ethiopia | 0.1 | 2025 | down 2.0% | volatile |
| 142 | Palestine | 0.099 | 1948 | down 10.0% | flat |
| 143 | Haiti | 0.098 | 2025 | down 59.7% | volatile |
| 143 | Libya | 0.098 | 2025 | down 43.0% | volatile |
| 145 | Eswatini | 0.097 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 146 | Guinea | 0.095 | 2025 | down 41.0% | volatile |
| 146 | Guinea-Bissau | 0.095 | 2025 | down 67.2% | volatile |
| 148 | Qatar | 0.091 | 2025 | up 2.2% | rising |
| 149 | Rwanda | 0.09 | 2025 | down 34.8% | volatile |
| 149 | El Salvador | 0.09 | 2025 | down 80.5% | volatile |
| 151 | Uzbekistan | 0.079 | 2025 | up 119.4% | volatile |
| 152 | United Arab Emirates | 0.077 | 2025 | down 14.4% | rising |
| 153 | South Sudan | 0.064 | 2025 | down 3.0% | falling |
| 154 | Bahrain | 0.062 | 2025 | up 21.6% | falling |
| 154 | Chad | 0.062 | 2025 | down 31.9% | rising |
| 156 | Burundi | 0.06 | 2025 | down 4.8% | volatile |
| 157 | Cuba | 0.057 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 158 | Russia | 0.056 | 2025 | down 48.6% | volatile |
| 159 | Syria | 0.054 | 2025 | up 116.0% | volatile |
| 160 | Azerbaijan | 0.053 | 2025 | down 15.9% | volatile |
| 161 | Cambodia | 0.051 | 2025 | down 55.7% | volatile |
| 162 | Equatorial Guinea | 0.047 | 2025 | down 6.0% | volatile |
| 162 | Saudi Arabia | 0.047 | 2025 | up 2.2% | rising |
| 164 | Tajikistan | 0.043 | 2025 | up 2.4% | volatile |
| 164 | Yemen | 0.043 | 2025 | down 37.7% | volatile |
| 166 | Venezuela | 0.042 | 2025 | down 59.2% | volatile |
| 167 | China | 0.039 | 2025 | down 25.0% | volatile |
| 168 | Belarus | 0.038 | 2025 | down 62.0% | volatile |
| 169 | Sudan | 0.034 | 2025 | down 46.9% | falling |
| 169 | Turkmenistan | 0.034 | 2025 | up 41.7% | volatile |
| 171 | Vatican | 0.027 | 1870 | down 10.0% | falling |
| 172 | Nicaragua | 0.019 | 2025 | down 84.7% | volatile |
| 173 | Afghanistan | 0.018 | 2025 | down 91.0% | volatile |
| 174 | Myanmar | 0.015 | 2025 | down 91.7% | volatile |
| 175 | North Korea | 0.014 | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 176 | Eritrea | 0.009 | 2025 | up 50.0% | volatile |
About this data
Central estimate of the extent of suffrage, the freedom and fairness of elections, freedoms of association and expression, individual and minority rights, equality before the law, and executive constraints.