Key features of liberal democracy in Kuwait
Kuwait: Key features of liberal democracy was 0.127 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
0.127
Change on year
down 29.1%
World rank
126th
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.294
in 2023
All-time low
0.077
in 1801
Years of data
130
1801–2025
Key features of liberal democracy in Kuwait, 1801–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Kuwait recorded 0.127 for key features of liberal democracy in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 29.1% on the previous year and down 54.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, key features of liberal democracy in Kuwait peaked at 0.294 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.077, in 1801.
That places Kuwait 126th out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 130 years of available data.
Key features of liberal democracy in Kuwait, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1801 | 0.077 | — |
| 1819 | 0.077 | +0.0% |
| 1820 | 0.077 | +0.0% |
| 1821 | 0.077 | +0.0% |
| 1900 | 0.102 | +32.5% |
| 1901 | 0.102 | +0.0% |
| 1902 | 0.102 | +0.0% |
| 1903 | 0.102 | +0.0% |
| 1904 | 0.102 | +0.0% |
| 1905 | 0.102 | +0.0% |
| 1906 | 0.102 | +0.0% |
| 1907 | 0.102 | +0.0% |
| 1908 | 0.102 | +0.0% |
| 1909 | 0.102 | +0.0% |
| 1910 | 0.104 | +2.0% |
| 1911 | 0.105 | +1.0% |
| 1912 | 0.105 | +0.0% |
| 1913 | 0.105 | +0.0% |
| 1914 | 0.105 | +0.0% |
| 1915 | 0.105 | +0.0% |
| 1916 | 0.105 | +0.0% |
| 1917 | 0.105 | +0.0% |
| 1918 | 0.105 | +0.0% |
| 1919 | 0.105 | +0.0% |
| 1920 | 0.106 | +1.0% |
| 1921 | 0.104 | -1.9% |
| 1922 | 0.105 | +1.0% |
| 1923 | 0.105 | +0.0% |
| 1924 | 0.105 | +0.0% |
| 1925 | 0.105 | +0.0% |
| 1926 | 0.105 | +0.0% |
| 1927 | 0.105 | +0.0% |
| 1928 | 0.105 | +0.0% |
| 1929 | 0.105 | +0.0% |
| 1930 | 0.106 | +1.0% |
| 1931 | 0.106 | +0.0% |
| 1932 | 0.106 | +0.0% |
| 1933 | 0.106 | +0.0% |
| 1934 | 0.106 | +0.0% |
| 1935 | 0.106 | +0.0% |
| 1936 | 0.106 | +0.0% |
| 1937 | 0.106 | +0.0% |
| 1938 | 0.105 | -0.9% |
| 1939 | 0.105 | +0.0% |
| 1940 | 0.108 | +2.9% |
| 1941 | 0.108 | +0.0% |
| 1942 | 0.108 | +0.0% |
| 1943 | 0.108 | +0.0% |
| 1944 | 0.108 | +0.0% |
| 1945 | 0.108 | +0.0% |
| 1946 | 0.108 | +0.0% |
| 1947 | 0.108 | +0.0% |
| 1948 | 0.108 | +0.0% |
| 1949 | 0.108 | +0.0% |
| 1950 | 0.111 | +2.8% |
| 1951 | 0.111 | +0.0% |
| 1952 | 0.111 | +0.0% |
| 1953 | 0.111 | +0.0% |
| 1954 | 0.111 | +0.0% |
| 1955 | 0.11 | -0.9% |
| 1956 | 0.111 | +0.9% |
| 1957 | 0.111 | +0.0% |
| 1958 | 0.111 | +0.0% |
| 1959 | 0.11 | -0.9% |
| 1960 | 0.119 | +8.2% |
| 1961 | 0.172 | +44.5% |
| 1962 | 0.212 | +23.3% |
| 1963 | 0.248 | +17.0% |
| 1964 | 0.248 | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 0.251 | +1.2% |
| 1966 | 0.276 | +10.0% |
| 1967 | 0.262 | -5.1% |
| 1968 | 0.261 | -0.4% |
| 1969 | 0.261 | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 0.262 | +0.4% |
| 1971 | 0.272 | +3.8% |
| 1972 | 0.274 | +0.7% |
| 1973 | 0.27 | -1.5% |
| 1974 | 0.27 | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 0.27 | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 0.128 | -52.6% |
| 1977 | 0.126 | -1.6% |
| 1978 | 0.126 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 0.126 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 0.125 | -0.8% |
| 1981 | 0.258 | +106.4% |
| 1982 | 0.265 | +2.7% |
| 1983 | 0.265 | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 0.265 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 0.263 | -0.8% |
| 1986 | 0.126 | -52.1% |
| 1987 | 0.125 | -0.8% |
| 1988 | 0.123 | -1.6% |
| 1989 | 0.123 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 0.111 | -9.8% |
| 1991 | 0.115 | +3.6% |
| 1992 | 0.236 | +105.2% |
| 1993 | 0.267 | +13.1% |
| 1994 | 0.267 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 0.267 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 0.268 | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 0.269 | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 0.27 | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 0.269 | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 0.267 | -0.7% |
| 2001 | 0.259 | -3.0% |
| 2002 | 0.263 | +1.5% |
| 2003 | 0.265 | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 0.265 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 0.287 | +8.3% |
| 2006 | 0.288 | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 0.286 | -0.7% |
| 2008 | 0.287 | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 0.286 | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 0.284 | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 0.282 | -0.7% |
| 2012 | 0.279 | -1.1% |
| 2013 | 0.278 | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 0.279 | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 0.278 | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 0.281 | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 0.288 | +2.5% |
| 2018 | 0.286 | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 0.288 | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 0.282 | -2.1% |
| 2021 | 0.274 | -2.8% |
| 2022 | 0.281 | +2.6% |
| 2023 | 0.294 | +4.6% |
| 2024 | 0.179 | -39.1% |
| 2025 | 0.127 | -29.1% |
Kuwait compared with similar countries
- Kuwait's 0.127 is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.689, 18% of the median. (55 countries reporting)
- Kuwait's 0.127 is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 0.118, 1.1× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Key features of liberal democracy in Kuwait 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | +106.4% | 0.125 | 0.258 |
| 1992 | +105.2% | 0.115 | 0.236 |
| 1976 | -52.6% | 0.27 | 0.128 |
| 1986 | -52.1% | 0.263 | 0.126 |
| 1961 | +44.5% | 0.119 | 0.172 |
| 2024 | -39.1% | 0.294 | 0.179 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1800s | 0.077 | 0.077 | 0.077 | 1 |
| 1810s | 0.077 | 0.077 | 0.077 | 1 |
| 1820s | 0.077 | 0.077 | 0.077 | 2 |
| 1900s | 0.102 | 0.102 | 0.102 | 10 |
| 1910s | 0.1049 | 0.104 | 0.105 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.105 | 0.104 | 0.106 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.1058 | 0.105 | 0.106 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.108 | 0.108 | 0.108 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.1108 | 0.11 | 0.111 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.231 | 0.119 | 0.276 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.2124 | 0.126 | 0.274 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.1938 | 0.123 | 0.265 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.2339 | 0.111 | 0.27 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.2753 | 0.259 | 0.288 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.2823 | 0.278 | 0.288 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.2395 | 0.127 | 0.294 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Kuwait
More social development data for Kuwait
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 386 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 3,369 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 6 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 6 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0007 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 3,369 (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 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is key features of liberal democracy in Kuwait?
- Key features of liberal democracy in Kuwait was 0.127 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest key features of liberal democracy recorded in Kuwait?
- The highest recorded value was 0.294 in 2023.
- What is the lowest key features of liberal democracy recorded in Kuwait?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.077 in 1801.
- How does Kuwait rank for key features of liberal democracy?
- Kuwait ranks 126th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
- Is key features of liberal democracy rising or falling in Kuwait?
- Over the last ten years it is down 54.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kuwait data come from?
- The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Key features of liberal democracy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 130 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
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.