What is liberal democracy index in Australia?

Liberal democracy index in Australia was 0.793 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest liberal democracy index recorded in Australia?

The highest recorded value was 0.858 in 2012.

What is the lowest liberal democracy index recorded in Australia?

The lowest recorded value was 0.084 in 1793.

How does Australia rank for liberal democracy index?

Australia ranks 12th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is liberal democracy index rising or falling in Australia?

Over the last ten years it is down 3.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.

Where does this Australia data come from?

The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Liberal Democracy Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Liberal Democracy Index in Australia

Name: Liberal Democracy Index in Australia
Creator: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Australia: Liberal Democracy Index was 0.793 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)

0.793

Change on year

down 0.4%

World rank

12th

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.858

in 2012

All-time low

0.084

in 1793

Years of data

235

1789–2025

Liberal Democracy Index in Australia, 1789–2025

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

Analysis

Australia recorded 0.793 for liberal democracy index in 2025.

That represents a change of down 0.4% on the previous year and down 3.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, liberal democracy index in Australia peaked at 0.858 in 2012 and was at its lowest, 0.084, in 1793.

Australia ranks 12th of 176 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 235 years of available data.

Liberal Democracy Index in Australia, year by year

Annual values for Liberal Democracy Index in Australia, 1789 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1789	0.087	—
1790	0.087	+0.0%
1791	0.087	+0.0%
1792	0.087	+0.0%
1793	0.084	-3.4%
1794	0.085	+1.2%
1795	0.087	+2.4%
1796	0.087	+0.0%
1797	0.087	+0.0%
1798	0.087	+0.0%
1799	0.087	+0.0%
1800	0.087	+0.0%
1801	0.087	+0.0%
1802	0.087	+0.0%
1803	0.087	+0.0%
1804	0.087	+0.0%
1805	0.087	+0.0%
1806	0.087	+0.0%
1807	0.087	+0.0%
1808	0.087	+0.0%
1809	0.087	+0.0%
1810	0.09	+3.4%
1811	0.09	+0.0%
1812	0.09	+0.0%
1813	0.09	+0.0%
1814	0.09	+0.0%
1815	0.09	+0.0%
1816	0.09	+0.0%
1817	0.09	+0.0%
1818	0.09	+0.0%
1819	0.09	+0.0%
1820	0.092	+2.2%
1821	0.092	+0.0%
1822	0.092	+0.0%
1823	0.12	+30.4%
1825	0.199	+65.8%
1826	0.199	+0.0%
1827	0.199	+0.0%
1828	0.199	+0.0%
1829	0.199	+0.0%
1830	0.199	+0.0%
1831	0.199	+0.0%
1832	0.199	+0.0%
1833	0.199	+0.0%
1834	0.199	+0.0%
1835	0.199	+0.0%
1836	0.199	+0.0%
1837	0.199	+0.0%
1838	0.199	+0.0%
1839	0.199	+0.0%
1840	0.199	+0.0%
1841	0.231	+16.1%
1842	0.231	+0.0%
1843	0.258	+11.7%
1844	0.279	+8.1%
1845	0.279	+0.0%
1846	0.279	+0.0%
1847	0.279	+0.0%
1848	0.28	+0.4%
1849	0.281	+0.4%
1850	0.292	+3.9%
1851	0.292	+0.0%
1852	0.292	+0.0%
1853	0.292	+0.0%
1854	0.292	+0.0%
1855	0.292	+0.0%
1856	0.342	+17.1%
1857	0.44	+28.7%
1858	0.507	+15.2%
1859	0.508	+0.2%
1860	0.509	+0.2%
1861	0.508	-0.2%
1862	0.508	+0.0%
1863	0.508	+0.0%
1864	0.508	+0.0%
1865	0.509	+0.2%
1866	0.509	+0.0%
1867	0.509	+0.0%
1868	0.509	+0.0%
1869	0.509	+0.0%
1870	0.509	+0.0%
1871	0.509	+0.0%
1872	0.508	-0.2%
1873	0.508	+0.0%
1874	0.508	+0.0%
1875	0.509	+0.2%
1876	0.509	+0.0%
1877	0.509	+0.0%
1878	0.508	-0.2%
1879	0.508	+0.0%
1880	0.508	+0.0%
1881	0.51	+0.4%
1882	0.51	+0.0%
1883	0.509	-0.2%
1884	0.509	+0.0%
1885	0.509	+0.0%
1886	0.508	-0.2%
1887	0.508	+0.0%
1888	0.508	+0.0%
1889	0.506	-0.4%
1890	0.506	+0.0%
1891	0.507	+0.2%
1892	0.509	+0.4%
1893	0.509	+0.0%
1894	0.508	-0.2%
1895	0.507	-0.2%
1896	0.507	+0.0%
1897	0.507	+0.0%
1898	0.503	-0.8%
1899	0.504	+0.2%
1901	0.581	+15.3%
1902	0.685	+17.9%
1903	0.686	+0.1%
1904	0.698	+1.7%
1905	0.698	+0.0%
1906	0.701	+0.4%
1907	0.707	+0.9%
1908	0.707	+0.0%
1909	0.707	+0.0%
1910	0.699	-1.1%
1911	0.699	+0.0%
1912	0.698	-0.1%
1913	0.7	+0.3%
1914	0.679	-3.0%
1915	0.667	-1.8%
1916	0.654	-1.9%
1917	0.641	-2.0%
1918	0.663	+3.4%
1919	0.688	+3.8%
1920	0.72	+4.7%
1921	0.72	+0.0%
1922	0.72	+0.0%
1923	0.721	+0.1%
1924	0.721	+0.0%
1925	0.721	+0.0%
1926	0.719	-0.3%
1927	0.719	+0.0%
1928	0.719	+0.0%
1929	0.718	-0.1%
1930	0.723	+0.7%
1931	0.723	+0.0%
1932	0.723	+0.0%
1933	0.723	+0.0%
1934	0.723	+0.0%
1935	0.722	-0.1%
1936	0.722	+0.0%
1937	0.722	+0.0%
1938	0.722	+0.0%
1939	0.686	-5.0%
1940	0.661	-3.6%
1941	0.665	+0.6%
1942	0.692	+4.1%
1943	0.692	+0.0%
1944	0.697	+0.7%
1945	0.697	+0.0%
1946	0.74	+6.2%
1947	0.742	+0.3%
1948	0.743	+0.1%
1949	0.743	+0.0%
1950	0.744	+0.1%
1951	0.742	-0.3%
1952	0.749	+0.9%
1953	0.762	+1.7%
1954	0.767	+0.7%
1955	0.77	+0.4%
1956	0.776	+0.8%
1957	0.776	+0.0%
1958	0.776	+0.0%
1959	0.777	+0.1%
1960	0.775	-0.3%
1961	0.775	+0.0%
1962	0.778	+0.4%
1963	0.787	+1.2%
1964	0.784	-0.4%
1965	0.784	+0.0%
1966	0.784	+0.0%
1967	0.788	+0.5%
1968	0.79	+0.3%
1969	0.79	+0.0%
1970	0.806	+2.0%
1971	0.806	+0.0%
1972	0.805	-0.1%
1973	0.82	+1.9%
1974	0.815	-0.6%
1975	0.814	-0.1%
1976	0.813	-0.1%
1977	0.813	+0.0%
1978	0.815	+0.2%
1979	0.815	+0.0%
1980	0.829	+1.7%
1981	0.835	+0.7%
1982	0.835	+0.0%
1983	0.834	-0.1%
1984	0.842	+1.0%
1985	0.844	+0.2%
1986	0.844	+0.0%
1987	0.844	+0.0%
1988	0.844	+0.0%
1989	0.844	+0.0%
1990	0.851	+0.8%
1991	0.851	+0.0%
1992	0.851	+0.0%
1993	0.849	-0.2%
1994	0.848	-0.1%
1995	0.848	+0.0%
1996	0.849	+0.1%
1997	0.841	-0.9%
1998	0.841	+0.0%
1999	0.842	+0.1%
2000	0.847	+0.6%
2001	0.844	-0.4%
2002	0.838	-0.7%
2003	0.838	+0.0%
2004	0.838	+0.0%
2005	0.838	+0.0%
2006	0.838	+0.0%
2007	0.839	+0.1%
2008	0.849	+1.2%
2009	0.849	+0.0%
2010	0.856	+0.8%
2011	0.857	+0.1%
2012	0.858	+0.1%
2013	0.821	-4.3%
2014	0.815	-0.7%
2015	0.825	+1.2%
2016	0.833	+1.0%
2017	0.828	-0.6%
2018	0.817	-1.3%
2019	0.779	-4.7%
2020	0.79	+1.4%
2021	0.779	-1.4%
2022	0.794	+1.9%
2023	0.802	+1.0%
2024	0.796	-0.7%
2025	0.793	-0.4%

Australia compared with similar countries

Australia's 0.793 is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.689, 1.2× the median. (55 countries reporting)
Australia's 0.793 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.3575, 2.2× the median. (22 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1780s	0.087	0.087	0.087	1
1790s	0.0865	0.084	0.087	10
1800s	0.087	0.087	0.087	10
1810s	0.09	0.09	0.09	10
1820s	0.1546	0.092	0.199	9
1830s	0.199	0.199	0.199	10
1840s	0.2596	0.199	0.281	10
1850s	0.3549	0.292	0.508	10
1860s	0.5086	0.508	0.509	10
1870s	0.5085	0.508	0.509	10
1880s	0.5085	0.506	0.51	10
1890s	0.5067	0.503	0.509	10
1900s	0.6856	0.581	0.707	9
1910s	0.6788	0.641	0.7	10
1920s	0.7198	0.718	0.721	10
1930s	0.7189	0.686	0.723	10
1940s	0.7072	0.661	0.743	10
1950s	0.7639	0.742	0.777	10
1960s	0.7835	0.775	0.79	10
1970s	0.8122	0.805	0.82	10
1980s	0.8395	0.829	0.844	10
1990s	0.8471	0.841	0.851	10
2000s	0.8418	0.838	0.849	10
2010s	0.8289	0.779	0.858	10
2020s	0.7923	0.779	0.802	6

Countries ranked near Australia

9 France 0.8 compare
10 Belgium 0.794 compare
10 Czechia 0.794 compare
13 Uruguay 0.79 compare
14 New Zealand 0.787 compare
15 Germany 0.782 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for Australia

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 33,415 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 41 (2025)
Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 1 (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 41 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0012 units per person (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)

All data for Australia →

Frequently asked questions

What is liberal democracy index in Australia?: Liberal democracy index in Australia was 0.793 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest liberal democracy index recorded in Australia?: The highest recorded value was 0.858 in 2012.
What is the lowest liberal democracy index recorded in Australia?: The lowest recorded value was 0.084 in 1793.
How does Australia rank for liberal democracy index?: Australia ranks 12th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is liberal democracy index rising or falling in Australia?: Over the last ten years it is down 3.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Australia data come from?: The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Liberal Democracy Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Liberal Democracy Index in Australia. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/liberal-democracy-index/australia/

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About this data

Indicator: Liberal Democracy Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 28,671 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 18 September 2026

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.