Liberal Democracy Index in Thailand
Thailand: Liberal Democracy Index was 0.314 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
0.314
Change on year
up 2.6%
World rank
94th
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.412
in 2001
All-time low
0.053
in 1900
Years of data
126
1900–2025
Liberal Democracy Index in Thailand, 1900–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for liberal democracy index in Thailand is 0.314, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of up 2.6% on the previous year and up 199.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, liberal democracy index in Thailand peaked at 0.412 in 2001 and was at its lowest, 0.053, in 1900.
Thailand ranks 94th of 176 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Liberal Democracy Index in Thailand, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 0.053 | — |
| 1901 | 0.053 | +0.0% |
| 1902 | 0.053 | +0.0% |
| 1903 | 0.053 | +0.0% |
| 1904 | 0.053 | +0.0% |
| 1905 | 0.058 | +9.4% |
| 1906 | 0.058 | +0.0% |
| 1907 | 0.058 | +0.0% |
| 1908 | 0.06 | +3.4% |
| 1909 | 0.06 | +0.0% |
| 1910 | 0.068 | +13.3% |
| 1911 | 0.069 | +1.5% |
| 1912 | 0.069 | +0.0% |
| 1913 | 0.069 | +0.0% |
| 1914 | 0.069 | +0.0% |
| 1915 | 0.069 | +0.0% |
| 1916 | 0.069 | +0.0% |
| 1917 | 0.069 | +0.0% |
| 1918 | 0.069 | +0.0% |
| 1919 | 0.069 | +0.0% |
| 1920 | 0.069 | +0.0% |
| 1921 | 0.069 | +0.0% |
| 1922 | 0.069 | +0.0% |
| 1923 | 0.069 | +0.0% |
| 1924 | 0.069 | +0.0% |
| 1925 | 0.069 | +0.0% |
| 1926 | 0.069 | +0.0% |
| 1927 | 0.069 | +0.0% |
| 1928 | 0.069 | +0.0% |
| 1929 | 0.069 | +0.0% |
| 1930 | 0.069 | +0.0% |
| 1931 | 0.069 | +0.0% |
| 1932 | 0.078 | +13.0% |
| 1933 | 0.1 | +28.2% |
| 1934 | 0.109 | +9.0% |
| 1935 | 0.109 | +0.0% |
| 1936 | 0.109 | +0.0% |
| 1937 | 0.112 | +2.8% |
| 1938 | 0.111 | -0.9% |
| 1939 | 0.108 | -2.7% |
| 1940 | 0.106 | -1.9% |
| 1941 | 0.108 | +1.9% |
| 1942 | 0.108 | +0.0% |
| 1943 | 0.108 | +0.0% |
| 1944 | 0.121 | +12.0% |
| 1945 | 0.123 | +1.7% |
| 1946 | 0.129 | +4.9% |
| 1947 | 0.114 | -11.6% |
| 1948 | 0.112 | -1.8% |
| 1949 | 0.108 | -3.6% |
| 1950 | 0.106 | -1.9% |
| 1951 | 0.107 | +0.9% |
| 1952 | 0.104 | -2.8% |
| 1953 | 0.104 | +0.0% |
| 1954 | 0.104 | +0.0% |
| 1955 | 0.106 | +1.9% |
| 1956 | 0.107 | +0.9% |
| 1957 | 0.102 | -4.7% |
| 1958 | 0.091 | -10.8% |
| 1959 | 0.083 | -8.8% |
| 1960 | 0.084 | +1.2% |
| 1961 | 0.084 | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 0.084 | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 0.084 | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 0.084 | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 0.084 | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 0.084 | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 0.085 | +1.2% |
| 1968 | 0.087 | +2.4% |
| 1969 | 0.106 | +21.8% |
| 1970 | 0.111 | +4.7% |
| 1971 | 0.109 | -1.8% |
| 1972 | 0.099 | -9.2% |
| 1973 | 0.113 | +14.1% |
| 1974 | 0.16 | +41.6% |
| 1975 | 0.194 | +21.3% |
| 1976 | 0.13 | -33.0% |
| 1977 | 0.102 | -21.5% |
| 1978 | 0.108 | +5.9% |
| 1979 | 0.115 | +6.5% |
| 1980 | 0.184 | +60.0% |
| 1981 | 0.198 | +7.6% |
| 1982 | 0.201 | +1.5% |
| 1983 | 0.215 | +7.0% |
| 1984 | 0.219 | +1.9% |
| 1985 | 0.221 | +0.9% |
| 1986 | 0.222 | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 0.221 | -0.5% |
| 1988 | 0.252 | +14.0% |
| 1989 | 0.261 | +3.6% |
| 1990 | 0.264 | +1.1% |
| 1991 | 0.158 | -40.2% |
| 1992 | 0.2 | +26.6% |
| 1993 | 0.303 | +51.5% |
| 1994 | 0.303 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 0.307 | +1.3% |
| 1996 | 0.278 | -9.4% |
| 1997 | 0.348 | +25.2% |
| 1998 | 0.384 | +10.3% |
| 1999 | 0.385 | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 0.391 | +1.6% |
| 2001 | 0.412 | +5.4% |
| 2002 | 0.408 | -1.0% |
| 2003 | 0.391 | -4.2% |
| 2004 | 0.382 | -2.3% |
| 2005 | 0.359 | -6.0% |
| 2006 | 0.166 | -53.8% |
| 2007 | 0.18 | +8.4% |
| 2008 | 0.336 | +86.7% |
| 2009 | 0.337 | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 0.33 | -2.1% |
| 2011 | 0.373 | +13.0% |
| 2012 | 0.4 | +7.2% |
| 2013 | 0.352 | -12.0% |
| 2014 | 0.116 | -67.0% |
| 2015 | 0.105 | -9.5% |
| 2016 | 0.105 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 0.102 | -2.9% |
| 2018 | 0.11 | +7.8% |
| 2019 | 0.184 | +67.3% |
| 2020 | 0.187 | +1.6% |
| 2021 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 0.195 | +4.3% |
| 2023 | 0.246 | +26.2% |
| 2024 | 0.306 | +24.4% |
| 2025 | 0.314 | +2.6% |
Thailand compared with similar countries
- Thailand's 0.314 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.347, 90% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
- Thailand's 0.314 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.3575, 88% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Liberal Democracy Index in Thailand 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | +86.7% | 0.18 | 0.336 |
| 2019 | +67.3% | 0.11 | 0.184 |
| 2014 | -67.0% | 0.352 | 0.116 |
| 1980 | +60.0% | 0.115 | 0.184 |
| 2006 | -53.8% | 0.359 | 0.166 |
| 1993 | +51.5% | 0.2 | 0.303 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0.0559 | 0.053 | 0.06 | 10 |
| 1910s | 0.0689 | 0.068 | 0.069 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.069 | 0.069 | 0.069 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.0974 | 0.069 | 0.112 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.1137 | 0.106 | 0.129 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.1014 | 0.083 | 0.107 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.0866 | 0.084 | 0.106 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.1241 | 0.099 | 0.194 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.2194 | 0.184 | 0.261 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.293 | 0.158 | 0.385 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.3362 | 0.166 | 0.412 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.2177 | 0.102 | 0.4 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.2392 | 0.187 | 0.314 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Thailand
More social development data for Thailand
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 84,017 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 327 (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 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 327 (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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is liberal democracy index in Thailand?
- Liberal democracy index in Thailand was 0.314 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest liberal democracy index recorded in Thailand?
- The highest recorded value was 0.412 in 2001.
- What is the lowest liberal democracy index recorded in Thailand?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.053 in 1900.
- How does Thailand rank for liberal democracy index?
- Thailand ranks 94th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
- Is liberal democracy index rising or falling in Thailand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 199.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Thailand 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 126 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.