Liberal democracy by country
Identifies the political regime of a country by distinguishing between closed autocracies, electoral autocracies, electoral democracies, and liberal democracies.
Countries reporting
173
Highest
3
Australia
Lowest
0
Vatican
Median
1
Years covered
237
1789–2025
Data points
29,594
What the numbers show
Liberal democracy is currently reported for 173 countries. The highest value is 3 in Australia; the lowest is 0 in Vatican.
The median across all reporting countries is 1, and the mean is 1.45.
Over the past decade 9 countries rose and 38 fell. The largest increase was in Armenia (up 100.0%), and the largest decrease in Afghanistan (down 100.0%).
Liberal democracy: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 1 | Austria | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 1 | Belgium | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 1 | Barbados | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 1 | Switzerland | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 1 | Chile | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 1 | Costa Rica | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 1 | Cyprus | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 1 | Czechia | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 1 | Germany | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 1 | Denmark | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 1 | Spain | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 1 | Estonia | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 1 | Finland | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 1 | France | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 1 | Iceland | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 1 | Italy | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 1 | Japan | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 1 | South Korea | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 1 | Lithuania | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 1 | Latvia | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 1 | Netherlands | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 1 | Norway | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 1 | New Zealand | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 1 | Sweden | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 1 | Seychelles | 3 | 2025 | up 50.0% | volatile |
| 1 | Trinidad and Tobago | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 1 | Uruguay | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 1 | Taiwan | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 32 | Argentina | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 32 | Armenia | 2 | 2025 | up 100.0% | volatile |
| 32 | Bulgaria | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 32 | Bolivia | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 32 | Brazil | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 32 | Bhutan | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 32 | Botswana | 2 | 2025 | down 33.3% | volatile |
| 32 | Canada | 2 | 2025 | down 33.3% | volatile |
| 32 | Colombia | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 32 | Cape Verde | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 32 | Dominican Republic | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 32 | Ecuador | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 32 | Fiji | 2 | 2025 | up 100.0% | volatile |
| 32 | United Kingdom | 2 | 2025 | down 33.3% | volatile |
| 32 | Ghana | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 32 | Gambia | 2 | 2025 | up 100.0% | volatile |
| 32 | Greece | 2 | 2025 | down 33.3% | volatile |
| 32 | Guatemala | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 32 | Guyana | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 32 | Honduras | 2 | 2025 | up 100.0% | volatile |
| 32 | Croatia | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 32 | Israel | 2 | 2025 | down 33.3% | volatile |
| 32 | Jamaica | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 32 | Kenya | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 32 | Liberia | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 32 | Sri Lanka | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 32 | Lesotho | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 32 | Moldova | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 32 | Maldives | 2 | 2025 | up 100.0% | volatile |
| 32 | North Macedonia | 2 | 2025 | up 100.0% | volatile |
| 32 | Montenegro | 2 | 2025 | up 100.0% | volatile |
| 32 | Mongolia | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 32 | Mauritius | 2 | 2025 | down 33.3% | volatile |
| 32 | Malawi | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 32 | Malaysia | 2 | 2025 | up 100.0% | volatile |
| 32 | Namibia | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 32 | Nigeria | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 32 | Nepal | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 32 | Panama | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 32 | Peru | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 32 | Poland | 2 | 2025 | down 33.3% | volatile |
| 32 | Portugal | 2 | 2025 | down 33.3% | volatile |
| 32 | Paraguay | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 32 | Romania | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 32 | Senegal | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 32 | Solomon Islands | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 32 | Sao Tome and Principe | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 32 | Suriname | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 32 | Slovakia | 2 | 2025 | down 33.3% | volatile |
| 32 | Slovenia | 2 | 2025 | down 33.3% | volatile |
| 32 | East Timor | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 32 | United States | 2 | 2025 | down 33.3% | volatile |
| 32 | Vanuatu | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 32 | South Africa | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 87 | Angola | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 87 | Albania | 1 | 2025 | down 50.0% | volatile |
| 87 | Azerbaijan | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 87 | Burundi | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 87 | Benin | 1 | 2025 | down 50.0% | volatile |
| 87 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1 | 2025 | down 50.0% | volatile |
| 87 | Central African Republic | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 87 | Cote d'Ivoire | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 87 | Cameroon | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 87 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 87 | Congo | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 87 | Comoros | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 87 | Djibouti | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 87 | Algeria | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 87 | Egypt | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 87 | Ethiopia | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 87 | Gabon | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 87 | Georgia | 1 | 2025 | down 50.0% | volatile |
| 87 | Equatorial Guinea | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 87 | Hungary | 1 | 2025 | down 50.0% | volatile |
| 87 | Indonesia | 1 | 2025 | down 50.0% | volatile |
| 87 | India | 1 | 2025 | down 50.0% | volatile |
| 87 | Iran | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 87 | Iraq | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 87 | Kazakhstan | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 87 | Kyrgyzstan | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 87 | Cambodia | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 87 | Lebanon | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 87 | Mexico | 1 | 2025 | down 50.0% | volatile |
| 87 | Mozambique | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 87 | Mauritania | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 87 | Nicaragua | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 87 | Pakistan | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 87 | Philippines | 1 | 2025 | down 50.0% | volatile |
| 87 | Papua New Guinea | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 87 | Russia | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 87 | Rwanda | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 87 | Singapore | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 87 | Sierra Leone | 1 | 2025 | down 50.0% | volatile |
| 87 | El Salvador | 1 | 2025 | down 50.0% | volatile |
| 87 | Serbia | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 87 | Chad | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 87 | Togo | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 87 | Thailand | 1 | 2025 | — | volatile |
| 87 | Tajikistan | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 87 | Turkmenistan | 1 | 2025 | — | volatile |
| 87 | Tunisia | 1 | 2025 | down 50.0% | volatile |
| 87 | Turkey | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 87 | Tanzania | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 87 | Uganda | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 87 | Ukraine | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 87 | Uzbekistan | 1 | 2025 | — | volatile |
| 87 | Venezuela | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 87 | Zambia | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 87 | Zimbabwe | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 142 | Afghanistan | 0 | 2025 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 142 | United Arab Emirates | 0 | 2025 | — | flat |
| 142 | Burkina Faso | 0 | 2025 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 142 | Bangladesh | 0 | 2025 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 142 | Bahrain | 0 | 2025 | — | flat |
| 142 | Belarus | 0 | 2025 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 142 | China | 0 | 2025 | — | volatile |
| 142 | Cuba | 0 | 2025 | — | volatile |
| 142 | Eritrea | 0 | 2025 | — | flat |
| 142 | Guinea | 0 | 2025 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 142 | Guinea-Bissau | 0 | 2025 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 142 | Hong Kong | 0 | 2025 | — | flat |
| 142 | Haiti | 0 | 2025 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 142 | Jordan | 0 | 2025 | — | volatile |
| 142 | Kuwait | 0 | 2025 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 142 | Laos | 0 | 2025 | — | volatile |
| 142 | Libya | 0 | 2025 | — | volatile |
| 142 | Morocco | 0 | 2025 | — | flat |
| 142 | Madagascar | 0 | 2025 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 142 | Mali | 0 | 2025 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 142 | Myanmar | 0 | 2025 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 142 | Niger | 0 | 2025 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 142 | Oman | 0 | 2025 | — | flat |
| 142 | North Korea | 0 | 2025 | — | flat |
| 142 | Palestine | 0 | 1948 | — | flat |
| 142 | Qatar | 0 | 2025 | — | flat |
| 142 | Saudi Arabia | 0 | 2025 | — | flat |
| 142 | Sudan | 0 | 2025 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 142 | Somalia | 0 | 2025 | — | volatile |
| 142 | South Sudan | 0 | 2025 | — | volatile |
| 142 | Eswatini | 0 | 2025 | — | flat |
| 142 | Syria | 0 | 2025 | — | volatile |
| 142 | Vietnam | 0 | 2025 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 142 | Yemen | 0 | 2025 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 142 | Vatican | 0 | 1861 | — | flat |
About this data
Identifies the political regime of a country by distinguishing between closed autocracies, electoral autocracies, electoral democracies, and liberal democracies.