Liberal democracy in Bhutan
Bhutan: Liberal democracy was 2 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Liberal democracy in Bhutan, 1900–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, liberal democracy in Bhutan stood at 2.
The figure is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, liberal democracy in Bhutan peaked at 3 in 2009 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1900.
That places Bhutan 32nd out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1910s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.4 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.3 | 2 | 3 | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.5 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bhutan
- 32 Argentina 2 compare
- 32 Armenia 2 compare
- 32 Bolivia 2 compare
- 32 Botswana 2 compare
- 32 Brazil 2 compare
- 32 Bulgaria 2 compare
- 32 Canada 2 compare
- 32 Cape Verde 2 compare
- 32 Colombia 2 compare
- 32 Croatia 2 compare
- 32 Dominican Republic 2 compare
- 32 East Timor 2 compare
- 32 Ecuador 2 compare
- 32 Fiji 2 compare
- 32 Gambia 2 compare
- 32 Ghana 2 compare
- 32 Greece 2 compare
- 32 Guatemala 2 compare
- 32 Guyana 2 compare
- 32 Honduras 2 compare
- 32 Israel 2 compare
- 32 Jamaica 2 compare
- 32 Kenya 2 compare
- 32 Lesotho 2 compare
- 32 Liberia 2 compare
- 32 Malawi 2 compare
- 32 Malaysia 2 compare
- 32 Maldives 2 compare
- 32 Mauritius 2 compare
- 32 Moldova 2 compare
- 32 Mongolia 2 compare
- 32 Montenegro 2 compare
- 32 Namibia 2 compare
- 32 Nepal 2 compare
- 32 Nigeria 2 compare
- 32 North Macedonia 2 compare
- 32 Panama 2 compare
- 32 Paraguay 2 compare
- 32 Peru 2 compare
- 32 Poland 2 compare
- 32 Portugal 2 compare
- 32 Romania 2 compare
- 32 Sao Tome and Principe 2 compare
- 32 Senegal 2 compare
- 32 Slovakia 2 compare
- 32 Slovenia 2 compare
- 32 Solomon Islands 2 compare
- 32 South Africa 2 compare
- 32 Sri Lanka 2 compare
- 32 Suriname 2 compare
- 32 United Kingdom 2 compare
- 32 United States 2 compare
- 32 Vanuatu 2 compare
More social development data for Bhutan
- Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 7,257 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Varieties of democracy 0.566 (2025)
- Liberal Democracy Index 0.457 (2025)
- Human Rights Index 0.701 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 2 (2025)
- Key features of human rights 0.701 (2025)
- Key features of electoral democracy 0.566 (2025)
- Key features of liberal democracy 0.457 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is liberal democracy in Bhutan?
- Liberal democracy in Bhutan was 2 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest liberal democracy recorded in Bhutan?
- The highest recorded value was 3 in 2009.
- What is the lowest liberal democracy recorded in Bhutan?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1900.
- How does Bhutan rank for liberal democracy?
- Bhutan ranks 32nd out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
- Is liberal democracy rising or falling in Bhutan?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Bhutan data come from?
- The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Liberal democracy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Identifies the political regime of a country by distinguishing between closed autocracies, electoral autocracies, electoral democracies, and liberal democracies.