What is participatory democracy index in Bulgaria?

Participatory democracy index in Bulgaria was 0.397 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest participatory democracy index recorded in Bulgaria?

The highest recorded value was 0.494 in 2016.

What is the lowest participatory democracy index recorded in Bulgaria?

The lowest recorded value was 0.013 in 1877.

How does Bulgaria rank for participatory democracy index?

Bulgaria ranks 64th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is participatory democracy index rising or falling in Bulgaria?

Over the last ten years it is down 14.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this Bulgaria data come from?

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

Participatory Democracy Index in Bulgaria

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

Bulgaria: Participatory Democracy Index was 0.397 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)

0.397

Change on year

down 12.4%

World rank

64th

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.494

in 2016

All-time low

0.013

in 1877

Years of data

237

1789–2025

Participatory Democracy Index in Bulgaria, 1789–2025

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

Analysis

Bulgaria recorded 0.397 for participatory democracy index in 2025.

That represents a change of down 12.4% on the previous year and down 14.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, participatory democracy index in Bulgaria peaked at 0.494 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 0.013, in 1877.

That places Bulgaria 64th out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Participatory Democracy Index in Bulgaria, year by year

Annual values for Participatory Democracy Index in Bulgaria, 1789 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1789	0.018	—
1790	0.018	+0.0%
1791	0.018	+0.0%
1792	0.018	+0.0%
1793	0.018	+0.0%
1794	0.018	+0.0%
1795	0.018	+0.0%
1796	0.018	+0.0%
1797	0.018	+0.0%
1798	0.018	+0.0%
1799	0.018	+0.0%
1800	0.018	+0.0%
1801	0.018	+0.0%
1802	0.018	+0.0%
1803	0.018	+0.0%
1804	0.018	+0.0%
1805	0.018	+0.0%
1806	0.018	+0.0%
1807	0.018	+0.0%
1808	0.018	+0.0%
1809	0.018	+0.0%
1810	0.018	+0.0%
1811	0.018	+0.0%
1812	0.018	+0.0%
1813	0.018	+0.0%
1814	0.018	+0.0%
1815	0.018	+0.0%
1816	0.018	+0.0%
1817	0.018	+0.0%
1818	0.018	+0.0%
1819	0.018	+0.0%
1820	0.018	+0.0%
1821	0.018	+0.0%
1822	0.018	+0.0%
1823	0.018	+0.0%
1824	0.018	+0.0%
1825	0.018	+0.0%
1826	0.018	+0.0%
1827	0.018	+0.0%
1828	0.018	+0.0%
1829	0.018	+0.0%
1830	0.018	+0.0%
1831	0.018	+0.0%
1832	0.018	+0.0%
1833	0.018	+0.0%
1834	0.018	+0.0%
1835	0.018	+0.0%
1836	0.018	+0.0%
1837	0.018	+0.0%
1838	0.018	+0.0%
1839	0.018	+0.0%
1840	0.018	+0.0%
1841	0.018	+0.0%
1842	0.018	+0.0%
1843	0.018	+0.0%
1844	0.018	+0.0%
1845	0.018	+0.0%
1846	0.018	+0.0%
1847	0.018	+0.0%
1848	0.018	+0.0%
1849	0.018	+0.0%
1850	0.018	+0.0%
1851	0.018	+0.0%
1852	0.018	+0.0%
1853	0.018	+0.0%
1854	0.018	+0.0%
1855	0.018	+0.0%
1856	0.018	+0.0%
1857	0.018	+0.0%
1858	0.018	+0.0%
1859	0.018	+0.0%
1860	0.019	+5.6%
1861	0.019	+0.0%
1862	0.019	+0.0%
1863	0.019	+0.0%
1864	0.02	+5.3%
1865	0.023	+15.0%
1866	0.023	+0.0%
1867	0.024	+4.3%
1868	0.024	+0.0%
1869	0.024	+0.0%
1870	0.024	+0.0%
1871	0.024	+0.0%
1872	0.024	+0.0%
1873	0.024	+0.0%
1874	0.024	+0.0%
1875	0.024	+0.0%
1876	0.03	+25.0%
1877	0.013	-56.7%
1878	0.049	+276.9%
1879	0.121	+146.9%
1880	0.13	+7.4%
1881	0.096	-26.2%
1882	0.086	-10.4%
1883	0.087	+1.2%
1884	0.132	+51.7%
1885	0.135	+2.3%
1886	0.137	+1.5%
1887	0.081	-40.9%
1888	0.07	-13.6%
1889	0.07	+0.0%
1890	0.07	+0.0%
1891	0.07	+0.0%
1892	0.07	+0.0%
1893	0.07	+0.0%
1894	0.071	+1.4%
1895	0.15	+111.3%
1896	0.15	+0.0%
1897	0.15	+0.0%
1898	0.15	+0.0%
1899	0.147	-2.0%
1900	0.145	-1.4%
1901	0.15	+3.4%
1902	0.15	+0.0%
1903	0.15	+0.0%
1904	0.149	-0.7%
1905	0.149	+0.0%
1906	0.149	+0.0%
1907	0.149	+0.0%
1908	0.152	+2.0%
1909	0.154	+1.3%
1910	0.154	+0.0%
1911	0.154	+0.0%
1912	0.152	-1.3%
1913	0.148	-2.6%
1914	0.146	-1.4%
1915	0.144	-1.4%
1916	0.144	+0.0%
1917	0.144	+0.0%
1918	0.145	+0.7%
1919	0.148	+2.1%
1920	0.149	+0.7%
1921	0.149	+0.0%
1922	0.158	+6.0%
1923	0.137	-13.3%
1924	0.138	+0.7%
1925	0.138	+0.0%
1926	0.139	+0.7%
1927	0.14	+0.7%
1928	0.14	+0.0%
1929	0.14	+0.0%
1930	0.141	+0.7%
1931	0.143	+1.4%
1932	0.144	+0.7%
1933	0.139	-3.5%
1934	0.122	-12.2%
1935	0.093	-23.8%
1936	0.093	+0.0%
1937	0.093	+0.0%
1938	0.1	+7.5%
1939	0.099	-1.0%
1940	0.101	+2.0%
1941	0.1	-1.0%
1942	0.1	+0.0%
1943	0.105	+5.0%
1944	0.108	+2.9%
1945	0.085	-21.3%
1946	0.104	+22.4%
1947	0.097	-6.7%
1948	0.103	+6.2%
1949	0.105	+1.9%
1950	0.104	-1.0%
1951	0.101	-2.9%
1952	0.1	-1.0%
1953	0.1	+0.0%
1954	0.1	+0.0%
1955	0.099	-1.0%
1956	0.098	-1.0%
1957	0.09	-8.2%
1958	0.088	-2.2%
1959	0.087	-1.1%
1960	0.086	-1.1%
1961	0.084	-2.3%
1962	0.084	+0.0%
1963	0.083	-1.2%
1964	0.082	-1.2%
1965	0.081	-1.2%
1966	0.081	+0.0%
1967	0.081	+0.0%
1968	0.081	+0.0%
1969	0.081	+0.0%
1970	0.081	+0.0%
1971	0.098	+21.0%
1972	0.098	+0.0%
1973	0.102	+4.1%
1974	0.102	+0.0%
1975	0.102	+0.0%
1976	0.101	-1.0%
1977	0.099	-2.0%
1978	0.098	-1.0%
1979	0.097	-1.0%
1980	0.096	-1.0%
1981	0.095	-1.0%
1982	0.094	-1.1%
1983	0.093	-1.1%
1984	0.092	-1.1%
1985	0.091	-1.1%
1986	0.09	-1.1%
1987	0.089	-1.1%
1988	0.088	-1.1%
1989	0.087	-1.1%
1990	0.362	+316.1%
1991	0.393	+8.6%
1992	0.442	+12.5%
1993	0.438	-0.9%
1994	0.437	-0.2%
1995	0.436	-0.2%
1996	0.441	+1.1%
1997	0.45	+2.0%
1998	0.442	-1.8%
1999	0.449	+1.6%
2000	0.448	-0.2%
2001	0.432	-3.6%
2002	0.451	+4.4%
2003	0.451	+0.0%
2004	0.45	-0.2%
2005	0.437	-2.9%
2006	0.441	+0.9%
2007	0.441	+0.0%
2008	0.445	+0.9%
2009	0.433	-2.7%
2010	0.428	-1.2%
2011	0.436	+1.9%
2012	0.436	+0.0%
2013	0.46	+5.5%
2014	0.478	+3.9%
2015	0.463	-3.1%
2016	0.494	+6.7%
2017	0.454	-8.1%
2018	0.451	-0.7%
2019	0.441	-2.2%
2020	0.444	+0.7%
2021	0.478	+7.7%
2022	0.473	-1.0%
2023	0.465	-1.7%
2024	0.453	-2.6%
2025	0.397	-12.4%

Bulgaria compared with similar countries

Bulgaria's 0.397 is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.529, 75% of the median. (55 countries reporting)
Bulgaria's 0.397 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.4995, 79% of the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1780s	0.018	0.018	0.018	1
1790s	0.018	0.018	0.018	10
1800s	0.018	0.018	0.018	10
1810s	0.018	0.018	0.018	10
1820s	0.018	0.018	0.018	10
1830s	0.018	0.018	0.018	10
1840s	0.018	0.018	0.018	10
1850s	0.018	0.018	0.018	10
1860s	0.0214	0.019	0.024	10
1870s	0.0357	0.013	0.121	10
1880s	0.1024	0.07	0.137	10
1890s	0.1098	0.07	0.15	10
1900s	0.1497	0.145	0.154	10
1910s	0.1479	0.144	0.154	10
1920s	0.1428	0.137	0.158	10
1930s	0.1167	0.093	0.144	10
1940s	0.1008	0.085	0.108	10
1950s	0.0967	0.087	0.104	10
1960s	0.0824	0.081	0.086	10
1970s	0.0978	0.081	0.102	10
1980s	0.0915	0.087	0.096	10
1990s	0.429	0.362	0.45	10
2000s	0.4429	0.432	0.451	10
2010s	0.4541	0.428	0.494	10
2020s	0.4517	0.397	0.478	6

Countries ranked near Bulgaria

61 Lesotho 0.404 compare
62 Montenegro 0.403 compare
63 Senegal 0.402 compare
65 Sao Tome and Principe 0.391 compare
66 Moldova 0.389 compare
67 Botswana 0.369 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for Bulgaria

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 105,596 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 533 (2025)
Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 2 (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 533 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0164 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 Bulgaria →

Frequently asked questions

What is participatory democracy index in Bulgaria?: Participatory democracy index in Bulgaria was 0.397 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest participatory democracy index recorded in Bulgaria?: The highest recorded value was 0.494 in 2016.
What is the lowest participatory democracy index recorded in Bulgaria?: The lowest recorded value was 0.013 in 1877.
How does Bulgaria rank for participatory democracy index?: Bulgaria ranks 64th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is participatory democracy index rising or falling in Bulgaria?: Over the last ten years it is down 14.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Bulgaria data come from?: The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Participatory Democracy Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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

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About this data

Indicator: Participatory Democracy Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 29,363 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, as well as the extent to which citizens can engage in regional and local government, civil society organizations, and direct democracy.