Participatory Democracy Index in Congo
Congo: Participatory Democracy Index was 0.188 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
0.188
Change on year
down 4.1%
World rank
116th
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.301
in 1993
All-time low
0.045
in 1945
Years of data
123
1903–2025
Participatory Democracy Index in Congo, 1903–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Congo recorded 0.188 for participatory democracy index in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.1% on the previous year and up 42.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, participatory democracy index in Congo peaked at 0.301 in 1993 and was at its lowest, 0.045, in 1945.
Congo ranks 116th 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.
Participatory Democracy Index in Congo, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1903 | 0.05 | — |
| 1904 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1905 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1906 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1907 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1908 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1909 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1910 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1911 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1912 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1913 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1914 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1915 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1916 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1917 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1918 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1919 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1920 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1921 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1922 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1923 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1924 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1925 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1926 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1927 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1928 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1929 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1930 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1931 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1932 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1933 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1934 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1935 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1936 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1937 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1938 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1939 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1940 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1941 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1942 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1943 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1944 | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| 1945 | 0.045 | -10.0% |
| 1946 | 0.046 | +2.2% |
| 1947 | 0.053 | +15.2% |
| 1948 | 0.053 | +0.0% |
| 1949 | 0.053 | +0.0% |
| 1950 | 0.053 | +0.0% |
| 1951 | 0.054 | +1.9% |
| 1952 | 0.054 | +0.0% |
| 1953 | 0.054 | +0.0% |
| 1954 | 0.054 | +0.0% |
| 1955 | 0.054 | +0.0% |
| 1956 | 0.061 | +13.0% |
| 1957 | 0.073 | +19.7% |
| 1958 | 0.075 | +2.7% |
| 1959 | 0.074 | -1.3% |
| 1960 | 0.123 | +66.2% |
| 1961 | 0.143 | +16.3% |
| 1962 | 0.138 | -3.5% |
| 1963 | 0.138 | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 0.135 | -2.2% |
| 1965 | 0.135 | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 0.135 | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 0.135 | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 0.069 | -48.9% |
| 1969 | 0.067 | -2.9% |
| 1970 | 0.064 | -4.5% |
| 1971 | 0.063 | -1.6% |
| 1972 | 0.062 | -1.6% |
| 1973 | 0.069 | +11.3% |
| 1974 | 0.071 | +2.9% |
| 1975 | 0.071 | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 0.071 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 0.067 | -5.6% |
| 1978 | 0.068 | +1.5% |
| 1979 | 0.105 | +54.4% |
| 1980 | 0.108 | +2.9% |
| 1981 | 0.108 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 0.108 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 0.108 | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 0.107 | -0.9% |
| 1985 | 0.105 | -1.9% |
| 1986 | 0.105 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 0.104 | -1.0% |
| 1988 | 0.102 | -1.9% |
| 1989 | 0.101 | -1.0% |
| 1990 | 0.156 | +54.5% |
| 1991 | 0.19 | +21.8% |
| 1992 | 0.247 | +30.0% |
| 1993 | 0.301 | +21.9% |
| 1994 | 0.291 | -3.3% |
| 1995 | 0.291 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 0.291 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 0.142 | -51.2% |
| 1998 | 0.11 | -22.5% |
| 1999 | 0.109 | -0.9% |
| 2000 | 0.108 | -0.9% |
| 2001 | 0.106 | -1.9% |
| 2002 | 0.132 | +24.5% |
| 2003 | 0.142 | +7.6% |
| 2004 | 0.141 | -0.7% |
| 2005 | 0.14 | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 0.139 | -0.7% |
| 2007 | 0.135 | -2.9% |
| 2008 | 0.133 | -1.5% |
| 2009 | 0.131 | -1.5% |
| 2010 | 0.13 | -0.8% |
| 2011 | 0.128 | -1.5% |
| 2012 | 0.126 | -1.6% |
| 2013 | 0.127 | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 0.126 | -0.8% |
| 2015 | 0.132 | +4.8% |
| 2016 | 0.132 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 0.186 | +40.9% |
| 2018 | 0.192 | +3.2% |
| 2019 | 0.187 | -2.6% |
| 2020 | 0.2 | +7.0% |
| 2021 | 0.198 | -1.0% |
| 2022 | 0.193 | -2.5% |
| 2023 | 0.198 | +2.6% |
| 2024 | 0.196 | -1.0% |
| 2025 | 0.188 | -4.1% |
Congo compared with similar countries
- Congo's 0.188 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.2215, 85% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Congo's 0.188 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.2095, 90% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Participatory Democracy Index in Congo 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | +66.2% | 0.074 | 0.123 |
| 1990 | +54.5% | 0.101 | 0.156 |
| 1979 | +54.4% | 0.068 | 0.105 |
| 1997 | -51.2% | 0.291 | 0.142 |
| 1968 | -48.9% | 0.135 | 0.069 |
| 2017 | +40.9% | 0.132 | 0.186 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 7 |
| 1910s | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.05 | 0.045 | 0.053 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.0606 | 0.053 | 0.075 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.1218 | 0.067 | 0.143 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.0711 | 0.062 | 0.105 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.1056 | 0.101 | 0.108 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.2128 | 0.109 | 0.301 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.1307 | 0.106 | 0.142 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.1466 | 0.126 | 0.192 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1955 | 0.188 | 0.2 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Congo
More social development data for Congo
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 62,500 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 13,134 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 7 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 7 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.002 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 13,134 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0096 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 participatory democracy index in Congo?
- Participatory democracy index in Congo was 0.188 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest participatory democracy index recorded in Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 0.301 in 1993.
- What is the lowest participatory democracy index recorded in Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.045 in 1945.
- How does Congo rank for participatory democracy index?
- Congo ranks 116th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
- Is participatory democracy index rising or falling in Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is up 42.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Congo 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 123 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, as well as the extent to which citizens can engage in regional and local government, civil society organizations, and direct democracy.