Participatory Democracy Index in Estonia

Estonia: Participatory Democracy Index was 0.621 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
0.621
Change on year
down 0.6%
World rank
9th
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.649
in 2018
All-time low
0.019
in 1940
Years of data
237
1789–2025

Participatory Democracy Index in Estonia, 1789–2025

00.20.40.6178919072025

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

Analysis

In 2025, participatory democracy index in Estonia stood at 0.621.

That represents a change of down 0.6% on the previous year and down 1.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, participatory democracy index in Estonia peaked at 0.649 in 2018 and was at its lowest, 0.019, in 1940.

Estonia ranks 9th of 176 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1780s 0.023 0.023 0.023 1
1790s 0.022 0.022 0.022 10
1800s 0.022 0.022 0.022 10
1810s 0.022 0.022 0.022 10
1820s 0.022 0.022 0.022 10
1830s 0.022 0.022 0.022 10
1840s 0.022 0.022 0.022 10
1850s 0.0225 0.022 0.023 10
1860s 0.0732 0.048 0.077 10
1870s 0.0769 0.076 0.077 10
1880s 0.077 0.077 0.077 10
1890s 0.03 0.03 0.03 10
1900s 0.0347 0.028 0.043 10
1910s 0.0866 0.037 0.331 10
1920s 0.4526 0.408 0.468 10
1930s 0.2848 0.141 0.468 10
1940s 0.0194 0.019 0.02 10
1950s 0.02 0.02 0.02 10
1960s 0.0495 0.019 0.063 10
1970s 0.0637 0.062 0.065 10
1980s 0.0709 0.064 0.089 10
1990s 0.5634 0.357 0.63 10
2000s 0.6283 0.604 0.641 10
2010s 0.6385 0.63 0.649 10
2020s 0.6292 0.621 0.639 6

Countries ranked near Estonia

  1. 6 Norway 0.638 compare
  2. 7 Sweden 0.635 compare
  3. 8 Belgium 0.633 compare
  4. 11 Costa Rica 0.606 compare
  5. 12 Finland 0.597 compare
  6. 12 France 0.597 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for Estonia

All data for Estonia →

Frequently asked questions

What is participatory democracy index in Estonia?
Participatory democracy index in Estonia was 0.621 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest participatory democracy index recorded in Estonia?
The highest recorded value was 0.649 in 2018.
What is the lowest participatory democracy index recorded in Estonia?
The lowest recorded value was 0.019 in 1940.
How does Estonia rank for participatory democracy index?
Estonia ranks 9th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is participatory democracy index rising or falling in Estonia?
Over the last ten years it is down 1.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Estonia 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 — 237 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

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

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.