What is participatory democracy index in India?

Participatory democracy index in India was 0.246 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest participatory democracy index recorded in India?

The highest recorded value was 0.491 in 2003.

What is the lowest participatory democracy index recorded in India?

The lowest recorded value was 0.024 in 1789.

How does India rank for participatory democracy index?

India ranks 99th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is participatory democracy index rising or falling in India?

Over the last ten years it is down 25.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this India 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 India

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

India: Participatory Democracy Index was 0.246 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)

0.246

Change on year

unchanged

World rank

99th

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.491

in 2003

All-time low

0.024

in 1789

Years of data

237

1789–2025

Participatory Democracy Index in India, 1789–2025

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for participatory democracy index in India is 0.246, measured in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 25.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, participatory democracy index in India peaked at 0.491 in 2003 and was at its lowest, 0.024, in 1789.

India ranks 99th 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 India, year by year

Annual values for Participatory Democracy Index in India, 1789 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1789	0.024	—
1790	0.024	+0.0%
1791	0.024	+0.0%
1792	0.024	+0.0%
1793	0.024	+0.0%
1794	0.024	+0.0%
1795	0.024	+0.0%
1796	0.024	+0.0%
1797	0.024	+0.0%
1798	0.024	+0.0%
1799	0.024	+0.0%
1800	0.024	+0.0%
1801	0.024	+0.0%
1802	0.024	+0.0%
1803	0.024	+0.0%
1804	0.024	+0.0%
1805	0.024	+0.0%
1806	0.024	+0.0%
1807	0.024	+0.0%
1808	0.024	+0.0%
1809	0.024	+0.0%
1810	0.024	+0.0%
1811	0.024	+0.0%
1812	0.024	+0.0%
1813	0.024	+0.0%
1814	0.024	+0.0%
1815	0.024	+0.0%
1816	0.024	+0.0%
1817	0.024	+0.0%
1818	0.024	+0.0%
1819	0.024	+0.0%
1820	0.024	+0.0%
1821	0.024	+0.0%
1822	0.024	+0.0%
1823	0.024	+0.0%
1824	0.024	+0.0%
1825	0.024	+0.0%
1826	0.024	+0.0%
1827	0.024	+0.0%
1828	0.024	+0.0%
1829	0.024	+0.0%
1830	0.024	+0.0%
1831	0.024	+0.0%
1832	0.024	+0.0%
1833	0.024	+0.0%
1834	0.03	+25.0%
1835	0.03	+0.0%
1836	0.03	+0.0%
1837	0.03	+0.0%
1838	0.031	+3.3%
1839	0.031	+0.0%
1840	0.031	+0.0%
1841	0.031	+0.0%
1842	0.031	+0.0%
1843	0.031	+0.0%
1844	0.031	+0.0%
1845	0.031	+0.0%
1846	0.031	+0.0%
1847	0.031	+0.0%
1848	0.031	+0.0%
1849	0.031	+0.0%
1850	0.031	+0.0%
1851	0.031	+0.0%
1852	0.031	+0.0%
1853	0.031	+0.0%
1854	0.031	+0.0%
1855	0.031	+0.0%
1856	0.031	+0.0%
1857	0.031	+0.0%
1858	0.03	-3.2%
1859	0.03	+0.0%
1860	0.03	+0.0%
1861	0.03	+0.0%
1862	0.03	+0.0%
1863	0.03	+0.0%
1864	0.03	+0.0%
1865	0.03	+0.0%
1866	0.03	+0.0%
1867	0.03	+0.0%
1868	0.03	+0.0%
1869	0.03	+0.0%
1870	0.03	+0.0%
1871	0.03	+0.0%
1872	0.03	+0.0%
1873	0.03	+0.0%
1874	0.03	+0.0%
1875	0.03	+0.0%
1876	0.039	+30.0%
1877	0.044	+12.8%
1878	0.044	+0.0%
1879	0.044	+0.0%
1880	0.044	+0.0%
1881	0.045	+2.3%
1882	0.046	+2.2%
1883	0.047	+2.2%
1884	0.047	+0.0%
1885	0.047	+0.0%
1886	0.047	+0.0%
1887	0.047	+0.0%
1888	0.047	+0.0%
1889	0.047	+0.0%
1890	0.047	+0.0%
1891	0.047	+0.0%
1892	0.047	+0.0%
1893	0.047	+0.0%
1894	0.047	+0.0%
1895	0.047	+0.0%
1896	0.047	+0.0%
1897	0.047	+0.0%
1898	0.047	+0.0%
1899	0.047	+0.0%
1900	0.042	-10.6%
1901	0.042	+0.0%
1902	0.042	+0.0%
1903	0.042	+0.0%
1904	0.042	+0.0%
1905	0.042	+0.0%
1906	0.042	+0.0%
1907	0.042	+0.0%
1908	0.042	+0.0%
1909	0.042	+0.0%
1910	0.042	+0.0%
1911	0.042	+0.0%
1912	0.042	+0.0%
1913	0.042	+0.0%
1914	0.042	+0.0%
1915	0.042	+0.0%
1916	0.042	+0.0%
1917	0.042	+0.0%
1918	0.042	+0.0%
1919	0.042	+0.0%
1920	0.047	+11.9%
1921	0.055	+17.0%
1922	0.055	+0.0%
1923	0.055	+0.0%
1924	0.055	+0.0%
1925	0.055	+0.0%
1926	0.055	+0.0%
1927	0.054	-1.8%
1928	0.054	+0.0%
1929	0.054	+0.0%
1930	0.054	+0.0%
1931	0.055	+1.9%
1932	0.055	+0.0%
1933	0.055	+0.0%
1934	0.054	-1.8%
1935	0.094	+74.1%
1936	0.095	+1.1%
1937	0.095	+0.0%
1938	0.095	+0.0%
1939	0.095	+0.0%
1940	0.095	+0.0%
1941	0.095	+0.0%
1942	0.095	+0.0%
1943	0.095	+0.0%
1944	0.095	+0.0%
1945	0.099	+4.2%
1946	0.102	+3.0%
1947	0.145	+42.2%
1948	0.158	+9.0%
1949	0.158	+0.0%
1950	0.187	+18.4%
1951	0.205	+9.6%
1952	0.343	+67.3%
1953	0.38	+10.8%
1954	0.38	+0.0%
1955	0.38	+0.0%
1956	0.38	+0.0%
1957	0.386	+1.6%
1958	0.387	+0.3%
1959	0.387	+0.0%
1960	0.387	+0.0%
1961	0.387	+0.0%
1962	0.376	-2.8%
1963	0.374	-0.5%
1964	0.376	+0.5%
1965	0.372	-1.1%
1966	0.372	+0.0%
1967	0.379	+1.9%
1968	0.384	+1.3%
1969	0.384	+0.0%
1970	0.381	-0.8%
1971	0.352	-7.6%
1972	0.344	-2.3%
1973	0.342	-0.6%
1974	0.312	-8.8%
1975	0.215	-31.1%
1976	0.213	-0.9%
1977	0.301	+41.3%
1978	0.401	+33.2%
1979	0.403	+0.5%
1980	0.397	-1.5%
1981	0.397	+0.0%
1982	0.399	+0.5%
1983	0.399	+0.0%
1984	0.399	+0.0%
1985	0.411	+3.0%
1986	0.417	+1.5%
1987	0.417	+0.0%
1988	0.415	-0.5%
1989	0.416	+0.2%
1990	0.444	+6.7%
1991	0.464	+4.5%
1992	0.471	+1.5%
1993	0.475	+0.8%
1994	0.482	+1.5%
1995	0.482	+0.0%
1996	0.486	+0.8%
1997	0.487	+0.2%
1998	0.49	+0.6%
1999	0.482	-1.6%
2000	0.483	+0.2%
2001	0.483	+0.0%
2002	0.485	+0.4%
2003	0.491	+1.2%
2004	0.479	-2.4%
2005	0.479	+0.0%
2006	0.474	-1.0%
2007	0.475	+0.2%
2008	0.475	+0.0%
2009	0.45	-5.3%
2010	0.44	-2.2%
2011	0.438	-0.5%
2012	0.434	-0.9%
2013	0.425	-2.1%
2014	0.384	-9.6%
2015	0.33	-14.1%
2016	0.319	-3.3%
2017	0.298	-6.6%
2018	0.296	-0.7%
2019	0.269	-9.1%
2020	0.252	-6.3%
2021	0.255	+1.2%
2022	0.253	-0.8%
2023	0.236	-6.7%
2024	0.246	+4.2%
2025	0.246	+0.0%

India compared with similar countries

India's 0.246 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.2215, 1.1× the median. (46 countries reporting)
India's 0.246 is below the median for South Asia, which is 0.3325, 74% of the median. (6 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1780s	0.024	0.024	0.024	1
1790s	0.024	0.024	0.024	10
1800s	0.024	0.024	0.024	10
1810s	0.024	0.024	0.024	10
1820s	0.024	0.024	0.024	10
1830s	0.0278	0.024	0.031	10
1840s	0.031	0.031	0.031	10
1850s	0.0308	0.03	0.031	10
1860s	0.03	0.03	0.03	10
1870s	0.0351	0.03	0.044	10
1880s	0.0464	0.044	0.047	10
1890s	0.047	0.047	0.047	10
1900s	0.042	0.042	0.042	10
1910s	0.042	0.042	0.042	10
1920s	0.0539	0.047	0.055	10
1930s	0.0747	0.054	0.095	10
1940s	0.1137	0.095	0.158	10
1950s	0.3415	0.187	0.387	10
1960s	0.3791	0.372	0.387	10
1970s	0.3264	0.213	0.403	10
1980s	0.4067	0.397	0.417	10
1990s	0.4763	0.444	0.49	10
2000s	0.4774	0.45	0.491	10
2010s	0.3633	0.269	0.44	10
2020s	0.248	0.236	0.255	6

Countries ranked near India

96 Cote d'Ivoire 0.262 compare
97 Philippines 0.261 compare
98 Ukraine 0.252 compare
100 Tanzania 0.245 compare
101 Tunisia 0.242 compare
102 Gabon 0.24 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for India

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 238,643 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 42,610 (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 units per person (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 42,610 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0002 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 India →

Frequently asked questions

What is participatory democracy index in India?: Participatory democracy index in India was 0.246 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest participatory democracy index recorded in India?: The highest recorded value was 0.491 in 2003.
What is the lowest participatory democracy index recorded in India?: The lowest recorded value was 0.024 in 1789.
How does India rank for participatory democracy index?: India ranks 99th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is participatory democracy index rising or falling in India?: Over the last ten years it is down 25.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this India 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).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Participatory Democracy Index in India. 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/india/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/participatory-democracy-index/india/">Participatory Democracy Index in India</a> — Statizoid

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.