What is participatory democracy index in Iran?

Participatory democracy index in Iran was 0.042 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest participatory democracy index recorded in Iran?

The highest recorded value was 0.088 in 1952.

What is the lowest participatory democracy index recorded in Iran?

The lowest recorded value was 0.008 in 1900.

How does Iran rank for participatory democracy index?

Iran ranks 167th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is participatory democracy index rising or falling in Iran?

Over the last ten years it is down 12.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.

Where does this Iran 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 Iran

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

Iran: Participatory Democracy Index was 0.042 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)

0.042

Change on year

unchanged

World rank

167th

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.088

in 1952

All-time low

0.008

in 1900

Years of data

126

1900–2025

Participatory Democracy Index in Iran, 1900–2025

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

Analysis

In 2025, participatory democracy index in Iran stood at 0.042.

That represents a change of down 12.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, participatory democracy index in Iran peaked at 0.088 in 1952 and was at its lowest, 0.008, in 1900.

That places Iran 167th out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 126 years of available data.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1900s	0.0138	0.008	0.028	10
1910s	0.0244	0.024	0.026	10
1920s	0.0264	0.019	0.034	10
1930s	0.0218	0.021	0.029	10
1940s	0.0393	0.021	0.048	10
1950s	0.0449	0.024	0.088	10
1960s	0.0383	0.027	0.045	10
1970s	0.0463	0.044	0.062	10
1980s	0.0427	0.035	0.062	10
1990s	0.0623	0.056	0.073	10
2000s	0.0539	0.041	0.067	10
2010s	0.0437	0.036	0.049	10
2020s	0.0387	0.034	0.042	6

Countries ranked near Iran

164 South Sudan 0.047 compare
165 North Korea 0.044 compare
166 Azerbaijan 0.043 compare
168 Equatorial Guinea 0.041 compare
168 Myanmar 0.041 compare
170 China 0.036 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for Iran

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 770,514 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 157,912 (2025)
Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
Political Rights Rating 7 (2025)
Key features of liberal democracy 0.103 (2025)
Varieties of democracy 0.159 (2025)
Freedom of Expression Index 0.166 (2025)
Freedom of Association Index 0.093 (2025)
Electoral Democracy Index 0.159 (2025)
Liberal democracy 1 (2025)

All data for Iran →

Frequently asked questions

What is participatory democracy index in Iran?: Participatory democracy index in Iran was 0.042 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest participatory democracy index recorded in Iran?: The highest recorded value was 0.088 in 1952.
What is the lowest participatory democracy index recorded in Iran?: The lowest recorded value was 0.008 in 1900.
How does Iran rank for participatory democracy index?: Iran ranks 167th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is participatory democracy index rising or falling in Iran?: Over the last ten years it is down 12.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Iran 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 — 126 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: 07 August 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.