What is participatory democracy index in Italy?

Participatory democracy index in Italy was 0.569 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest participatory democracy index recorded in Italy?

The highest recorded value was 0.689 in 2016.

What is the lowest participatory democracy index recorded in Italy?

The lowest recorded value was 0.006 in 1941.

How does Italy rank for participatory democracy index?

Italy ranks 21st out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is participatory democracy index rising or falling in Italy?

Over the last ten years it is down 15.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this Italy 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 Italy

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

Italy: Participatory Democracy Index was 0.569 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)

0.569

Change on year

down 6.0%

World rank

21st

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.689

in 2016

All-time low

0.006

in 1941

Years of data

211

1815–2025

Participatory Democracy Index in Italy, 1815–2025

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for participatory democracy index in Italy is 0.569, measured in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.0% on the previous year and down 15.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, participatory democracy index in Italy peaked at 0.689 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 0.006, in 1941.

Italy ranks 21st of 176 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

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

Participatory Democracy Index in Italy, year by year

Annual values for Participatory Democracy Index in Italy, 1815 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1815	0.008	—
1816	0.008	+0.0%
1817	0.008	+0.0%
1818	0.008	+0.0%
1819	0.008	+0.0%
1820	0.008	+0.0%
1821	0.008	+0.0%
1822	0.008	+0.0%
1823	0.008	+0.0%
1824	0.008	+0.0%
1825	0.008	+0.0%
1826	0.008	+0.0%
1827	0.008	+0.0%
1828	0.008	+0.0%
1829	0.008	+0.0%
1830	0.008	+0.0%
1831	0.008	+0.0%
1832	0.008	+0.0%
1833	0.008	+0.0%
1834	0.008	+0.0%
1835	0.008	+0.0%
1836	0.008	+0.0%
1837	0.008	+0.0%
1838	0.008	+0.0%
1839	0.008	+0.0%
1840	0.008	+0.0%
1841	0.008	+0.0%
1842	0.008	+0.0%
1843	0.008	+0.0%
1844	0.008	+0.0%
1845	0.008	+0.0%
1846	0.008	+0.0%
1847	0.024	+200.0%
1848	0.037	+54.2%
1849	0.062	+67.6%
1850	0.063	+1.6%
1851	0.063	+0.0%
1852	0.063	+0.0%
1853	0.063	+0.0%
1854	0.063	+0.0%
1855	0.063	+0.0%
1856	0.063	+0.0%
1857	0.063	+0.0%
1858	0.063	+0.0%
1859	0.063	+0.0%
1860	0.062	-1.6%
1861	0.075	+21.0%
1862	0.087	+16.0%
1863	0.087	+0.0%
1864	0.087	+0.0%
1865	0.086	-1.1%
1866	0.103	+19.8%
1867	0.103	+0.0%
1868	0.104	+1.0%
1869	0.104	+0.0%
1870	0.103	-1.0%
1871	0.095	-7.8%
1872	0.095	+0.0%
1873	0.095	+0.0%
1874	0.094	-1.1%
1875	0.095	+1.1%
1876	0.094	-1.1%
1877	0.095	+1.1%
1878	0.095	+0.0%
1879	0.095	+0.0%
1880	0.108	+13.7%
1881	0.108	+0.0%
1882	0.112	+3.7%
1883	0.113	+0.9%
1884	0.113	+0.0%
1885	0.113	+0.0%
1886	0.112	-0.9%
1887	0.113	+0.9%
1888	0.111	-1.8%
1889	0.111	+0.0%
1890	0.118	+6.3%
1891	0.12	+1.7%
1892	0.119	-0.8%
1893	0.12	+0.8%
1894	0.12	+0.0%
1895	0.116	-3.3%
1896	0.118	+1.7%
1897	0.117	-0.8%
1898	0.113	-3.4%
1899	0.113	+0.0%
1900	0.148	+31.0%
1901	0.147	-0.7%
1902	0.147	+0.0%
1903	0.147	+0.0%
1904	0.147	+0.0%
1905	0.149	+1.4%
1906	0.149	+0.0%
1907	0.149	+0.0%
1908	0.149	+0.0%
1909	0.148	-0.7%
1910	0.148	+0.0%
1911	0.148	+0.0%
1912	0.148	+0.0%
1913	0.17	+14.9%
1914	0.166	-2.4%
1915	0.154	-7.2%
1916	0.152	-1.3%
1917	0.152	+0.0%
1918	0.152	+0.0%
1919	0.172	+13.2%
1920	0.173	+0.6%
1921	0.168	-2.9%
1922	0.117	-30.4%
1923	0.083	-29.1%
1924	0.063	-24.1%
1925	0.027	-57.1%
1926	0.022	-18.5%
1927	0.022	+0.0%
1928	0.022	+0.0%
1929	0.03	+36.4%
1930	0.021	-30.0%
1931	0.021	+0.0%
1932	0.021	+0.0%
1933	0.021	+0.0%
1934	0.029	+38.1%
1935	0.02	-31.0%
1936	0.019	-5.0%
1937	0.02	+5.3%
1938	0.02	+0.0%
1939	0.009	-55.0%
1940	0.009	+0.0%
1941	0.006	-33.3%
1942	0.006	+0.0%
1943	0.008	+33.3%
1944	0.046	+475.0%
1945	0.051	+10.9%
1946	0.263	+415.7%
1947	0.375	+42.6%
1948	0.373	-0.5%
1949	0.411	+10.2%
1950	0.415	+1.0%
1951	0.415	+0.0%
1952	0.415	+0.0%
1953	0.42	+1.2%
1954	0.424	+1.0%
1955	0.424	+0.0%
1956	0.434	+2.4%
1957	0.434	+0.0%
1958	0.437	+0.7%
1959	0.431	-1.4%
1960	0.447	+3.7%
1961	0.448	+0.2%
1962	0.448	+0.0%
1963	0.447	-0.2%
1964	0.447	+0.0%
1965	0.447	+0.0%
1966	0.457	+2.2%
1967	0.457	+0.0%
1968	0.476	+4.2%
1969	0.48	+0.8%
1970	0.486	+1.3%
1971	0.485	-0.2%
1972	0.485	+0.0%
1973	0.487	+0.4%
1974	0.526	+8.0%
1975	0.532	+1.1%
1976	0.537	+0.9%
1977	0.54	+0.6%
1978	0.54	+0.0%
1979	0.538	-0.4%
1980	0.57	+5.9%
1981	0.579	+1.6%
1982	0.579	+0.0%
1983	0.581	+0.3%
1984	0.591	+1.7%
1985	0.591	+0.0%
1986	0.591	+0.0%
1987	0.598	+1.2%
1988	0.599	+0.2%
1989	0.62	+3.5%
1990	0.61	-1.6%
1991	0.627	+2.8%
1992	0.63	+0.5%
1993	0.638	+1.3%
1994	0.64	+0.3%
1995	0.637	-0.5%
1996	0.644	+1.1%
1997	0.652	+1.2%
1998	0.652	+0.0%
1999	0.652	+0.0%
2000	0.644	-1.2%
2001	0.656	+1.9%
2002	0.659	+0.5%
2003	0.659	+0.0%
2004	0.659	+0.0%
2005	0.668	+1.4%
2006	0.675	+1.0%
2007	0.681	+0.9%
2008	0.675	-0.9%
2009	0.677	+0.3%
2010	0.675	-0.3%
2011	0.684	+1.3%
2012	0.688	+0.6%
2013	0.677	-1.6%
2014	0.673	-0.6%
2015	0.671	-0.3%
2016	0.689	+2.7%
2017	0.689	+0.0%
2018	0.672	-2.5%
2019	0.673	+0.1%
2020	0.68	+1.0%
2021	0.675	-0.7%
2022	0.658	-2.5%
2023	0.627	-4.7%
2024	0.605	-3.5%
2025	0.569	-6.0%

Italy compared with similar countries

Italy's 0.569 is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.529, 1.1× the median. (55 countries reporting)
Italy's 0.569 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.4995, 1.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Participatory Democracy Index in Italy 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
1944	+475.0%	0.008	0.046
1946	+415.7%	0.051	0.263
1847	+200.0%	0.008	0.024
1849	+67.6%	0.037	0.062
1925	-57.1%	0.063	0.027
1939	-55.0%	0.02	0.009

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1810s	0.008	0.008	0.008	5
1820s	0.008	0.008	0.008	10
1830s	0.008	0.008	0.008	10
1840s	0.0179	0.008	0.062	10
1850s	0.063	0.063	0.063	10
1860s	0.0898	0.062	0.104	10
1870s	0.0956	0.094	0.103	10
1880s	0.1114	0.108	0.113	10
1890s	0.1174	0.113	0.12	10
1900s	0.148	0.147	0.149	10
1910s	0.1562	0.148	0.172	10
1920s	0.0727	0.022	0.173	10
1930s	0.0201	0.009	0.029	10
1940s	0.1548	0.006	0.411	10
1950s	0.4249	0.415	0.437	10
1960s	0.4554	0.447	0.48	10
1970s	0.5156	0.485	0.54	10
1980s	0.5899	0.57	0.62	10
1990s	0.6382	0.61	0.652	10
2000s	0.6653	0.644	0.681	10
2010s	0.6791	0.671	0.689	10
2020s	0.6357	0.569	0.68	6

Countries ranked near Italy

18 New Zealand 0.581 compare
19 Chile 0.574 compare
20 Spain 0.572 compare
22 Iceland 0.565 compare
23 Czechia 0.562 compare
24 Lithuania 0.56 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for Italy

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 192,914 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 266 (2025)
Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 100 % 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 266 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0033 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 Italy →

Frequently asked questions

What is participatory democracy index in Italy?: Participatory democracy index in Italy was 0.569 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest participatory democracy index recorded in Italy?: The highest recorded value was 0.689 in 2016.
What is the lowest participatory democracy index recorded in Italy?: The lowest recorded value was 0.006 in 1941.
How does Italy rank for participatory democracy index?: Italy ranks 21st out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is participatory democracy index rising or falling in Italy?: Over the last ten years it is down 15.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Italy 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 Italy. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 08 November 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/participatory-democracy-index/italy/

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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: 30 October 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.