Participatory Democracy Index in Malaysia

Malaysia: Participatory Democracy Index was 0.303 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
0.303
Change on year
down 1.9%
World rank
86th
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.309
in 2024
All-time low
0.04
in 1942
Years of data
126
1900–2025

Participatory Democracy Index in Malaysia, 1900–2025

00.10.20.3190019622025

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

Analysis

Malaysia recorded 0.303 for participatory democracy index in 2025.

The figure is down 1.9% on the previous year and up 30.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, participatory democracy index in Malaysia peaked at 0.309 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.04, in 1942.

Malaysia ranks 86th 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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1900s 0.041 0.041 0.041 10
1910s 0.041 0.041 0.041 10
1920s 0.041 0.041 0.041 10
1930s 0.041 0.041 0.041 10
1940s 0.0414 0.04 0.043 10
1950s 0.1098 0.043 0.18 10
1960s 0.1731 0.146 0.179 10
1970s 0.1519 0.127 0.166 10
1980s 0.1716 0.167 0.18 10
1990s 0.1669 0.166 0.17 10
2000s 0.2209 0.21 0.233 10
2010s 0.242 0.227 0.293 10
2020s 0.289 0.271 0.309 6

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 83 Armenia 0.319 compare
  2. 84 Maldives 0.316 compare
  3. 85 Sierra Leone 0.307 compare
  4. 87 Bosnia and Herzegovina 0.298 compare
  5. 87 Indonesia 0.298 compare
  6. 89 Albania 0.29 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is participatory democracy index in Malaysia?
Participatory democracy index in Malaysia was 0.303 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest participatory democracy index recorded in Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 0.309 in 2024.
What is the lowest participatory democracy index recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 0.04 in 1942.
How does Malaysia rank for participatory democracy index?
Malaysia ranks 86th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is participatory democracy index rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is up 30.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Malaysia 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

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.