Participatory Democracy Index in Philippines
Philippines: Participatory Democracy Index was 0.261 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
0.261
Change on year
down 4.7%
World rank
97th
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.399
in 2000
All-time low
0.045
in 1900
Years of data
126
1900–2025
Participatory Democracy Index in Philippines, 1900–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for participatory democracy index in Philippines is 0.261, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.7% on the previous year and down 27.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, participatory democracy index in Philippines peaked at 0.399 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 0.045, in 1900.
Philippines ranks 97th of 176 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 126 years of available data.
Participatory Democracy Index in Philippines, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 0.045 | — |
| 1901 | 0.069 | +53.3% |
| 1902 | 0.074 | +7.2% |
| 1903 | 0.077 | +4.1% |
| 1904 | 0.077 | +0.0% |
| 1905 | 0.079 | +2.6% |
| 1906 | 0.081 | +2.5% |
| 1907 | 0.093 | +14.8% |
| 1908 | 0.101 | +8.6% |
| 1909 | 0.101 | +0.0% |
| 1910 | 0.106 | +5.0% |
| 1911 | 0.106 | +0.0% |
| 1912 | 0.105 | -0.9% |
| 1913 | 0.105 | +0.0% |
| 1914 | 0.105 | +0.0% |
| 1915 | 0.105 | +0.0% |
| 1916 | 0.106 | +1.0% |
| 1917 | 0.118 | +11.3% |
| 1918 | 0.118 | +0.0% |
| 1919 | 0.12 | +1.7% |
| 1920 | 0.121 | +0.8% |
| 1921 | 0.121 | +0.0% |
| 1922 | 0.12 | -0.8% |
| 1923 | 0.118 | -1.7% |
| 1924 | 0.118 | +0.0% |
| 1925 | 0.12 | +1.7% |
| 1926 | 0.121 | +0.8% |
| 1927 | 0.121 | +0.0% |
| 1928 | 0.12 | -0.8% |
| 1929 | 0.119 | -0.8% |
| 1930 | 0.119 | +0.0% |
| 1931 | 0.118 | -0.8% |
| 1932 | 0.117 | -0.8% |
| 1933 | 0.117 | +0.0% |
| 1934 | 0.12 | +2.6% |
| 1935 | 0.149 | +24.2% |
| 1936 | 0.167 | +12.1% |
| 1937 | 0.174 | +4.2% |
| 1938 | 0.174 | +0.0% |
| 1939 | 0.173 | -0.6% |
| 1940 | 0.177 | +2.3% |
| 1941 | 0.156 | -11.9% |
| 1942 | 0.052 | -66.7% |
| 1943 | 0.05 | -3.8% |
| 1944 | 0.058 | +16.0% |
| 1945 | 0.056 | -3.4% |
| 1946 | 0.219 | +291.1% |
| 1947 | 0.241 | +10.0% |
| 1948 | 0.241 | +0.0% |
| 1949 | 0.24 | -0.4% |
| 1950 | 0.239 | -0.4% |
| 1951 | 0.241 | +0.8% |
| 1952 | 0.24 | -0.4% |
| 1953 | 0.24 | +0.0% |
| 1954 | 0.247 | +2.9% |
| 1955 | 0.251 | +1.6% |
| 1956 | 0.25 | -0.4% |
| 1957 | 0.249 | -0.4% |
| 1958 | 0.249 | +0.0% |
| 1959 | 0.248 | -0.4% |
| 1960 | 0.257 | +3.6% |
| 1961 | 0.257 | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 0.254 | -1.2% |
| 1963 | 0.253 | -0.4% |
| 1964 | 0.252 | -0.4% |
| 1965 | 0.254 | +0.8% |
| 1966 | 0.246 | -3.1% |
| 1967 | 0.259 | +5.3% |
| 1968 | 0.266 | +2.7% |
| 1969 | 0.265 | -0.4% |
| 1970 | 0.25 | -5.7% |
| 1971 | 0.239 | -4.4% |
| 1972 | 0.129 | -46.0% |
| 1973 | 0.117 | -9.3% |
| 1974 | 0.107 | -8.5% |
| 1975 | 0.112 | +4.7% |
| 1976 | 0.112 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 0.112 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 0.128 | +14.3% |
| 1979 | 0.131 | +2.3% |
| 1980 | 0.131 | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 0.132 | +0.8% |
| 1982 | 0.133 | +0.8% |
| 1983 | 0.134 | +0.8% |
| 1984 | 0.134 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 0.136 | +1.5% |
| 1986 | 0.178 | +30.9% |
| 1987 | 0.321 | +80.3% |
| 1988 | 0.387 | +20.6% |
| 1989 | 0.387 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 0.398 | +2.8% |
| 1991 | 0.398 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 0.389 | -2.3% |
| 1993 | 0.378 | -2.8% |
| 1994 | 0.377 | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 0.381 | +1.1% |
| 1996 | 0.383 | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 0.382 | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 0.397 | +3.9% |
| 1999 | 0.396 | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 0.399 | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 0.373 | -6.5% |
| 2002 | 0.361 | -3.2% |
| 2003 | 0.36 | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 0.333 | -7.5% |
| 2005 | 0.323 | -3.0% |
| 2006 | 0.322 | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 0.318 | -1.2% |
| 2008 | 0.319 | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 0.32 | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 0.35 | +9.4% |
| 2011 | 0.362 | +3.4% |
| 2012 | 0.362 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 0.36 | -0.6% |
| 2014 | 0.36 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 0.361 | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 0.331 | -8.3% |
| 2017 | 0.317 | -4.2% |
| 2018 | 0.306 | -3.5% |
| 2019 | 0.3 | -2.0% |
| 2020 | 0.276 | -8.0% |
| 2021 | 0.28 | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 0.279 | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 0.282 | +1.1% |
| 2024 | 0.274 | -2.8% |
| 2025 | 0.261 | -4.7% |
Philippines compared with similar countries
- Philippines's 0.261 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.294, 89% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
- Philippines's 0.261 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.2725, 96% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Participatory Democracy Index in Philippines 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | +291.1% | 0.056 | 0.219 |
| 1987 | +80.3% | 0.178 | 0.321 |
| 1942 | -66.7% | 0.156 | 0.052 |
| 1901 | +53.3% | 0.045 | 0.069 |
| 1972 | -46.0% | 0.239 | 0.129 |
| 1986 | +30.9% | 0.136 | 0.178 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0.0797 | 0.045 | 0.101 | 10 |
| 1910s | 0.1094 | 0.105 | 0.12 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.1199 | 0.118 | 0.121 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.1428 | 0.117 | 0.174 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.149 | 0.05 | 0.241 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.2454 | 0.239 | 0.251 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.2563 | 0.246 | 0.266 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.1437 | 0.107 | 0.25 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.2073 | 0.131 | 0.387 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.3879 | 0.377 | 0.398 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.3428 | 0.318 | 0.399 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.3409 | 0.3 | 0.362 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.2753 | 0.261 | 0.282 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Philippines
More social development data for Philippines
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1,032 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 807 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 3 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 3 (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 807 (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 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is participatory democracy index in Philippines?
- Participatory democracy index in Philippines was 0.261 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest participatory democracy index recorded in Philippines?
- The highest recorded value was 0.399 in 2000.
- What is the lowest participatory democracy index recorded in Philippines?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.045 in 1900.
- How does Philippines rank for participatory democracy index?
- Philippines ranks 97th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
- Is participatory democracy index rising or falling in Philippines?
- Over the last ten years it is down 27.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Philippines 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
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.