Participatory Democracy Index in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Participatory Democracy Index was 0.202 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Participatory Democracy Index in Zimbabwe, 1900–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, participatory democracy index in Zimbabwe stood at 0.202.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.0% on the previous year and down 14.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, participatory democracy index in Zimbabwe peaked at 0.248 in 2018 and was at its lowest, 0.08, in 1978.
That places Zimbabwe 110th out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 126 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0.1092 | 0.109 | 0.11 | 10 |
| 1910s | 0.1093 | 0.109 | 0.111 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.1279 | 0.112 | 0.137 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.136 | 0.136 | 0.136 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.1345 | 0.133 | 0.136 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.1309 | 0.125 | 0.133 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.115 | 0.106 | 0.126 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.102 | 0.08 | 0.106 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.1924 | 0.161 | 0.2 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.2073 | 0.193 | 0.212 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.2151 | 0.203 | 0.232 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.2284 | 0.204 | 0.248 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.2148 | 0.202 | 0.228 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
- 107 Mauritania 0.221 compare
- 108 Madagascar 0.217 compare
- 108 Serbia 0.217 compare
- 111 Mozambique 0.201 compare
- 112 Comoros 0.2 compare
- 112 Democratic Republic of Congo 0.2 compare
More social development data for Zimbabwe
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 8,570 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 6,632 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 6 (2025)
- Key features of liberal democracy 0.147 (2025)
- Varieties of democracy 0.268 (2025)
- Freedom of Expression Index 0.414 (2025)
- Freedom of Association Index 0.424 (2025)
- Electoral Democracy Index 0.268 (2025)
- Liberal democracy 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is participatory democracy index in Zimbabwe?
- Participatory democracy index in Zimbabwe was 0.202 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest participatory democracy index recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 0.248 in 2018.
- What is the lowest participatory democracy index recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.08 in 1978.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for participatory democracy index?
- Zimbabwe ranks 110th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
- Is participatory democracy index rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zimbabwe 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.