What is varieties of democracy in Estonia?

Varieties of democracy in Estonia was 0.887 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest varieties of democracy recorded in Estonia?

The highest recorded value was 0.907 in 2016.

What is the lowest varieties of democracy recorded in Estonia?

The lowest recorded value was 0.016 in 1848.

How does Estonia rank for varieties of democracy?

Estonia ranks 5th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is varieties of democracy rising or falling in Estonia?

Over the last ten years it is down 0.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this Estonia data come from?

The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Varieties of democracy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Varieties of democracy in Estonia

Name: Varieties of democracy in Estonia
Creator: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Estonia: Varieties of democracy was 0.887 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)

0.887

Change on year

down 0.7%

World rank

5th

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.907

in 2016

All-time low

0.016

in 1848

Years of data

237

1789–2025

Varieties of democracy in Estonia, 1789–2025

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

Analysis

In 2025, varieties of democracy in Estonia stood at 0.887.

The figure is down 0.7% on the previous year and down 0.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, varieties of democracy in Estonia peaked at 0.907 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 0.016, in 1848.

That places Estonia 5th out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.

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

Varieties of democracy in Estonia, year by year

Annual values for Varieties of democracy in Estonia, 1789 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1789	0.029	—
1790	0.019	-34.5%
1791	0.019	+0.0%
1792	0.019	+0.0%
1793	0.019	+0.0%
1794	0.019	+0.0%
1795	0.019	+0.0%
1796	0.019	+0.0%
1797	0.019	+0.0%
1798	0.019	+0.0%
1799	0.019	+0.0%
1800	0.019	+0.0%
1801	0.019	+0.0%
1802	0.019	+0.0%
1803	0.019	+0.0%
1804	0.019	+0.0%
1805	0.019	+0.0%
1806	0.019	+0.0%
1807	0.019	+0.0%
1808	0.019	+0.0%
1809	0.019	+0.0%
1810	0.019	+0.0%
1811	0.019	+0.0%
1812	0.019	+0.0%
1813	0.019	+0.0%
1814	0.019	+0.0%
1815	0.019	+0.0%
1816	0.019	+0.0%
1817	0.019	+0.0%
1818	0.019	+0.0%
1819	0.019	+0.0%
1820	0.019	+0.0%
1821	0.019	+0.0%
1822	0.019	+0.0%
1823	0.019	+0.0%
1824	0.019	+0.0%
1825	0.019	+0.0%
1826	0.018	-5.3%
1827	0.018	+0.0%
1828	0.018	+0.0%
1829	0.018	+0.0%
1830	0.018	+0.0%
1831	0.018	+0.0%
1832	0.018	+0.0%
1833	0.018	+0.0%
1834	0.018	+0.0%
1835	0.018	+0.0%
1836	0.018	+0.0%
1837	0.018	+0.0%
1838	0.018	+0.0%
1839	0.018	+0.0%
1840	0.018	+0.0%
1841	0.018	+0.0%
1842	0.018	+0.0%
1843	0.018	+0.0%
1844	0.018	+0.0%
1845	0.018	+0.0%
1846	0.018	+0.0%
1847	0.018	+0.0%
1848	0.016	-11.1%
1849	0.016	+0.0%
1850	0.016	+0.0%
1851	0.016	+0.0%
1852	0.016	+0.0%
1853	0.016	+0.0%
1854	0.016	+0.0%
1855	0.026	+62.5%
1856	0.029	+11.5%
1857	0.029	+0.0%
1858	0.029	+0.0%
1859	0.029	+0.0%
1860	0.029	+0.0%
1861	0.029	+0.0%
1862	0.029	+0.0%
1863	0.029	+0.0%
1864	0.029	+0.0%
1865	0.035	+20.7%
1866	0.035	+0.0%
1867	0.035	+0.0%
1868	0.035	+0.0%
1869	0.035	+0.0%
1870	0.035	+0.0%
1871	0.035	+0.0%
1872	0.035	+0.0%
1873	0.032	-8.6%
1874	0.032	+0.0%
1875	0.032	+0.0%
1876	0.032	+0.0%
1877	0.032	+0.0%
1878	0.032	+0.0%
1879	0.032	+0.0%
1880	0.032	+0.0%
1881	0.032	+0.0%
1882	0.035	+9.4%
1883	0.035	+0.0%
1884	0.035	+0.0%
1885	0.035	+0.0%
1886	0.035	+0.0%
1887	0.035	+0.0%
1888	0.035	+0.0%
1889	0.035	+0.0%
1890	0.035	+0.0%
1891	0.035	+0.0%
1892	0.035	+0.0%
1893	0.037	+5.7%
1894	0.037	+0.0%
1895	0.037	+0.0%
1896	0.037	+0.0%
1897	0.037	+0.0%
1898	0.033	-10.8%
1899	0.033	+0.0%
1900	0.048	+45.5%
1901	0.047	-2.1%
1902	0.047	+0.0%
1903	0.047	+0.0%
1904	0.048	+2.1%
1905	0.067	+39.6%
1906	0.108	+61.2%
1907	0.109	+0.9%
1908	0.107	-1.8%
1909	0.107	+0.0%
1910	0.107	+0.0%
1911	0.107	+0.0%
1912	0.108	+0.9%
1913	0.108	+0.0%
1914	0.106	-1.9%
1915	0.105	-0.9%
1916	0.105	+0.0%
1917	0.098	-6.7%
1918	0.239	+143.9%
1919	0.491	+105.4%
1920	0.617	+25.7%
1921	0.69	+11.8%
1922	0.677	-1.9%
1923	0.679	+0.3%
1924	0.665	-2.1%
1925	0.662	-0.5%
1926	0.697	+5.3%
1927	0.707	+1.4%
1928	0.707	+0.0%
1929	0.704	-0.4%
1930	0.699	-0.7%
1931	0.703	+0.6%
1932	0.675	-4.0%
1933	0.61	-9.6%
1934	0.351	-42.5%
1935	0.126	-64.1%
1936	0.129	+2.4%
1937	0.127	-1.6%
1938	0.241	+89.8%
1939	0.278	+15.4%
1940	0.096	-65.5%
1941	0.093	-3.1%
1942	0.093	+0.0%
1943	0.093	+0.0%
1944	0.093	+0.0%
1945	0.093	+0.0%
1946	0.1	+7.5%
1947	0.1	+0.0%
1948	0.099	-1.0%
1949	0.099	+0.0%
1950	0.102	+3.0%
1951	0.103	+1.0%
1952	0.103	+0.0%
1953	0.103	+0.0%
1954	0.105	+1.9%
1955	0.105	+0.0%
1956	0.105	+0.0%
1957	0.105	+0.0%
1958	0.106	+1.0%
1959	0.106	+0.0%
1960	0.106	+0.0%
1961	0.106	+0.0%
1962	0.095	-10.4%
1963	0.092	-3.2%
1964	0.092	+0.0%
1965	0.092	+0.0%
1966	0.092	+0.0%
1967	0.092	+0.0%
1968	0.092	+0.0%
1969	0.092	+0.0%
1970	0.101	+9.8%
1971	0.109	+7.9%
1972	0.108	-0.9%
1973	0.108	+0.0%
1974	0.107	-0.9%
1975	0.107	+0.0%
1976	0.107	+0.0%
1977	0.107	+0.0%
1978	0.107	+0.0%
1979	0.107	+0.0%
1980	0.107	+0.0%
1981	0.107	+0.0%
1982	0.107	+0.0%
1983	0.107	+0.0%
1984	0.106	-0.9%
1985	0.109	+2.8%
1986	0.117	+7.3%
1987	0.144	+23.1%
1988	0.145	+0.7%
1989	0.176	+21.4%
1990	0.797	+352.8%
1991	0.608	-23.7%
1992	0.45	-26.0%
1993	0.881	+95.8%
1994	0.869	-1.4%
1995	0.869	+0.0%
1996	0.869	+0.0%
1997	0.869	+0.0%
1998	0.869	+0.0%
1999	0.869	+0.0%
2000	0.869	+0.0%
2001	0.869	+0.0%
2002	0.871	+0.2%
2003	0.868	-0.3%
2004	0.871	+0.3%
2005	0.871	+0.0%
2006	0.871	+0.0%
2007	0.871	+0.0%
2008	0.871	+0.0%
2009	0.874	+0.3%
2010	0.88	+0.7%
2011	0.883	+0.3%
2012	0.883	+0.0%
2013	0.883	+0.0%
2014	0.888	+0.6%
2015	0.894	+0.7%
2016	0.907	+1.5%
2017	0.907	+0.0%
2018	0.906	-0.1%
2019	0.898	-0.9%
2020	0.897	-0.1%
2021	0.9	+0.3%
2022	0.896	-0.4%
2023	0.893	-0.3%
2024	0.893	+0.0%
2025	0.887	-0.7%

Estonia compared with similar countries

Estonia's 0.887 is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.786, 1.1× the median. (55 countries reporting)
Estonia's 0.887 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.737, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1780s	0.029	0.029	0.029	1
1790s	0.019	0.019	0.019	10
1800s	0.019	0.019	0.019	10
1810s	0.019	0.019	0.019	10
1820s	0.0186	0.018	0.019	10
1830s	0.018	0.018	0.018	10
1840s	0.0176	0.016	0.018	10
1850s	0.0222	0.016	0.029	10
1860s	0.032	0.029	0.035	10
1870s	0.0329	0.032	0.035	10
1880s	0.0344	0.032	0.035	10
1890s	0.0356	0.033	0.037	10
1900s	0.0735	0.047	0.109	10
1910s	0.1574	0.098	0.491	10
1920s	0.6805	0.617	0.707	10
1930s	0.3939	0.126	0.703	10
1940s	0.0959	0.093	0.1	10
1950s	0.1043	0.102	0.106	10
1960s	0.0951	0.092	0.106	10
1970s	0.1068	0.101	0.109	10
1980s	0.1225	0.106	0.176	10
1990s	0.795	0.45	0.881	10
2000s	0.8706	0.868	0.874	10
2010s	0.8929	0.88	0.907	10
2020s	0.8943	0.887	0.9	6

Countries ranked near Estonia

2 Norway 0.89 compare
3 Belgium 0.889 compare
3 Sweden 0.889 compare
5 Ireland 0.887 compare
7 Switzerland 0.882 compare
8 Luxembourg 0.869 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for Estonia

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 41,299 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 86 (2025)
Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 1 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0001 units per person (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 86 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0302 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 Estonia →

Frequently asked questions

What is varieties of democracy in Estonia?: Varieties of democracy in Estonia was 0.887 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest varieties of democracy recorded in Estonia?: The highest recorded value was 0.907 in 2016.
What is the lowest varieties of democracy recorded in Estonia?: The lowest recorded value was 0.016 in 1848.
How does Estonia rank for varieties of democracy?: Estonia ranks 5th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is varieties of democracy rising or falling in Estonia?: Over the last ten years it is down 0.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Estonia data come from?: The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Varieties of democracy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Varieties of democracy in Estonia. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/varieties-democracy-vdem/estonia/

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About this data

Indicator: Varieties of democracy
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 29,649 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 18 September 2026

Central estimate of the extent to which political leaders are elected under comprehensive suffrage in free and fair elections, and freedoms of association and expression are guaranteed.