What is varieties of democracy in India?

Varieties of democracy in India was 0.377 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest varieties of democracy recorded in India?

The highest recorded value was 0.746 in 1998.

What is the lowest varieties of democracy recorded in India?

The lowest recorded value was 0.05 in 1878.

How does India rank for varieties of democracy?

India ranks 104th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is varieties of democracy rising or falling in India?

Over the last ten years it is down 30.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this India 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 India

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

India: Varieties of democracy was 0.377 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)

0.377

Change on year

down 1.0%

World rank

104th

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.746

in 1998

All-time low

0.05

in 1878

Years of data

237

1789–2025

Varieties of democracy in India, 1789–2025

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

Analysis

India recorded 0.377 for varieties of democracy in 2025.

That represents a change of down 1.0% on the previous year and down 30.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, varieties of democracy in India peaked at 0.746 in 1998 and was at its lowest, 0.05, in 1878.

That places India 104th out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

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

Varieties of democracy in India, year by year

Annual values for Varieties of democracy in India, 1789 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1789	0.053	—
1790	0.053	+0.0%
1791	0.053	+0.0%
1792	0.053	+0.0%
1793	0.053	+0.0%
1794	0.053	+0.0%
1795	0.053	+0.0%
1796	0.053	+0.0%
1797	0.053	+0.0%
1798	0.053	+0.0%
1799	0.053	+0.0%
1800	0.053	+0.0%
1801	0.053	+0.0%
1802	0.053	+0.0%
1803	0.053	+0.0%
1804	0.053	+0.0%
1805	0.053	+0.0%
1806	0.053	+0.0%
1807	0.053	+0.0%
1808	0.053	+0.0%
1809	0.053	+0.0%
1810	0.053	+0.0%
1811	0.053	+0.0%
1812	0.053	+0.0%
1813	0.053	+0.0%
1814	0.053	+0.0%
1815	0.053	+0.0%
1816	0.053	+0.0%
1817	0.053	+0.0%
1818	0.053	+0.0%
1819	0.053	+0.0%
1820	0.053	+0.0%
1821	0.053	+0.0%
1822	0.053	+0.0%
1823	0.053	+0.0%
1824	0.053	+0.0%
1825	0.053	+0.0%
1826	0.053	+0.0%
1827	0.053	+0.0%
1828	0.053	+0.0%
1829	0.053	+0.0%
1830	0.053	+0.0%
1831	0.053	+0.0%
1832	0.053	+0.0%
1833	0.053	+0.0%
1834	0.053	+0.0%
1835	0.053	+0.0%
1836	0.053	+0.0%
1837	0.053	+0.0%
1838	0.058	+9.4%
1839	0.058	+0.0%
1840	0.058	+0.0%
1841	0.058	+0.0%
1842	0.058	+0.0%
1843	0.058	+0.0%
1844	0.058	+0.0%
1845	0.058	+0.0%
1846	0.058	+0.0%
1847	0.058	+0.0%
1848	0.058	+0.0%
1849	0.058	+0.0%
1850	0.058	+0.0%
1851	0.058	+0.0%
1852	0.058	+0.0%
1853	0.058	+0.0%
1854	0.058	+0.0%
1855	0.058	+0.0%
1856	0.058	+0.0%
1857	0.058	+0.0%
1858	0.054	-6.9%
1859	0.054	+0.0%
1860	0.054	+0.0%
1861	0.054	+0.0%
1862	0.054	+0.0%
1863	0.054	+0.0%
1864	0.054	+0.0%
1865	0.054	+0.0%
1866	0.054	+0.0%
1867	0.054	+0.0%
1868	0.054	+0.0%
1869	0.054	+0.0%
1870	0.054	+0.0%
1871	0.054	+0.0%
1872	0.054	+0.0%
1873	0.054	+0.0%
1874	0.054	+0.0%
1875	0.054	+0.0%
1876	0.057	+5.6%
1877	0.056	-1.8%
1878	0.05	-10.7%
1879	0.05	+0.0%
1880	0.05	+0.0%
1881	0.062	+24.0%
1882	0.064	+3.2%
1883	0.074	+15.6%
1884	0.074	+0.0%
1885	0.074	+0.0%
1886	0.074	+0.0%
1887	0.074	+0.0%
1888	0.074	+0.0%
1889	0.074	+0.0%
1890	0.074	+0.0%
1891	0.074	+0.0%
1892	0.074	+0.0%
1893	0.074	+0.0%
1894	0.074	+0.0%
1895	0.074	+0.0%
1896	0.074	+0.0%
1897	0.074	+0.0%
1898	0.074	+0.0%
1899	0.074	+0.0%
1900	0.076	+2.7%
1901	0.076	+0.0%
1902	0.076	+0.0%
1903	0.076	+0.0%
1904	0.076	+0.0%
1905	0.074	-2.6%
1906	0.075	+1.4%
1907	0.075	+0.0%
1908	0.075	+0.0%
1909	0.075	+0.0%
1910	0.076	+1.3%
1911	0.076	+0.0%
1912	0.076	+0.0%
1913	0.076	+0.0%
1914	0.076	+0.0%
1915	0.076	+0.0%
1916	0.076	+0.0%
1917	0.076	+0.0%
1918	0.076	+0.0%
1919	0.076	+0.0%
1920	0.087	+14.5%
1921	0.139	+59.8%
1922	0.139	+0.0%
1923	0.14	+0.7%
1924	0.144	+2.9%
1925	0.144	+0.0%
1926	0.143	-0.7%
1927	0.138	-3.5%
1928	0.138	+0.0%
1929	0.138	+0.0%
1930	0.137	-0.7%
1931	0.139	+1.5%
1932	0.139	+0.0%
1933	0.139	+0.0%
1934	0.141	+1.4%
1935	0.177	+25.5%
1936	0.176	-0.6%
1937	0.18	+2.3%
1938	0.18	+0.0%
1939	0.18	+0.0%
1940	0.179	-0.6%
1941	0.179	+0.0%
1942	0.179	+0.0%
1943	0.179	+0.0%
1944	0.179	+0.0%
1945	0.197	+10.1%
1946	0.21	+6.6%
1947	0.226	+7.6%
1948	0.185	-18.1%
1949	0.187	+1.1%
1950	0.272	+45.5%
1951	0.312	+14.7%
1952	0.596	+91.0%
1953	0.661	+10.9%
1954	0.661	+0.0%
1955	0.661	+0.0%
1956	0.661	+0.0%
1957	0.668	+1.1%
1958	0.67	+0.3%
1959	0.67	+0.0%
1960	0.67	+0.0%
1961	0.67	+0.0%
1962	0.655	-2.2%
1963	0.653	-0.3%
1964	0.65	-0.5%
1965	0.644	-0.9%
1966	0.645	+0.2%
1967	0.66	+2.3%
1968	0.665	+0.8%
1969	0.665	+0.0%
1970	0.664	-0.2%
1971	0.618	-6.9%
1972	0.612	-1.0%
1973	0.612	+0.0%
1974	0.57	-6.9%
1975	0.39	-31.6%
1976	0.381	-2.3%
1977	0.494	+29.7%
1978	0.652	+32.0%
1979	0.656	+0.6%
1980	0.646	-1.5%
1981	0.643	-0.5%
1982	0.641	-0.3%
1983	0.641	+0.0%
1984	0.642	+0.2%
1985	0.658	+2.5%
1986	0.668	+1.5%
1987	0.668	+0.0%
1988	0.664	-0.6%
1989	0.665	+0.2%
1990	0.693	+4.2%
1991	0.713	+2.9%
1992	0.726	+1.8%
1993	0.731	+0.7%
1994	0.738	+1.0%
1995	0.738	+0.0%
1996	0.741	+0.4%
1997	0.742	+0.1%
1998	0.746	+0.5%
1999	0.737	-1.2%
2000	0.735	-0.3%
2001	0.735	+0.0%
2002	0.739	+0.5%
2003	0.736	-0.4%
2004	0.731	-0.7%
2005	0.723	-1.1%
2006	0.721	-0.3%
2007	0.721	+0.0%
2008	0.721	+0.0%
2009	0.683	-5.3%
2010	0.671	-1.8%
2011	0.671	+0.0%
2012	0.659	-1.8%
2013	0.65	-1.4%
2014	0.617	-5.1%
2015	0.543	-12.0%
2016	0.524	-3.5%
2017	0.488	-6.9%
2018	0.482	-1.2%
2019	0.43	-10.8%
2020	0.39	-9.3%
2021	0.398	+2.1%
2022	0.384	-3.5%
2023	0.374	-2.6%
2024	0.381	+1.9%
2025	0.377	-1.0%

India compared with similar countries

India's 0.377 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.3475, 1.1× the median. (46 countries reporting)
India's 0.377 is below the median for South Asia, which is 0.561, 67% of the median. (6 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1780s	0.053	0.053	0.053	1
1790s	0.053	0.053	0.053	10
1800s	0.053	0.053	0.053	10
1810s	0.053	0.053	0.053	10
1820s	0.053	0.053	0.053	10
1830s	0.054	0.053	0.058	10
1840s	0.058	0.058	0.058	10
1850s	0.0572	0.054	0.058	10
1860s	0.054	0.054	0.054	10
1870s	0.0537	0.05	0.057	10
1880s	0.0694	0.05	0.074	10
1890s	0.074	0.074	0.074	10
1900s	0.0754	0.074	0.076	10
1910s	0.076	0.076	0.076	10
1920s	0.135	0.087	0.144	10
1930s	0.1588	0.137	0.18	10
1940s	0.19	0.179	0.226	10
1950s	0.5832	0.272	0.67	10
1960s	0.6577	0.644	0.67	10
1970s	0.5649	0.381	0.664	10
1980s	0.6536	0.641	0.668	10
1990s	0.7305	0.693	0.746	10
2000s	0.7245	0.683	0.739	10
2010s	0.5735	0.43	0.671	10
2020s	0.384	0.374	0.398	6

Countries ranked near India

101 Cote d'Ivoire 0.394 compare
102 Philippines 0.392 compare
103 Ukraine 0.386 compare
105 Iraq 0.369 compare
106 Tanzania 0.365 compare
107 Madagascar 0.361 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for India

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 238,643 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 42,610 (2025)
Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % 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 42,610 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0002 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 India →

Frequently asked questions

What is varieties of democracy in India?: Varieties of democracy in India was 0.377 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest varieties of democracy recorded in India?: The highest recorded value was 0.746 in 1998.
What is the lowest varieties of democracy recorded in India?: The lowest recorded value was 0.05 in 1878.
How does India rank for varieties of democracy?: India ranks 104th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is varieties of democracy rising or falling in India?: Over the last ten years it is down 30.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this India 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 India. 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/india/

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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.