What is varieties of democracy in Nigeria?

Varieties of democracy in Nigeria was 0.505 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest varieties of democracy recorded in Nigeria?

The highest recorded value was 0.556 in 2017.

What is the lowest varieties of democracy recorded in Nigeria?

The lowest recorded value was 0.109 in 1920.

How does Nigeria rank for varieties of democracy?

Nigeria ranks 85th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is varieties of democracy rising or falling in Nigeria?

Over the last ten years it is down 8.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this Nigeria 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 Nigeria

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

Nigeria: Varieties of democracy was 0.505 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)

0.505

Change on year

up 1.2%

World rank

85th

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.556

in 2017

All-time low

0.109

in 1920

Years of data

112

1914–2025

Varieties of democracy in Nigeria, 1914–2025

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

Analysis

In 2025, varieties of democracy in Nigeria stood at 0.505.

That represents a change of up 1.2% on the previous year and down 8.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, varieties of democracy in Nigeria peaked at 0.556 in 2017 and was at its lowest, 0.109, in 1920.

That places Nigeria 85th 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.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1910s	0.1138	0.113	0.114	6
1920s	0.1331	0.109	0.14	10
1930s	0.1406	0.14	0.141	10
1940s	0.1417	0.138	0.144	10
1950s	0.1743	0.144	0.211	10
1960s	0.2235	0.181	0.25	10
1970s	0.1915	0.179	0.262	10
1980s	0.2593	0.187	0.376	10
1990s	0.2232	0.189	0.376	10
2000s	0.4317	0.408	0.471	10
2010s	0.5202	0.43	0.556	10
2020s	0.4963	0.484	0.512	6

Countries ranked near Nigeria

82 Guyana 0.515 compare
83 Honduras 0.511 compare
84 Fiji 0.507 compare
86 Malaysia 0.504 compare
87 Bosnia and Herzegovina 0.498 compare
88 Zambia 0.497 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for Nigeria

Political Rights Rating 4 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 123,848 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 478,150 (2025)
Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
Liberal democracy 2 (2025)
Liberal Democracy Index 0.311 (2025)
Human Rights Index 0.674 (2025)
Electoral democracy 2 (2025)
Key features of human rights 0.674 (2025)
Key features of electoral democracy 0.505 (2025)

All data for Nigeria →

Frequently asked questions

What is varieties of democracy in Nigeria?: Varieties of democracy in Nigeria was 0.505 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest varieties of democracy recorded in Nigeria?: The highest recorded value was 0.556 in 2017.
What is the lowest varieties of democracy recorded in Nigeria?: The lowest recorded value was 0.109 in 1920.
How does Nigeria rank for varieties of democracy?: Nigeria ranks 85th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is varieties of democracy rising or falling in Nigeria?: Over the last ten years it is down 8.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Nigeria 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.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 112 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

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: 07 August 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.