Varieties of democracy in Syria
Syria: Varieties of democracy was 0.128 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Varieties of democracy in Syria, 1789–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for varieties of democracy in Syria is 0.128, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 10.5% on the previous year and down 5.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, varieties of democracy in Syria peaked at 0.31 in 1948 and was at its lowest, 0.008, in 1890.
Syria ranks 164th of 176 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1780s | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 1 |
| 1790s | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 10 |
| 1800s | 0.0199 | 0.019 | 0.02 | 10 |
| 1810s | 0.019 | 0.019 | 0.019 | 10 |
| 1820s | 0.019 | 0.019 | 0.019 | 10 |
| 1830s | 0.0298 | 0.019 | 0.031 | 10 |
| 1840s | 0.018 | 0.018 | 0.018 | 10 |
| 1850s | 0.018 | 0.018 | 0.018 | 10 |
| 1860s | 0.0337 | 0.03 | 0.035 | 10 |
| 1870s | 0.0365 | 0.012 | 0.1 | 10 |
| 1880s | 0.012 | 0.012 | 0.012 | 10 |
| 1890s | 0.008 | 0.008 | 0.008 | 10 |
| 1900s | 0.0287 | 0.009 | 0.153 | 10 |
| 1910s | 0.1015 | 0.071 | 0.141 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.0763 | 0.07 | 0.095 | 8 |
| 1930s | 0.1315 | 0.105 | 0.157 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.1572 | 0.104 | 0.31 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.2137 | 0.081 | 0.305 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.1276 | 0.078 | 0.26 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.1362 | 0.075 | 0.147 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.143 | 0.143 | 0.143 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.1444 | 0.144 | 0.145 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.148 | 0.144 | 0.152 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.1385 | 0.135 | 0.144 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1378 | 0.128 | 0.145 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Syria
- 161 Burkina Faso 0.134 compare
- 162 South Sudan 0.133 compare
- 163 Sudan 0.13 compare
- 164 Eswatini 0.128 compare
- 166 Yemen 0.127 compare
- 167 United Arab Emirates 0.104 compare
More social development data for Syria
- Political Rights Rating 7 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 9,885 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 4.87 million (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Liberal democracy 0 (2025)
- Liberal Democracy Index 0.054 (2025)
- Human Rights Index 0.321 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Key features of human rights 0.321 (2025)
- Key features of electoral democracy 0.128 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is varieties of democracy in Syria?
- Varieties of democracy in Syria was 0.128 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest varieties of democracy recorded in Syria?
- The highest recorded value was 0.31 in 1948.
- What is the lowest varieties of democracy recorded in Syria?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.008 in 1890.
- How does Syria rank for varieties of democracy?
- Syria ranks 164th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
- Is varieties of democracy rising or falling in Syria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Syria 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 — 235 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
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.