Statizoid

Varieties of democracy in United States

United States: Varieties of democracy was 0.735 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
0.735
Change on year
down 12.8%
World rank
46th
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.905
in 2013
All-time low
0.323
in 1889
Years of data
237
1789–2025

Varieties of democracy in United States, 1789–2025

00.20.40.60.81178919072025

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for varieties of democracy in United States is 0.735, measured in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 12.8% on the previous year and down 18.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, varieties of democracy in United States peaked at 0.905 in 2013 and was at its lowest, 0.323, in 1889.

United States ranks 46th of 176 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 237 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1780s 0.346 0.346 0.346 1
1790s 0.3498 0.344 0.355 10
1800s 0.3536 0.343 0.361 10
1810s 0.3545 0.352 0.358 10
1820s 0.3477 0.345 0.353 10
1830s 0.3653 0.358 0.369 10
1840s 0.3395 0.331 0.355 10
1850s 0.3289 0.327 0.332 10
1860s 0.3358 0.328 0.339 10
1870s 0.3332 0.326 0.342 10
1880s 0.3298 0.323 0.334 10
1890s 0.3656 0.323 0.419 10
1900s 0.4198 0.418 0.421 10
1910s 0.4177 0.402 0.427 10
1920s 0.5249 0.51 0.533 10
1930s 0.553 0.53 0.562 10
1940s 0.5732 0.548 0.611 10
1950s 0.6117 0.585 0.625 10
1960s 0.6794 0.649 0.7 10
1970s 0.7771 0.718 0.834 10
1980s 0.8573 0.844 0.863 10
1990s 0.8683 0.863 0.872 10
2000s 0.8661 0.828 0.9 10
2010s 0.8759 0.818 0.905 10
2020s 0.8173 0.735 0.857 6

Countries ranked near United States

  1. 43 Greece 0.741 compare
  2. 44 Mauritius 0.738 compare
  3. 45 East Timor 0.736 compare
  4. 46 Dominican Republic 0.735 compare
  5. 48 Slovakia 0.733 compare
  6. 49 Vanuatu 0.729 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for United States

All data for United States →

Frequently asked questions

What is varieties of democracy in United States?
Varieties of democracy in United States was 0.735 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest varieties of democracy recorded in United States?
The highest recorded value was 0.905 in 2013.
What is the lowest varieties of democracy recorded in United States?
The lowest recorded value was 0.323 in 1889.
How does United States rank for varieties of democracy?
United States ranks 46th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is varieties of democracy rising or falling in United States?
Over the last ten years it is down 18.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this United States 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 — 237 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

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.