Free and fair elections
Free and fair elections index
Link with national income+0.61strongly income-linked
Links that hold up14of 158 pairs tested
Unitindex (0-1)higher is better
SourceVDEMCC BY 4.0
What this measures. Whether elections are run without voter-registration fraud, widespread irregularities, government threats against the opposition, vote buying or election violence. This asks a narrower question than whether a country is a democracy, and one that is easier to answer. A state can run clean elections while barring the opposition from standing. It can also run dirty elections and still change government. It is the clean-elections part of the electoral democracy index. So its pair with that index, and with liberal and participatory democracy, is built from the same numbers and flagged as such.
How it has moved
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Every country, every year
One row per country and one column per year, sorted by the most recent value. Hover over any cell to see the figure. The country names link to each country’s page.
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Links that hold up
r is how closely two measures rise and fall together across countries, from −1 (opposite) to +1 (in step), where 0 means no link. These pairs are ranked by the link after adjusting for national income, which means comparing countries with the same GDP per person. Each pair passed three checks. The link held after that adjustment. It was unlikely to be chance (q of 0.05 or less), even allowing for countries in the same region being alike and for the many pairs tested. And the two are not just two measures of the same thing. Very small q values are written in short form: 8.0e-5 means 0.000080.
| Measure | Before adjusting | After adjusting | q | Countries | Tracks income? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free and fair elections and Women's political empowermentWhere Free and fair elections is higher, Women's political empowerment tends to be higher: a strong link that holds when only countries with similar income are compared. Women's political empowerment by country | +0.78 | +0.72 | 0.019 | 168 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Rule of lawWhere Free and fair elections is higher, Rule of law tends to be higher: a moderate link that holds when only countries with similar income are compared. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Rule of law by country | +0.78 | +0.65 | 0.026 | 168 | high |
| Free and fair elections and Political corruptionWhere Free and fair elections is higher, Political corruption tends to be lower: a moderate link that holds when only countries with similar income are compared. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Political corruption by country | -0.78 | -0.65 | 0.022 | 168 | high |
| Free and fair elections and Corruption Perceptions IndexWhere Free and fair elections is higher, Corruption Perceptions Index tends to be higher: a moderate link that holds when only countries with similar income are compared. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Corruption Perceptions Index by country | +0.72 | +0.54 | 0.024 | 168 | high |
| Free and fair elections and Control of corruptionWhere Free and fair elections is higher, Control of corruption tends to be higher: a moderate link that holds when only countries with similar income are compared. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Control of corruption by country | +0.72 | +0.54 | 0.032 | 168 | high |
| Free and fair elections and Gender scoreWhere Free and fair elections is higher, Gender score tends to be higher: a moderate link that holds when only countries with similar income are compared. Gender score by country | +0.59 | +0.51 | 0.042 | 167 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Political stabilityWhere Free and fair elections is higher, Political stability tends to be higher: a moderate link that holds when only countries with similar income are compared. Political stability by country | +0.68 | +0.50 | 0.018 | 168 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Muslim shareWhere Free and fair elections is higher, Muslim share tends to be lower: a moderate link that holds when only countries with similar income are compared. Muslim share by country | -0.51 | -0.47 | 0.043 | 168 | independent |
| Free and fair elections and Health spendingWhere Free and fair elections is higher, Health spending tends to be higher: a weak link that holds when only countries with similar income are compared. Health spending by country | +0.49 | +0.39 | 0.002 | 166 | independent |
| Free and fair elections and Women in a unionWhere Free and fair elections is higher, Women in a union tends to be lower: a weak link that holds when only countries with similar income are compared. Women in a union by country | -0.48 | -0.36 | 0.026 | 167 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Expected schoolingWhere Free and fair elections is higher, Expected schooling tends to be higher: a weak link that holds when only countries with similar income are compared. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Expected schooling by country | +0.63 | +0.34 | 0.034 | 167 | proxy |
| Free and fair elections and Anaemia in womenWhere Free and fair elections is higher, Anaemia in women tends to be lower: a weak link that holds when only countries with similar income are compared. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Anaemia in women by country | -0.59 | -0.33 | 0.021 | 165 | high |
| Free and fair elections and Public order spendingWhere Free and fair elections is higher, Public order spending tends to be lower: a weak link that holds when only countries with similar income are compared. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Public order spending by country | -0.46 | -0.27 | 0.047 | 37 | high |
| Free and fair elections and Family benefits spendingWhere Free and fair elections is higher, Family benefits spending tends to be higher: a weak link that holds when only countries with similar income are compared. Family benefits spending by country | +0.35 | +0.23 | 0.046 | 42 | independent |
Links that don’t count as findings
These go together strongly, but they are built from the same numbers or measure the same thing. So they are bound to match, or their match shows that the measures agree, not something about the world.
| Measure | Before adjusting | After adjusting | q | Countries | Tracks income? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free and fair elections and Electoral democracyNot an independent finding: one of these indices is built partly from the other, so their agreement is just arithmetic. Electoral democracy by country | +0.93 | +0.92 | 0.000 | 168 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Liberal democracyNot an independent finding: one of these indices is built partly from the other, so their agreement is just arithmetic. Liberal democracy by country | +0.92 | +0.89 | 0.001 | 168 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Governance scoreNot an independent finding: one of these indices is built partly from the other, so their agreement is just arithmetic. Governance score by country | +0.92 | +0.89 | 0.001 | 168 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Participatory democracyNot an independent finding: one of these indices is built partly from the other, so their agreement is just arithmetic. Participatory democracy by country | +0.90 | +0.87 | 0.001 | 168 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Political rights (FH)Two ways of measuring the same thing, so their agreement tells you about measurement, not about the world. Political rights (FH) by country | -0.91 | -0.87 | 8.0e-5 | 168 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Voice and accountabilityTwo ways of measuring the same thing, so their agreement tells you about measurement, not about the world. Voice and accountability by country | +0.91 | +0.86 | 0.005 | 168 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Regime typeNot an independent finding: one of these indices is built partly from the other, so their agreement is just arithmetic. Regime type by country | +0.86 | +0.81 | 0.000 | 168 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Civil liberties (FH)Two ways of measuring the same thing, so their agreement tells you about measurement, not about the world. Civil liberties (FH) by country | -0.86 | -0.80 | 0.000 | 168 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Freedom of associationTwo ways of measuring the same thing, so their agreement tells you about measurement, not about the world. Freedom of association by country | +0.78 | +0.79 | 0.002 | 168 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Political civil libertiesTwo ways of measuring the same thing, so their agreement tells you about measurement, not about the world. Political civil liberties by country | +0.78 | +0.79 | 0.002 | 168 | moderate |
How much the other measures account for
The 71 most widely reported measures boil down to a few broad patterns. This table shows how much of the differences between countries on this measure those patterns account for, adding one pattern at a time. The patterns are rebuilt without this measure, and without anything built from the same numbers or measuring the same thing. So it never predicts itself under another name. The figures use the 128 countries reporting all of them, and 68 candidate measures.
This shows how much it moves with the others. It does not explain anything. Measures that move together end up on the same pattern whether or not anything connects them. And the countries here are the best-documented ones. A high figure means this measure is largely predictable from the others, not that they produce it.
| Patterns used | Share of this measure accounted for | Added by this pattern |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 44% | — |
| 2 | 66% | +21% |
| 3 | 68% | +2% |
| 4 | 69% | +1% |
| 5 | 69% | +0% |
| 6 | 69% | +0% |
How it differs by category
This compares the measure across groups of countries, such as those sharing a main religion, instead of against another number. The figure is the share of the differences between countries on this measure that lies between the groups, on a scale from 0 to 1. It is shown before and after adjusting for national income.
The “between groups” figure runs from 0 (the groups are no different) to 1 (the groups explain all the differences between countries). Groups have no up or down, so this says how much the groups differ, never which way. For that, read the group averages. The figure also tends to rise when there are more groups. So to judge whether it could be chance (q), we shuffle the same labels among the same countries many times and see how often a figure this big turns up. Then we allow for the fact that many measures are checked at once, since with enough checks a few big figures turn up by luck alone. Groups with fewer than 12 countries are left out. And countries that share a label share a lot else. Adjusting for income rules out one third factor, but leaves language, region, legal tradition and history untouched.
| Grouped by | Between groups | After income | q | Groups at each end |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Last European coloniser | 0.46 | 0.35 | 0.011 | best: Spain 0.631 · worst: France 0.212 index (0-1) |
| Largest religious group | 0.53 | 0.52 | 0.003 | best: Christians 0.646 · worst: Muslims 0.269 index (0-1) |
Every other pair
Everything else this measure was tested against, apart from the links that hold up and the pairs built from the same numbers. Sorted by the link after adjusting. Search by name; every column sorts. A small adjusted figure is a result too. It says the two do not move together once income is set aside.
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| Free and fair elections and Marriage rateComparing only countries with similar income it is still -0.63, but that could easily be chance once we allow for countries in the same region being alike. Marriage rate by country | -0.58 | -0.63 | 0.112 | 46 | independent |
| Free and fair elections and Women's age at first marriageComparing only countries with similar income it is still +0.49, but that could easily be chance once we allow for countries in the same region being alike. Women's age at first marriage by country | +0.61 | +0.49 | 0.172 | 40 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Regulatory qualityLinked across countries, but mostly as richer countries differ from poorer ones: comparing only countries with similar income, what remains (+0.47) could easily be chance. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Regulatory quality by country | +0.69 | +0.47 | 0.070 | 168 | proxy |
| Free and fair elections and Tax revenueComparing only countries with similar income it is still +0.47, but that could easily be chance once we allow for countries in the same region being alike. Tax revenue by country | +0.54 | +0.47 | 0.083 | 136 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Government effectivenessLinked across countries, but mostly as richer countries differ from poorer ones: comparing only countries with similar income, what remains (+0.44) could easily be chance. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Government effectiveness by country | +0.68 | +0.44 | 0.055 | 168 | proxy |
| Free and fair elections and Corporate tax rateCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Corporate tax rate by country | +0.18 | +0.43 | 0.131 | 77 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Government expenseLinked across countries, but mostly as richer countries differ from poorer ones: comparing only countries with similar income, what remains (+0.42) could easily be chance. Government expense by country | +0.58 | +0.42 | 0.053 | 136 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and CO2 per capitaAlmost no link either way. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. CO2 per capita by country | +0.08 | -0.40 | 0.402 | 165 | proxy |
| Free and fair elections and Christian shareCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Christian share by country | +0.34 | +0.39 | 0.085 | 168 | independent |
| Free and fair elections and One-person householdsLinked across countries, but mostly as richer countries differ from poorer ones: comparing only countries with similar income, what remains (+0.38) could easily be chance. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. One-person households by country | +0.65 | +0.38 | 0.092 | 135 | high |
| Free and fair elections and PISA readingLinked across countries, but mostly as richer countries differ from poorer ones: comparing only countries with similar income, what remains (+0.37) could easily be chance. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. PISA reading by country | +0.56 | +0.37 | 0.408 | 84 | high |
| Free and fair elections and Secondary enrollmentLinked across countries, but mostly as richer countries differ from poorer ones: comparing only countries with similar income, what remains (+0.36) could easily be chance. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Secondary enrollment by country | +0.63 | +0.36 | 0.093 | 160 | high |
| Free and fair elections and Population 65+Linked across countries, but mostly as richer countries differ from poorer ones: comparing only countries with similar income, what remains (+0.36) could easily be chance. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Population 65+ by country | +0.62 | +0.36 | 0.250 | 168 | high |
| Free and fair elections and Women ministersCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Women ministers by country | +0.41 | +0.36 | 0.128 | 166 | independent |
| Free and fair elections and HDILinked across countries, but mostly as richer countries differ from poorer ones: comparing only countries with similar income, what remains (+0.35) could easily be chance. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. HDI by country | +0.63 | +0.35 | 0.056 | 167 | proxy |
| Free and fair elections and Out-of-pocket health spendingCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Out-of-pocket health spending by country | -0.49 | -0.34 | 0.146 | 166 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Public social spendingCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Public social spending by country | +0.47 | +0.33 | 0.214 | 42 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Single-parent householdsCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Single-parent households by country | +0.19 | +0.32 | 0.128 | 135 | independent |
| Free and fair elections and Education spendingCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Education spending by country | +0.39 | +0.32 | 0.107 | 159 | independent |
| Free and fair elections and Retirement age, womenCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Retirement age, women by country | +0.24 | +0.32 | 0.419 | 49 | independent |
| Free and fair elections and PISA scienceLinked across countries, but mostly as richer countries differ from poorer ones: comparing only countries with similar income, what remains (+0.31) could easily be chance. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. PISA science by country | +0.53 | +0.31 | 0.465 | 84 | high |
| Free and fair elections and Marriage rate (UN)Could easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Marriage rate (UN) by country | -0.38 | -0.30 | 0.214 | 86 | independent |
| Free and fair elections and Environment scoreAlmost no link either way. Environment score by country | -0.00 | +0.30 | 0.261 | 167 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Religion very importantLinked across countries, but mostly as richer countries differ from poorer ones: comparing only countries with similar income, what remains (-0.29) could easily be chance. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Religion very important by country | -0.57 | -0.29 | 0.404 | 103 | high |
| Free and fair elections and RedistributionCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Redistribution by country | +0.49 | +0.28 | 0.230 | 45 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Gender Development IndexLinked across countries, but mostly as richer countries differ from poorer ones: comparing only countries with similar income, what remains (+0.28) could easily be chance. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Gender Development Index by country | +0.55 | +0.28 | 0.107 | 164 | high |
| Free and fair elections and Suicide rateCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Suicide rate by country | +0.36 | +0.28 | 0.175 | 166 | independent |
| Free and fair elections and Education scoreLinked across countries, but mostly as richer countries differ from poorer ones: comparing only countries with similar income, what remains (+0.27) could easily be chance. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Education score by country | +0.60 | +0.27 | 0.157 | 165 | proxy |
| Free and fair elections and Forest areaCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Forest area by country | +0.24 | +0.27 | 0.298 | 166 | independent |
| Free and fair elections and Alcohol consumptionCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Alcohol consumption by country | +0.47 | +0.26 | 0.416 | 166 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Fixed broadbandLinked across countries, but mostly as richer countries differ from poorer ones: comparing only countries with similar income, what remains (+0.26) could easily be chance. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Fixed broadband by country | +0.59 | +0.26 | 0.195 | 167 | proxy |
| Free and fair elections and Migrant share of populationCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Migrant share of population by country | +0.16 | -0.26 | 0.476 | 167 | high |
| Free and fair elections and Divorce rate (UN)Could easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Divorce rate (UN) by country | -0.23 | -0.25 | 0.069 | 78 | independent |
| Free and fair elections and Confidence in religious institutionsCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Confidence in religious institutions by country | -0.48 | -0.25 | 0.339 | 103 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Recycling rateCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Recycling rate by country | +0.43 | +0.25 | 0.288 | 35 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Government consumptionCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Government consumption by country | +0.33 | +0.25 | 0.319 | 159 | independent |
| Free and fair elections and Births outside marriageCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Births outside marriage by country | +0.17 | +0.25 | 0.391 | 42 | independent |
| Free and fair elections and Median ageLinked across countries, but mostly as richer countries differ from poorer ones: comparing only countries with similar income, what remains (+0.25) could easily be chance. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Median age by country | +0.59 | +0.25 | 0.212 | 168 | proxy |
| Free and fair elections and Women in managementCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Women in management by country | +0.37 | +0.25 | 0.358 | 136 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Population growthCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Population growth by country | -0.47 | -0.25 | 0.308 | 168 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and ResearchersLinked across countries, but mostly as richer countries differ from poorer ones: comparing only countries with similar income, what remains (+0.24) could easily be chance. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Researchers by country | +0.55 | +0.24 | 0.441 | 127 | proxy |
| Free and fair elections and Protected landCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Protected land by country | +0.31 | +0.24 | 0.212 | 167 | independent |
| Free and fair elections and Fertility rateLinked across countries, but mostly as richer countries differ from poorer ones: comparing only countries with similar income, what remains (-0.24) could easily be chance. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Fertility rate by country | -0.58 | -0.24 | 0.343 | 168 | proxy |
| Free and fair elections and Armed conflict presentCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Armed conflict present by country | -0.41 | -0.23 | 0.238 | 167 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Population 0-14Linked across countries, but mostly as richer countries differ from poorer ones: comparing only countries with similar income, what remains (-0.23) could easily be chance. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Population 0-14 by country | -0.59 | -0.23 | 0.207 | 168 | proxy |
| Free and fair elections and Birth rateLinked across countries, but mostly as richer countries differ from poorer ones: comparing only countries with similar income, what remains (-0.23) could easily be chance. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Birth rate by country | -0.59 | -0.23 | 0.294 | 168 | proxy |
| Free and fair elections and Divorce rateCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Divorce rate by country | -0.25 | -0.22 | 0.587 | 45 | independent |
| Free and fair elections and Infrastructure scoreLinked across countries, but mostly as richer countries differ from poorer ones: comparing only countries with similar income, what remains (+0.22) could easily be chance. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Infrastructure score by country | +0.60 | +0.22 | 0.181 | 167 | proxy |
| Free and fair elections and Life expectancyLinked across countries, but mostly as richer countries differ from poorer ones: comparing only countries with similar income, what remains (+0.22) could easily be chance. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Life expectancy by country | +0.59 | +0.22 | 0.177 | 168 | proxy |
| Free and fair elections and Employment in agricultureLinked across countries, but mostly as richer countries differ from poorer ones: comparing only countries with similar income, what remains (-0.22) could easily be chance. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Employment in agriculture by country | -0.58 | -0.22 | 0.455 | 166 | proxy |
| Free and fair elections and Female labor participationCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Female labor participation by country | +0.20 | +0.22 | 0.288 | 166 | independent |
| Free and fair elections and Gender Inequality IndexLinked across countries, but mostly as richer countries differ from poorer ones: comparing only countries with similar income, what remains (-0.22) could easily be chance. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Gender Inequality Index by country | -0.60 | -0.22 | 0.232 | 161 | proxy |
| Free and fair elections and Pupil-teacher ratioLinked across countries, but mostly as richer countries differ from poorer ones: comparing only countries with similar income, what remains (-0.22) could easily be chance. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Pupil-teacher ratio by country | -0.55 | -0.22 | 0.218 | 155 | proxy |
| Free and fair elections and Skilled birth attendanceLinked across countries, but mostly as richer countries differ from poorer ones: comparing only countries with similar income, what remains (+0.21) could easily be chance. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Skilled birth attendance by country | +0.51 | +0.21 | 0.477 | 158 | high |
| Free and fair elections and Women in parliamentCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Women in parliament by country | +0.30 | +0.21 | 0.326 | 166 | independent |
| Free and fair elections and Compulsory schoolingCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Compulsory schooling by country | +0.39 | +0.21 | 0.260 | 157 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Mean years of schoolingLinked across countries, but mostly as richer countries differ from poorer ones: comparing only countries with similar income, what remains (+0.21) could easily be chance. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Mean years of schooling by country | +0.58 | +0.21 | 0.431 | 167 | proxy |
| Free and fair elections and Unemployment benefit spendingCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Unemployment benefit spending by country | +0.29 | +0.21 | 0.391 | 39 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Religious attendanceCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Religious attendance by country | -0.35 | +0.21 | 0.148 | 101 | high |
| Free and fair elections and Under-5 mortalityLinked across countries, but mostly as richer countries differ from poorer ones: comparing only countries with similar income, what remains (-0.20) could easily be chance. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Under-5 mortality by country | -0.56 | -0.20 | 0.347 | 167 | proxy |
| Free and fair elections and Life satisfactionLinked across countries, but mostly as richer countries differ from poorer ones: comparing only countries with similar income, what remains (+0.20) could easily be chance. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Life satisfaction by country | +0.58 | +0.20 | 0.249 | 157 | proxy |
| Free and fair elections and Infant mortalityLinked across countries, but mostly as richer countries differ from poorer ones: comparing only countries with similar income, what remains (-0.20) could easily be chance. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Infant mortality by country | -0.57 | -0.20 | 0.197 | 167 | proxy |
| Free and fair elections and Hours workedCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Hours worked by country | -0.38 | -0.19 | 0.101 | 38 | high |
| Free and fair elections and Health coverage indexLinked across countries, but mostly as richer countries differ from poorer ones: comparing only countries with similar income, what remains (+0.18) could easily be chance. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Health coverage index by country | +0.58 | +0.18 | 0.477 | 166 | proxy |
| Free and fair elections and Inequality-adjusted HDILinked across countries, but mostly as richer countries differ from poorer ones: comparing only countries with similar income, what remains (+0.18) could easily be chance. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Inequality-adjusted HDI by country | +0.68 | +0.18 | 0.368 | 155 | proxy |
| Free and fair elections and Gender wage gapCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Gender wage gap by country | +0.11 | +0.18 | 0.481 | 38 | independent |
| Free and fair elections and PISA mathsCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. PISA maths by country | +0.45 | +0.17 | 0.724 | 84 | high |
| Free and fair elections and Health scoreCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Health score by country | +0.28 | +0.17 | 0.542 | 166 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Religiously unaffiliatedCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Religiously unaffiliated by country | +0.38 | +0.17 | 0.603 | 168 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Male labor participationCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Male labor participation by country | -0.14 | -0.17 | 0.379 | 166 | independent |
| Free and fair elections and Informal employmentLinked across countries, but mostly as richer countries differ from poorer ones: comparing only countries with similar income, what remains (-0.17) could easily be chance. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Informal employment by country | -0.70 | -0.17 | 0.255 | 127 | proxy |
| Free and fair elections and PhysiciansLinked across countries, but mostly as richer countries differ from poorer ones: comparing only countries with similar income, what remains (+0.17) could easily be chance. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Physicians by country | +0.54 | +0.17 | 0.220 | 166 | proxy |
| Free and fair elections and Homicide rateAlmost no link either way. Homicide rate by country | +0.03 | +0.16 | 0.117 | 144 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Military spendingAlmost no link either way. Military spending by country | -0.07 | -0.16 | 0.131 | 154 | independent |
| Free and fair elections and Premature NCD mortalityCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Premature NCD mortality by country | -0.49 | -0.16 | 0.406 | 166 | high |
| Free and fair elections and Trust in governmentAlmost no link either way. Trust in government by country | +0.03 | -0.15 | 0.734 | 47 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Adult literacyCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Adult literacy by country | +0.41 | +0.14 | 0.489 | 120 | high |
| Free and fair elections and Old-age spendingCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Old-age spending by country | +0.21 | +0.14 | 0.700 | 42 | independent |
| Free and fair elections and Out of school, primaryCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Out of school, primary by country | -0.38 | -0.14 | 0.430 | 159 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Slum share of urban populationLinked across countries, but mostly as richer countries differ from poorer ones: comparing only countries with similar income, what remains (-0.13) could easily be chance. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Slum share of urban population by country | -0.51 | -0.13 | 0.539 | 164 | high |
| Free and fair elections and Market-income GiniCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Market-income Gini by country | -0.12 | +0.13 | 0.565 | 45 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Refugees originatingCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Refugees originating by country | -0.25 | -0.13 | 0.114 | 166 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Basic water accessLinked across countries, but mostly as richer countries differ from poorer ones: comparing only countries with similar income, what remains (+0.13) could easily be chance. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Basic water access by country | +0.52 | +0.13 | 0.655 | 166 | proxy |
| Free and fair elections and Road traffic deathsCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Road traffic deaths by country | -0.49 | -0.13 | 0.393 | 166 | high |
| Free and fair elections and Equality scoreCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Equality score by country | +0.37 | -0.12 | 0.086 | 152 | high |
| Free and fair elections and Frequent prayerCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Frequent prayer by country | -0.34 | +0.12 | 0.572 | 74 | high |
| Free and fair elections and Tertiary enrollmentLinked across countries, but mostly as richer countries differ from poorer ones: comparing only countries with similar income, what remains (+0.12) could easily be chance. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Tertiary enrollment by country | +0.51 | +0.12 | 0.393 | 155 | high |
| Free and fair elections and HIV prevalenceAlmost no link either way. HIV prevalence by country | -0.04 | +0.12 | 0.487 | 140 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Government spending per capitaLinked across countries, but mostly as richer countries differ from poorer ones: comparing only countries with similar income, what remains (+0.12) could easily be chance. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Government spending per capita by country | +0.54 | +0.12 | 0.604 | 43 | proxy |
| Free and fair elections and Age at childbearingCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Age at childbearing by country | +0.34 | +0.12 | 0.706 | 168 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Gini indexCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Gini index by country | -0.11 | +0.11 | 0.484 | 152 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Retirement age, menCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Retirement age, men by country | -0.22 | -0.11 | 0.574 | 49 | independent |
| Free and fair elections and Adolescent fertilityCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Adolescent fertility by country | -0.50 | -0.11 | 0.661 | 168 | proxy |
| Free and fair elections and Wellbeing scoreLinked across countries, but mostly as richer countries differ from poorer ones: comparing only countries with similar income, what remains (+0.11) could easily be chance. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Wellbeing score by country | +0.52 | +0.11 | 0.395 | 103 | high |
| Free and fair elections and GDP growthCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. GDP growth by country | -0.19 | -0.11 | 0.423 | 168 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Married by 18Could easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Married by 18 by country | -0.35 | -0.11 | 0.756 | 127 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Active labour market spendingCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Active labour market spending by country | +0.30 | +0.10 | 0.265 | 42 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Primary enrollmentAlmost no link either way. Primary enrollment by country | +0.06 | +0.10 | 0.489 | 164 | independent |
| Free and fair elections and DTP3 immunisationCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. DTP3 immunisation by country | +0.38 | +0.10 | 0.622 | 166 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Birth registrationCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Birth registration by country | +0.47 | +0.08 | 0.601 | 153 | proxy |
| Free and fair elections and Adult obesityCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Adult obesity by country | +0.21 | -0.08 | 0.826 | 166 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Mobile subscriptionsCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Mobile subscriptions by country | +0.18 | -0.08 | 0.426 | 168 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Extreme poverty rateCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Extreme poverty rate by country | -0.46 | +0.08 | 0.545 | 152 | proxy |
| Free and fair elections and Internet usersLinked across countries, but mostly as richer countries differ from poorer ones: comparing only countries with similar income, almost nothing remains. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Internet users by country | +0.54 | +0.07 | 0.764 | 168 | proxy |
| Free and fair elections and Aid givenCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Aid given by country | +0.22 | +0.06 | 0.668 | 47 | high |
| Free and fair elections and Youth not in work or studyCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Youth not in work or study by country | -0.39 | -0.06 | 0.802 | 156 | high |
| Free and fair elections and Primary completionLinked across countries, but mostly as richer countries differ from poorer ones: comparing only countries with similar income, almost nothing remains. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Primary completion by country | +0.54 | +0.06 | 0.780 | 153 | proxy |
| Free and fair elections and Electricity accessCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Electricity access by country | +0.47 | +0.05 | 0.801 | 167 | high |
| Free and fair elections and Tuberculosis incidenceCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Tuberculosis incidence by country | -0.34 | -0.05 | 0.676 | 167 | high |
| Free and fair elections and Child stuntingCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Child stunting by country | -0.44 | -0.05 | 0.714 | 145 | proxy |
| Free and fair elections and Self-reported happinessCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Self-reported happiness by country | +0.15 | -0.05 | 0.531 | 103 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Food insecurityLinked across countries, but mostly as richer countries differ from poorer ones: comparing only countries with similar income, almost nothing remains. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Food insecurity by country | -0.54 | +0.05 | 0.735 | 141 | proxy |
| Free and fair elections and Conflict deathsCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Conflict deaths by country | -0.10 | -0.04 | 0.709 | 167 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Tobacco useCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Tobacco use by country | +0.16 | +0.03 | 0.735 | 151 | independent |
| Free and fair elections and Agricultural landCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Agricultural land by country | -0.17 | -0.03 | 0.838 | 167 | independent |
| Free and fair elections and UrbanizationCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Urbanization by country | +0.38 | -0.03 | 0.905 | 168 | high |
| Free and fair elections and Trade opennessCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Trade openness by country | +0.23 | -0.03 | 0.901 | 158 | moderate |
| Free and fair elections and Children with one parentAlmost no link either way. Children with one parent by country | +0.08 | +0.03 | 0.921 | 38 | independent |
| Free and fair elections and Vulnerable employmentLinked across countries, but mostly as richer countries differ from poorer ones: comparing only countries with similar income, almost nothing remains. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Vulnerable employment by country | -0.50 | -0.02 | 0.918 | 166 | proxy |
| Free and fair elections and Pre-trial detainee shareCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Pre-trial detainee share by country | -0.15 | +0.02 | 0.894 | 150 | independent |
| Free and fair elections and Hospital bedsCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Hospital beds by country | +0.33 | +0.02 | 0.942 | 155 | high |
| Free and fair elections and Maternal mortalityCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Maternal mortality by country | -0.43 | -0.02 | 0.892 | 166 | proxy |
| Free and fair elections and FDI inflowsAlmost no link either way. FDI inflows by country | +0.03 | +0.02 | 0.855 | 168 | independent |
| Free and fair elections and InflationAlmost no link either way. Inflation by country | -0.08 | -0.02 | 0.873 | 166 | independent |
| Free and fair elections and UndernourishmentCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Undernourishment by country | -0.46 | -0.01 | 0.939 | 157 | proxy |
| Free and fair elections and Labour scoreCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Labour score by country | +0.42 | +0.01 | 0.884 | 167 | high |
| Free and fair elections and Basic sanitationCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Basic sanitation by country | +0.46 | -0.01 | 0.969 | 166 | high |
| Free and fair elections and Interpersonal trustCould easily be chance once only countries with similar income are compared. Both mostly measure national income in another way, so only the adjusted figure is worth reading. Interpersonal trust by country | +0.37 | +0.01 | 0.984 | 103 | high |
| Free and fair elections and UnemploymentAlmost no link either way. Unemployment by country | -0.04 | -0.00 | 0.960 | 166 | independent |
| Free and fair elections and GDP per capita (PPP)One side of this pair is national income itself, the thing the other figures adjust for. Adjusting income for income leaves nothing, so there is no adjusted figure. The unadjusted link shows how closely the other measure follows income. GDP per capita (PPP) by country | +0.48 | — | — | 168 | proxy |
| Free and fair elections and GNI per capita (PPP)One side of this pair is national income itself, the thing the other figures adjust for. Adjusting income for income leaves nothing, so there is no adjusted figure. The unadjusted link shows how closely the other measure follows income. GNI per capita (PPP) by country | +0.48 | — | — | 168 | proxy |
| Free and fair elections and GDP per capita (market)One side of this pair is national income itself, the thing the other figures adjust for. Adjusting income for income leaves nothing, so there is no adjusted figure. The unadjusted link shows how closely the other measure follows income. GDP per capita (market) by country | +0.50 | — | — | 168 | proxy |
Source
V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · via Our World in Data
CC BY 4.0 · licence terms · updated annual
Coppedge, M. et al., V-Dem Dataset, Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Project