Countries With the Highest Participatory Democracy
Every country with a figure for participatory democracy, ranked from highest to lowest. The top three are Switzerland (0.785), Uruguay (0.716) and Denmark (0.7). The middle country of the 175 has 0.298.
What this measures
Participatory democracy index, in index (0-1). Source: V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg. For this measure, higher is better.
Electoral democracy plus direct participation: people's involvement in civic groups, referendums, and elected local and regional government.
The full ranking
Each country’s latest figure, from 2025–2025. The year beside each value says when it was measured.
| Rank | Country | Participatory democracy | Year | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Switzerland | 0.785 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 2 | Uruguay | 0.716 | 2025 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 3 | Denmark | 0.7 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 4 | Taiwan | 0.652 | 2025 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 5 | Australia | 0.648 | 2025 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 6 | Norway | 0.638 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 7 | Sweden | 0.635 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 8 | Belgium | 0.633 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 9 | Estonia | 0.621 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 10 | Ireland | 0.619 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 11 | Costa Rica | 0.606 | 2025 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 12 | Finland | 0.597 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 13 | France | 0.597 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 14 | Latvia | 0.595 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 15 | Germany | 0.593 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 16 | Canada | 0.589 | 2025 | North America |
| 17 | Austria | 0.582 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 18 | New Zealand | 0.581 | 2025 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 19 | Chile | 0.574 | 2025 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 20 | Spain | 0.572 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 21 | Italy | 0.569 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 22 | Iceland | 0.565 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 23 | Czechia | 0.562 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 24 | Lithuania | 0.56 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 25 | Luxembourg | 0.556 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 26 | Netherlands | 0.553 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 27 | Korea, Rep. | 0.551 | 2025 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 28 | United Kingdom | 0.533 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 29 | Malta | 0.529 | 2025 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 30 | Portugal | 0.529 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 31 | Brazil | 0.528 | 2025 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 32 | Japan | 0.526 | 2025 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 33 | Jamaica | 0.524 | 2025 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 34 | Sri Lanka | 0.52 | 2025 | South Asia |
| 35 | Poland | 0.519 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 36 | United States | 0.51 | 2025 | North America |
| 37 | Suriname | 0.509 | 2025 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 38 | Slovak Republic | 0.508 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 39 | Slovenia | 0.506 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 40 | Trinidad and Tobago | 0.505 | 2025 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 41 | Greece | 0.493 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 42 | Cyprus | 0.49 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 43 | Mauritius | 0.481 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 44 | Dominican Republic | 0.475 | 2025 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 45 | South Africa | 0.47 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 46 | Colombia | 0.467 | 2025 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 47 | Ecuador | 0.462 | 2025 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 48 | Timor-Leste | 0.462 | 2025 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 49 | Croatia | 0.459 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 50 | Cabo Verde | 0.458 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 51 | Israel | 0.455 | 2025 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 52 | Peru | 0.448 | 2025 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 53 | Panama | 0.441 | 2025 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 54 | Nepal | 0.435 | 2025 | South Asia |
| 55 | Argentina | 0.429 | 2025 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 56 | Solomon Islands | 0.429 | 2025 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 57 | Guatemala | 0.421 | 2025 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 58 | Romania | 0.416 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 59 | Bolivia | 0.414 | 2025 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 60 | Gambia, The | 0.406 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 61 | Lesotho | 0.404 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 62 | Montenegro | 0.403 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 63 | Senegal | 0.402 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 64 | Bulgaria | 0.397 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 65 | Sao Tome and Principe | 0.391 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 66 | Moldova | 0.389 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 67 | Botswana | 0.369 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 68 | Malawi | 0.366 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 69 | Ghana | 0.361 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 70 | North Macedonia | 0.354 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 71 | Bhutan | 0.349 | 2025 | South Asia |
| 72 | Namibia | 0.349 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 73 | Zambia | 0.348 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 74 | Barbados | 0.347 | 2025 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 75 | Kosovo | 0.346 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 76 | Paraguay | 0.342 | 2025 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 77 | Seychelles | 0.341 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 78 | Mexico | 0.337 | 2025 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 79 | Kenya | 0.335 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 80 | Nigeria | 0.323 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 81 | Vanuatu | 0.323 | 2025 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 82 | Liberia | 0.321 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 83 | Honduras | 0.32 | 2025 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 84 | Armenia | 0.319 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 85 | Maldives | 0.316 | 2025 | South Asia |
| 86 | Sierra Leone | 0.307 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 87 | Malaysia | 0.303 | 2025 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 88 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 0.298 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 89 | Indonesia | 0.298 | 2025 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 90 | Albania | 0.29 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 91 | Guyana | 0.283 | 2025 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 92 | Mongolia | 0.281 | 2025 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 93 | Benin | 0.28 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 94 | Papua New Guinea | 0.28 | 2025 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 95 | Hungary | 0.268 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 96 | Fiji | 0.265 | 2025 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 97 | Cote d'Ivoire | 0.262 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 98 | Philippines | 0.261 | 2025 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 99 | Ukraine | 0.252 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 100 | India | 0.246 | 2025 | South Asia |
| 101 | Tanzania | 0.245 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 102 | Tunisia | 0.242 | 2025 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 103 | Gabon | 0.24 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 104 | Georgia | 0.236 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 105 | Togo | 0.233 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 106 | Iraq | 0.224 | 2025 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 107 | Lebanon | 0.222 | 2025 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 108 | Mauritania | 0.221 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 109 | Madagascar | 0.217 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 110 | Serbia | 0.217 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 111 | Zimbabwe | 0.202 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 112 | Mozambique | 0.201 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 113 | Congo, Dem. Rep. | 0.2 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 114 | Comoros | 0.2 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 115 | Pakistan | 0.192 | 2025 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 116 | Niger | 0.189 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 117 | Congo, Rep. | 0.188 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 118 | Thailand | 0.186 | 2025 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 119 | Turkiye | 0.165 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 120 | Mali | 0.164 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 121 | Viet Nam | 0.164 | 2025 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 122 | Kyrgyz Republic | 0.163 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 123 | El Salvador | 0.159 | 2025 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 124 | Uganda | 0.156 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 125 | Morocco | 0.151 | 2025 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 126 | Venezuela, RB | 0.148 | 2025 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 127 | Burundi | 0.142 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 128 | Djibouti | 0.142 | 2025 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 129 | Jordan | 0.132 | 2025 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 130 | Central African Republic | 0.13 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 131 | Rwanda | 0.13 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 132 | Chad | 0.129 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 133 | Ethiopia | 0.128 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 134 | Guinea-Bissau | 0.128 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 135 | Russian Federation | 0.124 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 136 | Singapore | 0.121 | 2025 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 137 | Guinea | 0.12 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 138 | Oman | 0.12 | 2025 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 139 | Haiti | 0.119 | 2025 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 140 | Lao PDR | 0.118 | 2025 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 141 | Eswatini | 0.11 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 142 | Kazakhstan | 0.107 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 143 | Burkina Faso | 0.104 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 144 | Angola | 0.103 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 145 | Bangladesh | 0.099 | 2025 | South Asia |
| 146 | Nicaragua | 0.098 | 2025 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 147 | Algeria | 0.095 | 2025 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 148 | Somalia, Fed. Rep. | 0.095 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 149 | Cameroon | 0.093 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 150 | Libya | 0.087 | 2025 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 151 | Uzbekistan | 0.082 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 152 | Egypt, Arab Rep. | 0.076 | 2025 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 153 | Yemen, Rep. | 0.072 | 2025 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 154 | Cambodia | 0.06 | 2025 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 155 | Tajikistan | 0.059 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 156 | Syrian Arab Republic | 0.058 | 2025 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 157 | Bahrain | 0.054 | 2025 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 158 | Belarus | 0.054 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 159 | Cuba | 0.054 | 2025 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 160 | Kuwait | 0.053 | 2025 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 161 | Afghanistan | 0.051 | 2025 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 162 | Sudan | 0.051 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 163 | Hong Kong SAR, China | 0.049 | 2025 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 164 | South Sudan | 0.047 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 165 | Korea, Dem. People's Rep. | 0.044 | 2025 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 166 | Azerbaijan | 0.043 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 167 | Iran, Islamic Rep. | 0.042 | 2025 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 168 | Equatorial Guinea | 0.041 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 169 | Myanmar | 0.041 | 2025 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 170 | China | 0.036 | 2025 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 171 | Qatar | 0.034 | 2025 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 172 | Turkmenistan | 0.033 | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 173 | United Arab Emirates | 0.031 | 2025 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 174 | Saudi Arabia | 0.026 | 2025 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 175 | Eritrea | 0.008 | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
More on participatory democracy
- Countries With the Lowest Participatory Democracy
- Participatory democracy by country: trend over time and what it goes with
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- Countries With the Highest Corruption Perceptions Index
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- Countries With the Highest Civil Liberties (FH)
- Countries With the Highest Trust in Government
- Countries With the Highest Pre-trial Detainee Shares
- Countries With the Highest Refugees Originating
- Countries With the Highest Electoral Democracy
- Countries With the Highest Liberal Democracy
A ranking describes countries, not the people in them, and a high or low place does not by itself say why. All country rankings.