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V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · Egalitarian Democracy Index
Egalitarian democracy by country
Are rights, political power and the means to use them shared equally across social groups?
Denmark placed first of the 176 countries compared in 2025, at 0.876, and Afghanistan last, at 0.016. In the middle country the figure was 0.321. Among the 167 countries measured in every edition since 1990, the middle one moved from 0.230 to 0.317.
Part ofDemocracy & Civil Liberties
Egalitarian democracy · 2025
Context statistic
Highest of 176Denmark
0.876012025 · position · derived
Who leads
The three countries at the highest end of 176 compared, the three at the other end, and the first on each continent.
1Photo: User:Aconcagua · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2Photo: Ximonic , Simo Räsänen · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
3Photo: Gf uip · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
Lowest in 2025
- 176
Afghanistan0.016 - 175
South Sudan0.032 - 174
Yemen0.033
Positions out of 176. Where a country sits says how it compares with the others measured, and nothing about why.
Highest on each continent
- Africa
Seychelles0.632 - Americas
Costa Rica0.762 - Asia
Japan0.758 - EuropeDenmark0.876
- Oceania
2 countries share 0.726
- Every region
02Every measured country
Egalitarian democracy on a map
Each country is shaded by its value, in five groups holding the same number of countries. Hover a country for its value, or select it to open its profile. Below the map, each continent’s middle country.
Darker is a higher value — the better end.
- 0.016–0.135
- 0.139–0.241
- 0.246–0.405
- 0.422–0.632
- 0.640–0.876
- No reading in 2025
- Europe
0.662
the middle country, of 40 measured · 49 members
Denmark0.876
Russia0.130Highest and lowest reading in Europe.
- Oceania
0.502
the middle country, of 6 measured · 21 members
2 share 0.726
Papua New Guinea0.248Highest and lowest reading in Oceania.
- Americas
0.405
the middle country, of 27 measured · 48 members
Costa Rica0.762
Haiti0.076Highest and lowest reading in Americas.
- Asia
0.199
the middle country, of 48 measured · 52 members
Japan0.758Afghanistan0.016Highest and lowest reading in Asia.
- Africa
0.193
the middle country, of 55 measured · 55 members
Seychelles0.632South Sudan0.032Highest and lowest reading in Africa.
- Every region
20 sub-regions, highest middle country first
- Western Europe
0.766
the middle country, of 7 measured · 9 members
Belgium0.821
France0.721Highest and lowest reading in Western Europe.
- Northern Europe
0.753
the middle country, of 10 measured · 13 members
Denmark0.876
United Kingdom0.612Highest and lowest reading in Northern Europe.
- Southern Europe
0.543
the middle country, of 13 measured · 17 members
Spain0.695
Serbia0.276Highest and lowest reading in Southern Europe.
- Caribbean
0.532
the middle country, of 6 measured · 24 members
Barbados0.676Haiti0.076Highest and lowest reading in Caribbean.
- Southern Africa
0.480
the middle country, of 5 measured · 5 members
South Africa0.518
Eswatini0.077Highest and lowest reading in Southern Africa.
- Eastern Europe
0.432
the middle country, of 10 measured · 10 members
Czechia0.767Russia0.130Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Europe.
- South America
0.400
the middle country, of 12 measured · 12 members
Uruguay0.693
Venezuela0.080Highest and lowest reading in South America.
- Eastern Asia
0.382
the middle country, of 7 measured · 8 members
Japan0.758
China0.078Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Asia.
- Western Africa
0.279
the middle country, of 16 measured · 16 members
Cabo Verde0.557
Mauritania0.142Highest and lowest reading in Western Africa.
- Central America
0.265
the middle country, of 7 measured · 8 members
Costa Rica0.762
Nicaragua0.085Highest and lowest reading in Central America.
- South-eastern Asia
0.208
the middle country, of 10 measured · 11 members
Timor-Leste0.473
Myanmar0.057Highest and lowest reading in South-eastern Asia.
- Southern Asia
0.201
the middle country, of 9 measured · 9 members
Sri Lanka0.587Afghanistan0.016Highest and lowest reading in Southern Asia.
- Eastern Africa
0.188
the middle country, of 19 measured · 19 members
Seychelles0.632South Sudan0.032Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Africa.
- Western Asia
0.174
the middle country, of 17 measured · 19 members
Cyprus0.684Yemen0.033Highest and lowest reading in Western Asia.
- Northern Africa
0.163
the middle country, of 6 measured · 6 members
Tunisia0.323
Sudan0.078Highest and lowest reading in Northern Africa.
- Central Asia
0.153
the middle country, of 5 measured · 5 members
Kyrgyzstan0.235
Tajikistan0.060Highest and lowest reading in Central Asia.
- Middle Africa
0.129
the middle country, of 9 measured · 9 members
São Tomé and Príncipe0.448
Chad0.084Highest and lowest reading in Middle Africa.
- Australia and New Zealand
2 of 2 measured — too few for a middle: Australia, New Zealand.
2 share 0.726
2 share 0.726
Highest and lowest reading in Australia and New Zealand.
- Melanesia
4 of 5 measured — too few for a middle: Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu.
Vanuatu0.565Papua New Guinea0.248Highest and lowest reading in Melanesia.
- Northern America
2 of 4 measured — too few for a middle: Canada, United States.
Canada0.626
United States0.472Highest and lowest reading in Northern America.
03The whole field at once
The spread
176 countries, one dot each, on one scale — further right is a higher value. Half the countries are above 0.321; a quarter are above 0.559, and a quarter below 0.163. The bar in each row marks that continent’s middle country.
04All 176 ever measured
Every country
In order, highest value first. “=” marks a position shared with another country. V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg ranks nobody on this measure; the position is derived here by ordering the published values. ⚠ Despite the name, this is not a measure of income inequality. It is about equal political standing — equal protection, equal access to power and the social conditions for taking part — and a country with a wide income gap can still read high here. The gap between rich and poor is measured by the Gini index.
Showing 25 of 176 countries
Values for 2025. The change column compares 2025 with 2024 only; the sparkline covers the recent editions.
051990–2025 · 36 reference years
Over time
Each point is one year from 1990, all of them re-estimated together in V-Dem's v16 release. Because elections are built into the index it moves with the Electoral Democracy Index; a gap opening between the two reflects change in how equally groups are treated.
- the middle country
- the middle half of countries
- the middle of the 167 countries measured every time
- each continent’s middle country
The same, year by year
| Year | Countries | Middle country | Middle half | Measured every time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 176 | 0.321 | 0.163 – 0.559 | 0.317 |
| 2024 | 176 | 0.330 | 0.169 – 0.568 | 0.326 |
| 2023 | 176 | 0.343 | 0.174 – 0.563 | 0.320 |
| 2022 | 176 | 0.340 | 0.179 – 0.575 | 0.328 |
| 2021 | 176 | 0.339 | 0.181 – 0.591 | 0.330 |
| 2020 | 176 | 0.341 | 0.191 – 0.597 | 0.329 |
| 2019 | 176 | 0.350 | 0.187 – 0.586 | 0.347 |
| 2018 | 176 | 0.347 | 0.188 – 0.591 | 0.344 |
| 2017 | 176 | 0.342 | 0.184 – 0.580 | 0.333 |
| 2016 | 176 | 0.331 | 0.188 – 0.594 | 0.329 |
| 2015 | 176 | 0.331 | 0.197 – 0.601 | 0.329 |
| 2014 | 176 | 0.336 | 0.191 – 0.597 | 0.334 |
| 2013 | 176 | 0.324 | 0.188 – 0.602 | 0.324 |
| 2012 | 176 | 0.334 | 0.191 – 0.616 | 0.328 |
| 2011 | 176 | 0.344 | 0.194 – 0.613 | 0.336 |
| 2010 | 175 | 0.340 | 0.197 – 0.615 | 0.330 |
| 2009 | 175 | 0.342 | 0.190 – 0.609 | 0.331 |
| 2008 | 175 | 0.335 | 0.194 – 0.613 | 0.333 |
| 2007 | 175 | 0.327 | 0.195 – 0.620 | 0.323 |
| 2006 | 175 | 0.329 | 0.196 – 0.616 | 0.315 |
| 2005 | 175 | 0.326 | 0.196 – 0.616 | 0.317 |
| 2004 | 175 | 0.334 | 0.186 – 0.609 | 0.323 |
| 2003 | 175 | 0.327 | 0.179 – 0.608 | 0.322 |
| 2002 | 175 | 0.323 | 0.189 – 0.609 | 0.321 |
| 2001 | 175 | 0.315 | 0.184 – 0.589 | 0.303 |
| 2000 | 175 | 0.300 | 0.182 – 0.593 | 0.300 |
| 1999 | 175 | 0.307 | 0.176 – 0.571 | 0.307 |
| 1998 | 174 | 0.310 | 0.170 – 0.567 | 0.309 |
| 1997 | 173 | 0.307 | 0.163 – 0.568 | 0.302 |
| 1996 | 173 | 0.299 | 0.162 – 0.564 | 0.299 |
| 1995 | 173 | 0.301 | 0.153 – 0.560 | 0.314 |
| 1994 | 173 | 0.289 | 0.155 – 0.549 | 0.299 |
| 1993 | 173 | 0.289 | 0.155 – 0.549 | 0.292 |
| 1992 | 172 | 0.270 | 0.150 – 0.530 | 0.272 |
| 1991 | 171 | 0.245 | 0.137 – 0.519 | 0.249 |
| 1990 | 167 | 0.230 | 0.133 – 0.511 | 0.230 |
062024 → 2025
Who rose and fell
The biggest changes in value between the two newest editions — reference years recalculated in one report, not two separate publications. Places are shown second, because they also move when other countries do.
Improved most
before → after
Mauritius0.382 → 0.576 · 72nd → 42nd+0.194- Sri Lanka0.481 → 0.587 · 55th → 41st+0.106
South Korea0.618 → 0.712 · 39th → 20th+0.094
Syria0.077 → 0.126 · 167th → 145th+0.049
Botswana0.432 → 0.480 · 67th → 55th+0.048
Declined most
before → after- United States0.612 → 0.472 · 40th → 57th−0.140
Portugal0.689 → 0.614 · 26th → 37th−0.075
Zambia0.330 → 0.266 · 88th → 97th−0.064- United Kingdom0.675 → 0.612 · 30th → 38th−0.063
Georgia0.374 → 0.311 · 77th → 92nd−0.063
176 countries were measured in both 2024 and 2025.
07Across every edition
Egalitarian democracy in records
The extremes of the statistic. A record reached by more than one country names none of them.
Highest reading on record
0.885
Egalitarian democracy index (0–1)
Lowest reading on record
0.016
Egalitarian democracy index (0–1)
Biggest improvement between editions
+0.332
0.437 → 0.769
Biggest decline between editions
−0.177
0.240 → 0.063
Most improved since first measured
+0.471
0.047 → 0.518
At the top most often
27 of 36
editions, alone at the first-listed end
08The measure
About egalitarian democracy
V-Dem's Egalitarian Democracy Index asks whether rights and freedoms are protected equally for every social group, whether groups have equal access to political power, and whether the means of using them — such as education and health care — are shared equally, on top of genuine elections. It runs from 0 to 1, and a higher figure is more democratic.
What the number is: Egalitarian democracy index (0–1).
What it does not measure
It is not a measure of income inequality; the gap between rich and poor incomes is measured by the Gini index.
09Where it fits
Connections
Its part in the Country Index, the statistics whose values line up most closely with it across countries, and others on the same subject.
In the Country Index
Context, with no vote
This statistic is published in full under Democracy & Civil Liberties, but does not help decide any Country Index standing.
Moves with
Where egalitarian democracy is higher, these tend to be higher too.
- Liberal Democracy IndexV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 176 countries in commonρ 0.96
- Voice and AccountabilityWorld Bank Group · 175 countries in commonρ 0.96
- V-Dem Electoral Democracy IndexKeyV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 176 countries in commonρ 0.96
Moves against
Where egalitarian democracy is higher, these tend to be lower.
- Political Corruption IndexV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 176 countries in commonρ −0.80
- Informal Employment RateILO · 86 countries in commonρ −0.70
- Refugees by Country of OriginUNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency · 173 countries in commonρ −0.66
Rank correlation (ρ, from −1 to 1) across countries, on each statistic’s newest edition, out of 187 statistics sharing at least 80 countries with this one. Two statistics that move together do not cause each other.
10Keep reading
Explore further
The subject
The countries at either end
More from V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg
11Questions
Egalitarian democracy: questions and answers
Which country has the highest egalitarian democracy?
Denmark, at 0.876, among the 176 countries compared in 2025.
Which country has the lowest egalitarian democracy?
Afghanistan, at 0.016, among the 176 countries compared in 2025.
How many countries does the Egalitarian Democracy Index cover?
176 in 2025. The number measured varies from 167 to 176 between editions.
What is the world average egalitarian democracy?
This site does not calculate a world average, which would depend on how countries are weighted. In the middle country of the 176 compared in 2025, the figure was 0.321.
Is this V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg’s own ranking?
No. V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg publishes the values but ranks nobody; the position on this page is derived by Nations Inquiry by ordering the published values, and equal values share a position.
How often is the Egalitarian Democracy Index published?
This site holds 36 reference years, 1990–2025, all recalculated in V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg’s 2026 report on one method — not 36 separate publications.
Where does the data come from, and can I download it?
From V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, under CC BY-SA 4.0. From the V-Dem Institute's Country-Year Core dataset (v16), University of Gothenburg, published under CC BY-SA 4.0. V-Dem's data runs back to 1789; the series here starts in 1990 so that every row belongs to a present-day country. Every edition is on this site’s Datasets pages as a full table, and downloads as a CSV file with every value unrounded.
12Method
Sources, method and citation
Source
Egalitarian Democracy Index — V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg
From the V-Dem Institute's Country-Year Core dataset (v16), University of Gothenburg, published under CC BY-SA 4.0. V-Dem's data runs back to 1789; the series here starts in 1990 so that every row belongs to a present-day country.
Newest edition
Report year 2025Data year 2025
Cite the source as: Coppedge, M. et al. V-Dem Country-Year Dataset v16. Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Project, University of Gothenburg.
Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0, checked 2026-09-26.
How this page reads the numbers
- V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg ranks nobody on this measure. The position is derived by Nations Inquiry by ordering the published values; equal values share a position.
- Which end is better follows the publisher’s own reading of the measure.
- A country is named at an end only when it holds that value alone. Where several share it, the page says how many and names none first.
- Values are stored exactly as published and trimmed only for display. “The middle country” is the median of the countries measured, not a world average.
The file itself, column by column — where it came from, what each column holds, and every edition as a CSV — is on its dataset page.
Photographs
The countries at the top of this statistic, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Denmark — User:Aconcagua, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Norway — Ximonic , Simo Räsänen, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Belgium — Gf uip, CC BY-SA 3.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Egalitarian democracy by country: Egalitarian Democracy Index, data from V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg. https://nationsinquiry.com/statistics/egalitarian-democracy