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V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · Military Dimension Index
Military role in government by country
How far does the head of government's hold on power rest on the military?
Of the 176 countries compared in 2025, 76 countries shared the lowest reading, 0.000, and 5 countries shared the highest reading, 1.000. In the middle country the figure was 0.100.
Military role in government · 2025
Context statistic
76 countries share the lowest value, 0.000 — no single country is named first.
012025 · values only
Who leads
The three countries at the lowest end of 176 compared, the three at the other end, and the first on each continent.
Lowest in 2025 · shared
76 countries share the lowest reading, 0.000
No single country is named first: picking one from a shared value would be a choice the data does not make.
Albania
Argentina
Armenia
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Belgium
Bulgaria
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Barbados
Canada
Switzerland
Chile
Cabo Verde
Costa Rica
Cyprus
Czechia
Germany
Denmark
Spain
Estonia
Finland
France
United Kingdom
Georgia
Greece
Hong Kong
Croatia
Hungary
Ireland
Iceland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
South Korea
Kuwait
Sri Lanka- and 36 more — every one is in the list below
02Every measured country
Military role in government 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 lower value — the better end.
- 0.300–1.000
- 0.125–0.286
- 0.000–0.111
- No reading in 2025
- Europe
0.000
the middle country, of 40 measured · 49 members
36 share 0.000
2 share 0.167
Lowest and highest reading in Europe.
- Oceania
0.000
the middle country, of 6 measured · 21 members
5 share 0.000
Fiji0.250Lowest and highest reading in Oceania.
- Americas
0.062
the middle country, of 27 measured · 48 members
12 share 0.000
Venezuela0.375Lowest and highest reading in Americas.
- Asia
0.106
the middle country, of 48 measured · 52 members
18 share 0.000
Myanmar1.000Lowest and highest reading in Asia.
- Africa
0.300
the middle country, of 55 measured · 55 members
5 share 0.000
4 share 1.000
Lowest and highest reading in Africa.
- Every region
20 sub-regions, lowest middle country first
- Eastern Asia
0.000
the middle country, of 7 measured · 8 members
5 share 0.000
China0.111Lowest and highest reading in Eastern Asia.
- Eastern Europe
0.000
the middle country, of 10 measured · 10 members
7 share 0.000
Russia0.167Lowest and highest reading in Eastern Europe.
- Northern Europe
0.000
the middle country, of 10 measured · 13 members
9 share 0.000
Latvia0.167Lowest and highest reading in Northern Europe.
- Southern Europe
0.000
the middle country, of 13 measured · 17 members
13 share 0.000
13 share 0.000
Lowest and highest reading in Southern Europe.
- Western Europe
0.000
the middle country, of 7 measured · 9 members
7 share 0.000
7 share 0.000
Lowest and highest reading in Western Europe.
- Caribbean
0.031
the middle country, of 6 measured · 24 members
3 share 0.000
Cuba0.125Lowest and highest reading in Caribbean.
- Central America
0.056
the middle country, of 7 measured · 8 members
3 share 0.000
Honduras0.300Lowest and highest reading in Central America.
- Western Asia
0.094
the middle country, of 17 measured · 19 members
7 share 0.000
Syria0.875Lowest and highest reading in Western Asia.
- South America
0.113
the middle country, of 12 measured · 12 members
4 share 0.000
Venezuela0.375Lowest and highest reading in South America.
- Central Asia
0.125
the middle country, of 5 measured · 5 members
2 share 0.000
Turkmenistan0.167Lowest and highest reading in Central Asia.
- Southern Asia
0.143
the middle country, of 9 measured · 9 members
2 share 0.000
Afghanistan0.600Lowest and highest reading in Southern Asia.
- South-eastern Asia
0.163
the middle country, of 10 measured · 11 members
2 share 0.000
Myanmar1.000Lowest and highest reading in South-eastern Asia.
- Southern Africa
0.167
the middle country, of 5 measured · 5 members
South Africa0.000
Botswana0.500Lowest and highest reading in Southern Africa.
- Eastern Africa
0.214
the middle country, of 19 measured · 19 members
2 share 0.000
Madagascar0.875Lowest and highest reading in Eastern Africa.
- Western Africa
0.333
the middle country, of 16 measured · 16 members
Cabo Verde0.0004 share 1.000
Lowest and highest reading in Western Africa.
- Middle Africa
0.375
the middle country, of 9 measured · 9 members
São Tomé and Príncipe0.0833 share 0.500
Lowest and highest reading in Middle Africa.
- Northern Africa
0.375
the middle country, of 6 measured · 6 members
Morocco0.000
Sudan0.750Lowest and highest reading in Northern Africa.
- Australia and New Zealand
2 of 2 measured — too few for a middle: Australia, New Zealand.
2 share 0.000
2 share 0.000
Lowest and highest reading in Australia and New Zealand.
- Melanesia
4 of 5 measured — too few for a middle: Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu.
3 share 0.000
Fiji0.250Lowest and highest reading in Melanesia.
- Northern America
2 of 4 measured — too few for a middle: Canada, United States.
2 share 0.000
2 share 0.000
Lowest and highest 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 0.100; a quarter are above 0.250, and a quarter below 0.000. The bar in each row marks that continent’s middle country.
04All 176 ever measured
Every country
In order, lowest value first. No rank or position is shown: too many countries share the same value for an order to mean anything. ⚠ Most countries share a reading of exactly 0, so no position is derived — an order in which dozens of countries share one place says nothing. Readings between 0 and 1 mean one of the two conditions holds, or that power is split between a head of state and a head of government on different footings.
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. For most countries the line is flat at zero; where it moves, it moves in steps, usually in the year of a coup or of a return to civilian rule.
- the middle country
- the middle half of countries
- the middle of the 168 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 | 0.100 | 0.000 – 0.250 | 0.100 |
| 2024 | 176 | 0.100 | 0.000 – 0.250 | 0.100 |
| 2023 | 176 | 0.100 | 0.000 – 0.250 | 0.100 |
| 2022 | 176 | 0.109 | 0.000 – 0.223 | 0.111 |
| 2021 | 176 | 0.096 | 0.000 – 0.218 | 0.100 |
| 2020 | 176 | 0.100 | 0.000 – 0.250 | 0.100 |
| 2019 | 176 | 0.090 | 0.000 – 0.222 | 0.096 |
| 2018 | 176 | 0.081 | 0.000 – 0.216 | 0.083 |
| 2017 | 176 | 0.080 | 0.000 – 0.216 | 0.083 |
| 2016 | 176 | 0.100 | 0.000 – 0.223 | 0.100 |
| 2015 | 176 | 0.100 | 0.000 – 0.222 | 0.100 |
| 2014 | 176 | 0.096 | 0.000 – 0.220 | 0.100 |
| 2013 | 176 | 0.096 | 0.000 – 0.216 | 0.100 |
| 2012 | 176 | 0.096 | 0.000 – 0.214 | 0.100 |
| 2011 | 176 | 0.088 | 0.000 – 0.202 | 0.096 |
| 2010 | 175 | 0.100 | 0.000 – 0.208 | 0.104 |
| 2009 | 175 | 0.088 | 0.000 – 0.211 | 0.096 |
| 2008 | 175 | 0.088 | 0.000 – 0.211 | 0.096 |
| 2007 | 175 | 0.088 | 0.000 – 0.208 | 0.096 |
| 2006 | 175 | 0.088 | 0.000 – 0.218 | 0.096 |
| 2005 | 175 | 0.088 | 0.000 – 0.211 | 0.097 |
| 2004 | 175 | 0.083 | 0.000 – 0.214 | 0.100 |
| 2003 | 175 | 0.083 | 0.000 – 0.214 | 0.100 |
| 2002 | 175 | 0.083 | 0.000 – 0.232 | 0.100 |
| 2001 | 175 | 0.083 | 0.000 – 0.232 | 0.100 |
| 2000 | 175 | 0.083 | 0.000 – 0.214 | 0.100 |
| 1999 | 175 | 0.083 | 0.000 – 0.250 | 0.100 |
| 1998 | 174 | 0.092 | 0.000 – 0.250 | 0.100 |
| 1997 | 173 | 0.100 | 0.000 – 0.250 | 0.100 |
| 1996 | 173 | 0.100 | 0.000 – 0.250 | 0.100 |
| 1995 | 173 | 0.100 | 0.000 – 0.250 | 0.100 |
| 1994 | 173 | 0.100 | 0.000 – 0.250 | 0.100 |
| 1993 | 173 | 0.100 | 0.000 – 0.250 | 0.100 |
| 1992 | 172 | 0.100 | 0.000 – 0.286 | 0.100 |
| 1991 | 171 | 0.100 | 0.000 – 0.268 | 0.100 |
| 1990 | 168 | 0.100 | 0.000 – 0.286 | 0.100 |
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 → afterWorsened most
before → after
Guinea-Bissau0.125 → 1.000+0.875- Madagascar0.200 → 0.875+0.675
- Botswana0.250 → 0.500+0.250
Benin0.286 → 0.500+0.214
Republic of the Congo0.300 → 0.500+0.200
176 countries were measured in both 2024 and 2025.
07Across every edition
Military role in government in records
The extremes of the statistic. A record reached by more than one country names none of them.
Highest reading on record
Reached 27 times by 13 countries — shared, so no holder is named
1.000
Military dimension index (0–1; higher = larger military role)
Lowest reading on record
Reached 2377 times by 107 countries — shared, so no holder is named
0.000
Military dimension index (0–1; higher = larger military role)
Biggest improvement between editions
−0.666
0.833 → 0.167
Biggest decline between editions
+0.875
0.125 → 1.000
Most improved since first measured
−0.900
1.000 → 0.100
08The measure
About military role in government
V-Dem's Military Dimension Index asks how far a country's chief executive owes their position to the armed forces: whether they took office through a coup, a rebellion or appointment by the military, and whether the military could remove them. It runs from 0 to 1; a higher figure means a larger military role, and most countries read exactly 0.
What the number is: Military dimension index (0–1; higher = larger military role).
What it does not measure
It concerns who puts the executive in power and can remove it, not military spending or the size of the armed forces.
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 and Peace & Security, but does not help decide any Country Index standing.
Democracy & Civil LibertiesPeace & SecurityWhich statistics vote, and why
Moves with
Where military role in government is higher, these tend to be higher too.
- Informal Employment RateILO · 86 countries in commonρ 0.75
- Coefficient of Human InequalityUNDP Human Development Report Office · 157 countries in commonρ 0.72
- Under-Five Mortality RateKeyUN IGME · 173 countries in commonρ 0.71
Moves against
Where military role in government is higher, these tend to be lower.
- Inequality-adjusted Human Development IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 157 countries in commonρ −0.73
- ND-GAIN Country IndexNotre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), University of Notre Dame · 171 countries in commonρ −0.73
- GNI per Capita (PPP)World Bank Group · 99 countries in commonρ −0.71
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
More from V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg
11Questions
Military role in government: questions and answers
Which country has the lowest military role in government?
76 countries share the lowest reading, 0.000, among the 176 compared in 2025, so no single country is named.
Which country has the highest military role in government?
5 countries share the highest reading, 1.000, among the 176 compared in 2025, so no single country is named.
How many countries does the Military Dimension Index cover?
176 in 2025. The number measured varies from 168 to 176 between editions.
What is the world average military role in government?
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 0.100.
Is this V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg’s own ranking?
No ranking is shown. V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg publishes values only, and too many countries share the same value for an ordering to mean anything, so none is derived.
How often is the Military Dimension 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
Military Dimension 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
- No rank or position is shown: V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg publishes values only, and too many countries share the same value for an ordering to mean anything.
- 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.
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Military role in government by country: Military Dimension Index, data from V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg. https://nationsinquiry.com/statistics/military-dimension