V Dem Democracy Index by Country 2026

Although democracy is a wonderful concept, it’s a complex one, as well, making it difficult to unpack from one country or region to the next. The V-Dem Democracy Index helps take the guesswork out of analyzing and comparing the way democracy manifests from one country to the next. (V-Dem is short for “Varieties of Democracy.”)

Here’s a closer look at some examples of how V-Dem stats play out from one country to the next, as well as some potential contributing factors that can impact them.

V-Dem Democracy Index Stats by Country

The V-Dem Democracy Index consists of five core indices – deliberative democracy, egalitarian democracy, electoral democracy, liberal democracy, and participatory democracy. The higher the V-Dem Democracy Index score, the higher the estimated levels of key democratic features, such as civil liberties, participation, and overall political rights.

As of 2023, the countries with the most consistently high V-Dem Democracy Index scores include the following.

Denmark and Norway

Both Denmark and Norway have V-Dem scores that remain consistently high from year to year – ranging from 0.70 to 0.92 out of a potentially perfect score of 1.00. This suggests that democracy is functioning as it should in these nations, meaning citizens enjoy considerable political rights, are adequately involved in their democratic system, and so forth.

National advantages like strong social systems and comparatively low levels of government corruption help contribute to these scores.

Switzerland

Switzerland is another nation with consistently positive V-Dem scores – ranging from 0.80 to 0.90. Among other features, the Swiss democratic system is known for the way it allows Swiss citizens to enjoy high levels of participation at multiple levels.

The robust protection of each citizen’s inviolable rights is also very important in Switzerland, contributing even further to the nation’s consistently high scores.

Additional countries with V-Dem Democracy Index scores that hold steady toward the high end of the spectrum include Luxembourg, Germany, Costa Rica, France, Belgium, Sweden, Ireland, the Netherlands, Australia, and Finland.

Factors Further Influencing V-Dem Democracy Indices

Other contributors to a high national V-Dem score are predictably also signs of a healthy democratic system overall. They include but are not limited to:

• Electoral Integrity: Electoral processes that are transparent from start to finish lead to high overall levels of democratic health.
• Civil Liberties: The greater the overall value placed on the individual rights and liberties of citizens, the healthier the democracy in that nation.
• Participation Rates: When a country’s people are engaged and excited to participate in their democratic system, that’s a sign that democracy is doing well in that country.