V-Dem Democracy Indices

The Democracy Indices by V-Dem are democracy indices published by the V-Dem Institute that describe qualities of different democracies. It is published annually.

Datasets analyze 251 indices and consist of 531 specific indicators (which are a set of fixed, multiple choice survey questions) focusing on both qualitative and quantitative measurements of democracy. These survey questions were carefully developed and adjusted during a concept and planning phase from 2008 to 2013, before the project officially went live with annual data collection in 2014. V-Dem utilizes historical data dating back to the 1800s for some countries, multiple coders for each question, and large measurement models. They use several key principles: electoral, liberal, majoritarian, consensual, participatory, deliberative, and egalitarian, with variables describing various aspects of government, especially on the quality of democracy, inclusivity, and other economic indicators. In 2025, the V-Dem index had 531 indicators and 251 high-level indices covering 202 polities from the period of 1789–2025. As of 2026, 74% of the world is under authoritarian rule.