Free and Fair Elections Index in Bulgaria

Bulgaria: Free and Fair Elections Index was 0.64 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
0.64
Change on year
down 7.4%
World rank
76th
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.812
in 2016
All-time low
0
in 1789
Years of data
237
1789–2025

Free and Fair Elections Index in Bulgaria, 1789–2025

00.20.40.60.8178919072025

Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for free and fair elections index in Bulgaria is 0.64, measured in 2025.

That represents a change of down 7.4% on the previous year and down 21.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, free and fair elections index in Bulgaria peaked at 0.812 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1789.

Bulgaria ranks 76th of 176 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1780s 0 0 0 1
1790s 0 0 0 10
1800s 0 0 0 10
1810s 0 0 0 10
1820s 0 0 0 10
1830s 0 0 0 10
1840s 0 0 0 10
1850s 0 0 0 10
1860s 0 0 0 10
1870s 0.054 0 0.54 10
1880s 0.1614 0.008 0.455 10
1890s 0.1386 0.058 0.226 10
1900s 0.2166 0.104 0.311 10
1910s 0.2435 0.196 0.311 10
1920s 0.2239 0.128 0.269 10
1930s 0.1263 0 0.243 10
1940s 0.1722 0.024 0.233 10
1950s 0.2682 0.223 0.319 10
1960s 0.304 0.282 0.311 10
1970s 0.3017 0.296 0.311 10
1980s 0.3039 0.296 0.306 10
1990s 0.7179 0.515 0.786 10
2000s 0.7885 0.765 0.796 10
2010s 0.7615 0.732 0.812 10
2020s 0.7272 0.64 0.772 6

Countries ranked near Bulgaria

  1. 73 Moldova 0.662 compare
  2. 74 Romania 0.658 compare
  3. 75 Maldives 0.643 compare
  4. 77 Benin 0.638 compare
  5. 78 Paraguay 0.633 compare
  6. 79 Montenegro 0.608 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More reference data data for Bulgaria

All data for Bulgaria →

Frequently asked questions

What is free and fair elections index in Bulgaria?
Free and fair elections index in Bulgaria was 0.64 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest free and fair elections index recorded in Bulgaria?
The highest recorded value was 0.812 in 2016.
What is the lowest free and fair elections index recorded in Bulgaria?
The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1789.
How does Bulgaria rank for free and fair elections index?
Bulgaria ranks 76th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is free and fair elections index rising or falling in Bulgaria?
Over the last ten years it is down 21.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Free and Fair Elections Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 237 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Free and Fair Elections Index
Source
V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
176 places, 30,402 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed

Central estimate of the extent to which registration fraud, systematic irregularities, government intimidation of the opposition, vote buying, and election violence are absent, and the election management body is autonomous and has enough staff and resources.