Free and Fair Elections Index in Germany

Germany: Free and Fair Elections Index was 0.957 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
0.957
Change on year
up 1.3%
World rank
6th
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.985
in 2010
All-time low
0
in 1789
Years of data
191
1789–2025

Free and Fair Elections Index in Germany, 1789–2025

00.20.40.60.81178919072025

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

Analysis

Germany recorded 0.957 for free and fair elections index in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.3% on the previous year and down 1.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, free and fair elections index in Germany peaked at 0.985 in 2010 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1789.

Germany ranks 6th of 176 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

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 0.0546 0 0.327 10
1850s 0.327 0.327 0.327 10
1860s 0.3531 0.327 0.417 10
1870s 0.4177 0.41 0.423 10
1880s 0.4142 0.41 0.419 10
1890s 0.411 0.405 0.416 10
1900s 0.5096 0.416 0.563 10
1910s 0.5636 0.554 0.606 10
1920s 0.6453 0.627 0.662 10
1930s 0.2106 0 0.609 10
1940s 0 0 0 5
1990s 0.9806 0.98 0.981 9
2000s 0.9823 0.981 0.984 10
2010s 0.9759 0.969 0.985 10
2020s 0.9588 0.945 0.973 6

Countries ranked near Germany

  1. 3 Australia 0.962 compare
  2. 4 Denmark 0.961 compare
  3. 4 Finland 0.961 compare
  4. 7 Chile 0.956 compare
  5. 7 Spain 0.956 compare
  6. 9 Netherlands 0.954 compare
  7. 9 New Zealand 0.954 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More reference data data for Germany

All data for Germany →

Frequently asked questions

What is free and fair elections index in Germany?
Free and fair elections index in Germany was 0.957 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest free and fair elections index recorded in Germany?
The highest recorded value was 0.985 in 2010.
What is the lowest free and fair elections index recorded in Germany?
The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1789.
How does Germany rank for free and fair elections index?
Germany ranks 6th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is free and fair elections index rising or falling in Germany?
Over the last ten years it is down 1.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Germany 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 — 191 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.