Free and Fair Elections Index in India

India: Free and Fair Elections Index was 0.495 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
0.495
Change on year
down 0.8%
World rank
94th
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.861
in 2000
All-time low
0
in 1789
Years of data
237
1789–2025

Free and Fair Elections Index in India, 1789–2025

00.20.40.60.8178919072025

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

Analysis

In 2025, free and fair elections index in India stood at 0.495.

That represents a change of down 0.8% on the previous year and down 25.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, free and fair elections index in India peaked at 0.861 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1789.

India ranks 94th 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 0 0 10
1880s 0 0 0 10
1890s 0 0 0 10
1900s 0 0 0 10
1910s 0 0 0 10
1920s 0.4322 0.075 0.501 10
1930s 0.537 0.472 0.598 10
1940s 0.4609 0 0.629 10
1950s 0.6822 0 0.842 10
1960s 0.814 0.793 0.825 10
1970s 0.6863 0.622 0.793 10
1980s 0.7208 0.706 0.738 10
1990s 0.8316 0.782 0.858 10
2000s 0.8446 0.758 0.861 10
2010s 0.672 0.533 0.726 10
2020s 0.4935 0.487 0.499 6

Countries ranked near India

  1. 91 Vietnam 0.527 compare
  2. 92 Indonesia 0.518 compare
  3. 93 Bosnia and Herzegovina 0.511 compare
  4. 95 Kenya 0.493 compare
  5. 96 Guyana 0.489 compare
  6. 97 Albania 0.467 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More reference data data for India

All data for India →

Frequently asked questions

What is free and fair elections index in India?
Free and fair elections index in India was 0.495 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest free and fair elections index recorded in India?
The highest recorded value was 0.861 in 2000.
What is the lowest free and fair elections index recorded in India?
The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1789.
How does India rank for free and fair elections index?
India ranks 94th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is free and fair elections index rising or falling in India?
Over the last ten years it is down 25.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this India 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.