Free and Fair Elections Index in Ireland

Ireland: Free and Fair Elections Index was 0.945 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
0.945
Change on year
down 0.8%
Rank
13th
of 176 regions
All-time high
0.953
in 2024
All-time low
0
in 1789
Years of data
237
1789–2025

Free and Fair Elections Index in Ireland, 1789–2025

00.20.40.60.81178919072025

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for free and fair elections index in Ireland is 0.945, measured in 2025.

The figure is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 0.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, free and fair elections index in Ireland peaked at 0.953 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1789.

Ireland ranks 13th of 176 regions 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 0.1735 0.119 0.219 10
1800s 0.1928 0.174 0.223 10
1810s 0.1928 0.175 0.222 10
1820s 0.1804 0.17 0.216 10
1830s 0.2674 0.216 0.318 10
1840s 0.282 0.272 0.316 10
1850s 0.2866 0.275 0.315 10
1860s 0.3112 0.278 0.362 10
1870s 0.3728 0.338 0.411 10
1880s 0.5267 0.466 0.608 10
1890s 0.6682 0.608 0.694 10
1900s 0.7165 0.697 0.72 10
1910s 0.6489 0 0.721 10
1920s 0.7011 0 0.842 10
1930s 0.8571 0.842 0.862 10
1940s 0.8679 0.859 0.875 10
1950s 0.8801 0.874 0.886 10
1960s 0.9081 0.885 0.915 10
1970s 0.9111 0.907 0.915 10
1980s 0.9224 0.911 0.931 10
1990s 0.9285 0.922 0.935 10
2000s 0.9401 0.935 0.951 10
2010s 0.9435 0.933 0.951 10
2020s 0.947 0.936 0.953 6

Countries ranked near Ireland

  1. 11 Estonia 0.952 compare
  2. 12 Uruguay 0.947 compare
  3. 13 Italy 0.945 compare
  4. 13 Sweden 0.945 compare
  5. 16 Canada 0.944 compare
  6. 16 Costa Rica 0.944 compare
  7. 16 Greece 0.944 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More reference data data for Ireland

All data for Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is free and fair elections index in Ireland?
Free and fair elections index in Ireland was 0.945 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest free and fair elections index recorded in Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 0.953 in 2024.
What is the lowest free and fair elections index recorded in Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1789.
How does Ireland rank for free and fair elections index?
Ireland ranks 13th out of 176 regions with data for 2025.
Is free and fair elections index rising or falling in Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is down 0.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Ireland 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.