Legislative Checks on Government Index in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Legislative Checks on Government Index was 0.95 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Legislative Checks on Government Index in United Kingdom, 1789–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for legislative checks on government index in United Kingdom is 0.95, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.4% on the previous year and down 0.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, legislative checks on government index in United Kingdom peaked at 0.964 in 2019 and was at its lowest, 0.765, in 1939.
United Kingdom ranks 10th of 174 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 237 years of available data.
Legislative Checks on Government Index in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1789 | 0.792 | — |
| 1790 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1791 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1792 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1793 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1794 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1795 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1796 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1797 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1798 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1799 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1800 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1801 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1802 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1803 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1804 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1805 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1806 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1807 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1808 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1809 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1810 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1811 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1812 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1813 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1814 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1815 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1816 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1817 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1818 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1819 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1820 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1821 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1822 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1823 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1824 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1825 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1826 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1827 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1828 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1829 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1830 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1831 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1832 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1833 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1834 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1835 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1836 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1837 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1838 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1839 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1840 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1841 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1842 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1843 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1844 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1845 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1846 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1847 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1848 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1849 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1850 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1851 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1852 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1853 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1854 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1855 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1856 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1857 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1858 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1859 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1860 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1861 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1862 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1863 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1864 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1865 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1866 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1867 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1868 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1869 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1870 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1871 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1872 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1873 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1874 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1875 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1876 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1877 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1878 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1879 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1880 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1881 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1882 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1883 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1884 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1885 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1886 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1887 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1888 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1889 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1890 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1891 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1892 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1893 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1894 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1895 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1896 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1897 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1898 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1899 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1900 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1901 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1902 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1903 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1904 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1905 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1906 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1907 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1908 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1909 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1910 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1911 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1912 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1913 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1914 | 0.784 | -1.0% |
| 1915 | 0.784 | +0.0% |
| 1916 | 0.784 | +0.0% |
| 1917 | 0.784 | +0.0% |
| 1918 | 0.784 | +0.0% |
| 1919 | 0.786 | +0.3% |
| 1920 | 0.786 | +0.0% |
| 1921 | 0.786 | +0.0% |
| 1922 | 0.786 | +0.0% |
| 1923 | 0.792 | +0.8% |
| 1924 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1925 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1926 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1927 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1928 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1929 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1930 | 0.792 | +0.0% |
| 1931 | 0.768 | -3.0% |
| 1932 | 0.768 | +0.0% |
| 1933 | 0.768 | +0.0% |
| 1934 | 0.768 | +0.0% |
| 1935 | 0.768 | +0.0% |
| 1936 | 0.768 | +0.0% |
| 1937 | 0.768 | +0.0% |
| 1938 | 0.768 | +0.0% |
| 1939 | 0.765 | -0.4% |
| 1940 | 0.765 | +0.0% |
| 1941 | 0.765 | +0.0% |
| 1942 | 0.765 | +0.0% |
| 1943 | 0.765 | +0.0% |
| 1944 | 0.765 | +0.0% |
| 1945 | 0.779 | +1.8% |
| 1946 | 0.788 | +1.2% |
| 1947 | 0.788 | +0.0% |
| 1948 | 0.788 | +0.0% |
| 1949 | 0.788 | +0.0% |
| 1950 | 0.788 | +0.0% |
| 1951 | 0.788 | +0.0% |
| 1952 | 0.788 | +0.0% |
| 1953 | 0.788 | +0.0% |
| 1954 | 0.788 | +0.0% |
| 1955 | 0.788 | +0.0% |
| 1956 | 0.788 | +0.0% |
| 1957 | 0.788 | +0.0% |
| 1958 | 0.788 | +0.0% |
| 1959 | 0.788 | +0.0% |
| 1960 | 0.788 | +0.0% |
| 1961 | 0.788 | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 0.788 | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 0.788 | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 0.862 | +9.4% |
| 1965 | 0.862 | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 0.862 | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 0.862 | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 0.862 | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 0.862 | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 0.862 | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 0.885 | +2.7% |
| 1972 | 0.885 | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 0.885 | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 0.899 | +1.6% |
| 1975 | 0.899 | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 0.899 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 0.899 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 0.899 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 0.881 | -2.0% |
| 1980 | 0.881 | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 0.921 | +4.5% |
| 1982 | 0.921 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 0.921 | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 0.921 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 0.921 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 0.921 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 0.921 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 0.921 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 0.921 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 0.925 | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 0.925 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 0.925 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 0.951 | +2.8% |
| 1994 | 0.952 | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 0.952 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 0.952 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 0.951 | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 0.951 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 0.951 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 0.951 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 0.951 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.95 | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 0.95 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 0.95 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 0.95 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 0.952 | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 0.952 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 0.952 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 0.952 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 0.952 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 0.955 | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 0.955 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 0.955 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 0.955 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 0.955 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 0.955 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 0.955 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 0.955 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 0.964 | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 0.951 | -1.3% |
| 2021 | 0.945 | -0.6% |
| 2022 | 0.938 | -0.7% |
| 2023 | 0.946 | +0.9% |
| 2024 | 0.937 | -1.0% |
| 2025 | 0.95 | +1.4% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 0.95 is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.871, 1.1× the median. (55 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 0.95 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.8195, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1780s | 0.792 | 0.792 | 0.792 | 1 |
| 1790s | 0.792 | 0.792 | 0.792 | 10 |
| 1800s | 0.792 | 0.792 | 0.792 | 10 |
| 1810s | 0.792 | 0.792 | 0.792 | 10 |
| 1820s | 0.792 | 0.792 | 0.792 | 10 |
| 1830s | 0.792 | 0.792 | 0.792 | 10 |
| 1840s | 0.792 | 0.792 | 0.792 | 10 |
| 1850s | 0.792 | 0.792 | 0.792 | 10 |
| 1860s | 0.792 | 0.792 | 0.792 | 10 |
| 1870s | 0.792 | 0.792 | 0.792 | 10 |
| 1880s | 0.792 | 0.792 | 0.792 | 10 |
| 1890s | 0.792 | 0.792 | 0.792 | 10 |
| 1900s | 0.792 | 0.792 | 0.792 | 10 |
| 1910s | 0.7874 | 0.784 | 0.792 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.7902 | 0.786 | 0.792 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.7701 | 0.765 | 0.792 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.7756 | 0.765 | 0.788 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.788 | 0.788 | 0.788 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.8324 | 0.788 | 0.862 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.8893 | 0.862 | 0.899 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.917 | 0.881 | 0.921 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.9435 | 0.925 | 0.952 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.951 | 0.95 | 0.952 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.9556 | 0.952 | 0.964 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.9445 | 0.937 | 0.951 | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
- 7 Costa Rica 0.956 compare
- 7 Netherlands 0.956 compare
- 7 Switzerland 0.956 compare
- 11 France 0.946 compare
- 12 South Korea 0.942 compare
- 13 Australia 0.94 compare
More reference data data for United Kingdom
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.13 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 3.97 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 13.26 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.01 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 13.26 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 10.5 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 6.51 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 15.81 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 59.34 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 5.48 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is legislative checks on government index in United Kingdom?
- Legislative checks on government index in United Kingdom was 0.95 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest legislative checks on government index recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 0.964 in 2019.
- What is the lowest legislative checks on government index recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.765 in 1939.
- How does United Kingdom rank for legislative checks on government index?
- United Kingdom ranks 10th out of 174 countries with data for 2025.
- Is legislative checks on government index rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
- The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Legislative Checks on Government 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
Central estimate of the extent to which the legislature, including opposition parties, questions executive officials and oversees and investigates the executive.