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Centralization of Political Power Index in United Kingdom

United Kingdom: Centralization of Political Power Index was 0.06 in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
0.06
Change on year
down 3.2%
World rank
152nd
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.181
in 1796
All-time low
0.054
in 2020
Years of data
237
1789–2025

Centralization of Political Power Index in United Kingdom, 1789–2025

0.050.10.150.2178919072025

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

Analysis

United Kingdom recorded 0.06 for centralization of political power index in 2025.

That represents a change of down 3.2% on the previous year and up 3.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, centralization of political power index in United Kingdom peaked at 0.181 in 1796 and was at its lowest, 0.054, in 2020.

That places United Kingdom 152nd out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 237 years of available data.

Centralization of Political Power Index in United Kingdom, year by year

Year Value Change
1789 0.163 —
1790 0.179 +9.8%
1791 0.157 -12.3%
1792 0.157 +0.0%
1793 0.157 +0.0%
1794 0.157 +0.0%
1795 0.157 +0.0%
1796 0.181 +15.3%
1797 0.16 -11.6%
1798 0.16 +0.0%
1799 0.16 +0.0%
1800 0.16 +0.0%
1801 0.18 +12.5%
1802 0.18 +0.0%
1803 0.155 -13.9%
1804 0.155 +0.0%
1805 0.155 +0.0%
1806 0.178 +14.8%
1807 0.178 +0.0%
1808 0.16 -10.1%
1809 0.16 +0.0%
1810 0.179 +11.9%
1811 0.155 -13.4%
1812 0.179 +15.5%
1813 0.16 -10.6%
1814 0.16 +0.0%
1815 0.16 +0.0%
1816 0.16 +0.0%
1817 0.16 +0.0%
1818 0.178 +11.2%
1819 0.156 -12.4%
1820 0.177 +13.5%
1821 0.159 -10.2%
1822 0.159 +0.0%
1823 0.159 +0.0%
1824 0.159 +0.0%
1825 0.159 +0.0%
1826 0.174 +9.4%
1827 0.157 -9.8%
1828 0.157 +0.0%
1829 0.157 +0.0%
1830 0.178 +13.4%
1831 0.178 +0.0%
1832 0.178 +0.0%
1833 0.125 -29.8%
1834 0.125 +0.0%
1835 0.142 +13.6%
1836 0.125 -12.0%
1837 0.144 +15.2%
1838 0.128 -11.1%
1839 0.128 +0.0%
1840 0.128 +0.0%
1841 0.141 +10.2%
1842 0.125 -11.3%
1843 0.125 +0.0%
1844 0.125 +0.0%
1845 0.125 +0.0%
1846 0.125 +0.0%
1847 0.147 +17.6%
1848 0.127 -13.6%
1849 0.127 +0.0%
1850 0.127 +0.0%
1851 0.127 +0.0%
1852 0.144 +13.4%
1853 0.125 -13.2%
1854 0.125 +0.0%
1855 0.125 +0.0%
1856 0.125 +0.0%
1857 0.148 +18.4%
1858 0.124 -16.2%
1859 0.146 +17.7%
1860 0.127 -13.0%
1861 0.127 +0.0%
1862 0.127 +0.0%
1863 0.127 +0.0%
1864 0.127 +0.0%
1865 0.144 +13.4%
1866 0.124 -13.9%
1867 0.124 +0.0%
1868 0.148 +19.4%
1869 0.127 -14.2%
1870 0.127 +0.0%
1871 0.127 +0.0%
1872 0.127 +0.0%
1873 0.127 +0.0%
1874 0.143 +12.6%
1875 0.123 -14.0%
1876 0.123 +0.0%
1877 0.123 +0.0%
1878 0.123 +0.0%
1879 0.123 +0.0%
1880 0.143 +16.3%
1881 0.126 -11.9%
1882 0.126 +0.0%
1883 0.126 +0.0%
1884 0.126 +0.0%
1885 0.143 +13.5%
1886 0.143 +0.0%
1887 0.125 -12.6%
1888 0.125 +0.0%
1889 0.125 +0.0%
1890 0.125 +0.0%
1891 0.125 +0.0%
1892 0.146 +16.8%
1893 0.127 -13.0%
1894 0.127 +0.0%
1895 0.141 +11.0%
1896 0.125 -11.3%
1897 0.125 +0.0%
1898 0.125 +0.0%
1899 0.125 +0.0%
1900 0.137 +9.6%
1901 0.137 +0.0%
1902 0.137 +0.0%
1903 0.137 +0.0%
1904 0.137 +0.0%
1905 0.137 +0.0%
1906 0.137 +0.0%
1907 0.137 +0.0%
1908 0.137 +0.0%
1909 0.137 +0.0%
1910 0.137 +0.0%
1911 0.137 +0.0%
1912 0.137 +0.0%
1913 0.137 +0.0%
1914 0.139 +1.5%
1915 0.139 +0.0%
1916 0.139 +0.0%
1917 0.139 +0.0%
1918 0.139 +0.0%
1919 0.131 -5.8%
1920 0.131 +0.0%
1921 0.131 +0.0%
1922 0.131 +0.0%
1923 0.133 +1.5%
1924 0.133 +0.0%
1925 0.133 +0.0%
1926 0.133 +0.0%
1927 0.133 +0.0%
1928 0.133 +0.0%
1929 0.133 +0.0%
1930 0.133 +0.0%
1931 0.133 +0.0%
1932 0.133 +0.0%
1933 0.133 +0.0%
1934 0.133 +0.0%
1935 0.133 +0.0%
1936 0.133 +0.0%
1937 0.133 +0.0%
1938 0.133 +0.0%
1939 0.131 -1.5%
1940 0.153 +16.8%
1941 0.153 +0.0%
1942 0.153 +0.0%
1943 0.153 +0.0%
1944 0.153 +0.0%
1945 0.153 +0.0%
1946 0.116 -24.2%
1947 0.116 +0.0%
1948 0.116 +0.0%
1949 0.116 +0.0%
1950 0.116 +0.0%
1951 0.116 +0.0%
1952 0.116 +0.0%
1953 0.116 +0.0%
1954 0.116 +0.0%
1955 0.116 +0.0%
1956 0.116 +0.0%
1957 0.116 +0.0%
1958 0.116 +0.0%
1959 0.116 +0.0%
1960 0.116 +0.0%
1961 0.116 +0.0%
1962 0.116 +0.0%
1963 0.116 +0.0%
1964 0.097 -16.4%
1965 0.097 +0.0%
1966 0.097 +0.0%
1967 0.097 +0.0%
1968 0.097 +0.0%
1969 0.097 +0.0%
1970 0.097 +0.0%
1971 0.095 -2.1%
1972 0.095 +0.0%
1973 0.095 +0.0%
1974 0.095 +0.0%
1975 0.095 +0.0%
1976 0.095 +0.0%
1977 0.095 +0.0%
1978 0.095 +0.0%
1979 0.096 +1.1%
1980 0.095 -1.0%
1981 0.089 -6.3%
1982 0.089 +0.0%
1983 0.089 +0.0%
1984 0.089 +0.0%
1985 0.089 +0.0%
1986 0.089 +0.0%
1987 0.089 +0.0%
1988 0.089 +0.0%
1989 0.089 +0.0%
1990 0.088 -1.1%
1991 0.088 +0.0%
1992 0.088 +0.0%
1993 0.088 +0.0%
1994 0.085 -3.4%
1995 0.085 +0.0%
1996 0.085 +0.0%
1997 0.089 +4.7%
1998 0.08 -10.1%
1999 0.08 +0.0%
2000 0.064 -20.0%
2001 0.064 +0.0%
2002 0.062 -3.1%
2003 0.062 +0.0%
2004 0.062 +0.0%
2005 0.062 +0.0%
2006 0.065 +4.8%
2007 0.065 +0.0%
2008 0.065 +0.0%
2009 0.065 +0.0%
2010 0.065 +0.0%
2011 0.066 +1.5%
2012 0.062 -6.1%
2013 0.056 -9.7%
2014 0.057 +1.8%
2015 0.058 +1.8%
2016 0.058 +0.0%
2017 0.062 +6.9%
2018 0.06 -3.2%
2019 0.06 +0.0%
2020 0.054 -10.0%
2021 0.064 +18.5%
2022 0.063 -1.6%
2023 0.079 +25.4%
2024 0.062 -21.5%
2025 0.06 -3.2%

United Kingdom compared with similar countries

  • United Kingdom's 0.06 is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.09, 67% of the median. (55 countries reporting)
  • United Kingdom's 0.06 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.1585, 38% of the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1780s 0.163 0.163 0.163 1
1790s 0.1625 0.157 0.181 10
1800s 0.1661 0.155 0.18 10
1810s 0.1647 0.155 0.179 10
1820s 0.1617 0.157 0.177 10
1830s 0.1451 0.125 0.178 10
1840s 0.1295 0.125 0.147 10
1850s 0.1316 0.124 0.148 10
1860s 0.1302 0.124 0.148 10
1870s 0.1266 0.123 0.143 10
1880s 0.1308 0.125 0.143 10
1890s 0.1291 0.125 0.146 10
1900s 0.137 0.137 0.137 10
1910s 0.1374 0.131 0.139 10
1920s 0.1324 0.131 0.133 10
1930s 0.1328 0.131 0.133 10
1940s 0.1382 0.116 0.153 10
1950s 0.116 0.116 0.116 10
1960s 0.1046 0.097 0.116 10
1970s 0.0953 0.095 0.097 10
1980s 0.0896 0.089 0.095 10
1990s 0.0856 0.08 0.089 10
2000s 0.0636 0.062 0.065 10
2010s 0.0604 0.056 0.066 10
2020s 0.0637 0.054 0.079 6

Countries ranked near United Kingdom

  1. 149 South Africa 0.084 compare
  2. 150 Barbados 0.076 compare
  3. 151 Austria 0.075 compare
  4. 152 Portugal 0.06 compare
  5. 154 Guatemala 0.059 compare
  6. 155 Spain 0.05 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More reference data data for United Kingdom

All data for United Kingdom →

Frequently asked questions

What is centralization of political power index in United Kingdom?
Centralization of political power index in United Kingdom was 0.06 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest centralization of political power index recorded in United Kingdom?
The highest recorded value was 0.181 in 1796.
What is the lowest centralization of political power index recorded in United Kingdom?
The lowest recorded value was 0.054 in 2020.
How does United Kingdom rank for centralization of political power index?
United Kingdom ranks 152nd out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is centralization of political power index rising or falling in United Kingdom?
Over the last ten years it is up 3.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
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 Centralization of Political Power Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Centralization of Political Power Index in United Kingdom. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/political-centralization-index/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Centralization of Political Power Index
Source
V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
176 places, 29,802 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed

Central estimate of the extent to which the executive is unconstrained by the legislature, judiciary, electoral management body, and other oversight.