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Centralization of Political Power Index in United States

United States: Centralization of Political Power Index was 0.153 in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
0.153
Change on year
up 86.6%
World rank
128th
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.233
in 1798
All-time low
0.034
in 2013
Years of data
237
1789–2025

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

0.050.10.150.20.25178919072025

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

Analysis

United States recorded 0.153 for centralization of political power index in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 86.6% on the previous year and up 313.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, centralization of political power index in United States peaked at 0.233 in 1798 and was at its lowest, 0.034, in 2013.

That places United States 128th out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

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

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

Year Value Change
1789 0.166 —
1790 0.166 +0.0%
1791 0.166 +0.0%
1792 0.166 +0.0%
1793 0.166 +0.0%
1794 0.166 +0.0%
1795 0.166 +0.0%
1796 0.166 +0.0%
1797 0.166 +0.0%
1798 0.233 +40.4%
1799 0.233 +0.0%
1800 0.168 -27.9%
1801 0.168 +0.0%
1802 0.168 +0.0%
1803 0.168 +0.0%
1804 0.168 +0.0%
1805 0.168 +0.0%
1806 0.168 +0.0%
1807 0.168 +0.0%
1808 0.168 +0.0%
1809 0.168 +0.0%
1810 0.168 +0.0%
1811 0.168 +0.0%
1812 0.168 +0.0%
1813 0.168 +0.0%
1814 0.168 +0.0%
1815 0.168 +0.0%
1816 0.168 +0.0%
1817 0.168 +0.0%
1818 0.168 +0.0%
1819 0.168 +0.0%
1820 0.168 +0.0%
1821 0.168 +0.0%
1822 0.168 +0.0%
1823 0.168 +0.0%
1824 0.168 +0.0%
1825 0.168 +0.0%
1826 0.168 +0.0%
1827 0.168 +0.0%
1828 0.161 -4.2%
1829 0.161 +0.0%
1830 0.161 +0.0%
1831 0.161 +0.0%
1832 0.161 +0.0%
1833 0.161 +0.0%
1834 0.161 +0.0%
1835 0.161 +0.0%
1836 0.161 +0.0%
1837 0.161 +0.0%
1838 0.161 +0.0%
1839 0.161 +0.0%
1840 0.161 +0.0%
1841 0.161 +0.0%
1842 0.161 +0.0%
1843 0.161 +0.0%
1844 0.161 +0.0%
1845 0.161 +0.0%
1846 0.161 +0.0%
1847 0.161 +0.0%
1848 0.161 +0.0%
1849 0.161 +0.0%
1850 0.161 +0.0%
1851 0.161 +0.0%
1852 0.161 +0.0%
1853 0.161 +0.0%
1854 0.161 +0.0%
1855 0.161 +0.0%
1856 0.161 +0.0%
1857 0.161 +0.0%
1858 0.161 +0.0%
1859 0.161 +0.0%
1860 0.161 +0.0%
1861 0.223 +38.5%
1862 0.223 +0.0%
1863 0.223 +0.0%
1864 0.223 +0.0%
1865 0.223 +0.0%
1866 0.123 -44.8%
1867 0.123 +0.0%
1868 0.123 +0.0%
1869 0.123 +0.0%
1870 0.123 +0.0%
1871 0.123 +0.0%
1872 0.123 +0.0%
1873 0.123 +0.0%
1874 0.123 +0.0%
1875 0.123 +0.0%
1876 0.123 +0.0%
1877 0.123 +0.0%
1878 0.123 +0.0%
1879 0.123 +0.0%
1880 0.123 +0.0%
1881 0.123 +0.0%
1882 0.123 +0.0%
1883 0.123 +0.0%
1884 0.123 +0.0%
1885 0.123 +0.0%
1886 0.123 +0.0%
1887 0.123 +0.0%
1888 0.123 +0.0%
1889 0.123 +0.0%
1890 0.123 +0.0%
1891 0.123 +0.0%
1892 0.123 +0.0%
1893 0.123 +0.0%
1894 0.123 +0.0%
1895 0.092 -25.2%
1896 0.092 +0.0%
1897 0.092 +0.0%
1898 0.092 +0.0%
1899 0.092 +0.0%
1900 0.092 +0.0%
1901 0.092 +0.0%
1902 0.092 +0.0%
1903 0.092 +0.0%
1904 0.092 +0.0%
1905 0.092 +0.0%
1906 0.092 +0.0%
1907 0.092 +0.0%
1908 0.092 +0.0%
1909 0.092 +0.0%
1910 0.092 +0.0%
1911 0.091 -1.1%
1912 0.091 +0.0%
1913 0.091 +0.0%
1914 0.091 +0.0%
1915 0.091 +0.0%
1916 0.091 +0.0%
1917 0.096 +5.5%
1918 0.096 +0.0%
1919 0.096 +0.0%
1920 0.111 +15.6%
1921 0.111 +0.0%
1922 0.111 +0.0%
1923 0.105 -5.4%
1924 0.105 +0.0%
1925 0.11 +4.8%
1926 0.11 +0.0%
1927 0.11 +0.0%
1928 0.11 +0.0%
1929 0.105 -4.5%
1930 0.096 -8.6%
1931 0.096 +0.0%
1932 0.093 -3.1%
1933 0.096 +3.2%
1934 0.096 +0.0%
1935 0.096 +0.0%
1936 0.096 +0.0%
1937 0.107 +11.5%
1938 0.107 +0.0%
1939 0.107 +0.0%
1940 0.111 +3.7%
1941 0.111 +0.0%
1942 0.111 +0.0%
1943 0.111 +0.0%
1944 0.111 +0.0%
1945 0.094 -15.3%
1946 0.08 -14.9%
1947 0.076 -5.0%
1948 0.078 +2.6%
1949 0.076 -2.6%
1950 0.076 +0.0%
1951 0.076 +0.0%
1952 0.076 +0.0%
1953 0.077 +1.3%
1954 0.077 +0.0%
1955 0.111 +44.2%
1956 0.111 +0.0%
1957 0.111 +0.0%
1958 0.111 +0.0%
1959 0.111 +0.0%
1960 0.111 +0.0%
1961 0.111 +0.0%
1962 0.111 +0.0%
1963 0.111 +0.0%
1964 0.111 +0.0%
1965 0.111 +0.0%
1966 0.111 +0.0%
1967 0.111 +0.0%
1968 0.111 +0.0%
1969 0.083 -25.2%
1970 0.07 -15.7%
1971 0.07 +0.0%
1972 0.07 +0.0%
1973 0.06 -14.3%
1974 0.059 -1.7%
1975 0.049 -16.9%
1976 0.049 +0.0%
1977 0.051 +4.1%
1978 0.051 +0.0%
1979 0.051 +0.0%
1980 0.051 +0.0%
1981 0.053 +3.9%
1982 0.053 +0.0%
1983 0.053 +0.0%
1984 0.053 +0.0%
1985 0.053 +0.0%
1986 0.05 -5.7%
1987 0.05 +0.0%
1988 0.05 +0.0%
1989 0.05 +0.0%
1990 0.05 +0.0%
1991 0.05 +0.0%
1992 0.05 +0.0%
1993 0.05 +0.0%
1994 0.05 +0.0%
1995 0.049 -2.0%
1996 0.049 +0.0%
1997 0.049 +0.0%
1998 0.049 +0.0%
1999 0.049 +0.0%
2000 0.043 -12.2%
2001 0.044 +2.3%
2002 0.044 +0.0%
2003 0.044 +0.0%
2004 0.044 +0.0%
2005 0.044 +0.0%
2006 0.044 +0.0%
2007 0.045 +2.3%
2008 0.043 -4.4%
2009 0.041 -4.7%
2010 0.04 -2.4%
2011 0.04 +0.0%
2012 0.04 +0.0%
2013 0.034 -15.0%
2014 0.037 +8.8%
2015 0.037 +0.0%
2016 0.034 -8.1%
2017 0.064 +88.2%
2018 0.062 -3.1%
2019 0.061 -1.6%
2020 0.075 +23.0%
2021 0.061 -18.7%
2022 0.061 +0.0%
2023 0.053 -13.1%
2024 0.082 +54.7%
2025 0.153 +86.6%

United States compared with similar countries

  • United States's 0.153 is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.09, 1.7× the median. (55 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1780s 0.166 0.166 0.166 1
1790s 0.1794 0.166 0.233 10
1800s 0.168 0.168 0.168 10
1810s 0.168 0.168 0.168 10
1820s 0.1666 0.161 0.168 10
1830s 0.161 0.161 0.161 10
1840s 0.161 0.161 0.161 10
1850s 0.161 0.161 0.161 10
1860s 0.1768 0.123 0.223 10
1870s 0.123 0.123 0.123 10
1880s 0.123 0.123 0.123 10
1890s 0.1075 0.092 0.123 10
1900s 0.092 0.092 0.092 10
1910s 0.0926 0.091 0.096 10
1920s 0.1088 0.105 0.111 10
1930s 0.099 0.093 0.107 10
1940s 0.0959 0.076 0.111 10
1950s 0.0937 0.076 0.111 10
1960s 0.1082 0.083 0.111 10
1970s 0.058 0.049 0.07 10
1980s 0.0516 0.05 0.053 10
1990s 0.0495 0.049 0.05 10
2000s 0.0436 0.041 0.045 10
2010s 0.0449 0.034 0.064 10
2020s 0.0808 0.053 0.153 6

Countries ranked near United States

  1. 125 Italy 0.162 compare
  2. 126 Suriname 0.156 compare
  3. 127 Slovakia 0.155 compare
  4. 128 Taiwan 0.153 compare
  5. 130 Ghana 0.149 compare
  6. 131 Gambia 0.134 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More reference data data for United States

All data for United States →

Frequently asked questions

What is centralization of political power index in United States?
Centralization of political power index in United States was 0.153 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 States?
The highest recorded value was 0.233 in 1798.
What is the lowest centralization of political power index recorded in United States?
The lowest recorded value was 0.034 in 2013.
How does United States rank for centralization of political power index?
United States ranks 128th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is centralization of political power index rising or falling in United States?
Over the last ten years it is up 313.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this United States 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 States. 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-states/

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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.