Political civil liberties index in United Kingdom

United Kingdom: Political civil liberties index was 0.858 in 2025. β–² Rising

Latest (2025)
0.858
Change on year
down 5.9%
World rank
58th
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.956
in 2006
All-time low
0.517
in 1819
Years of data
237
1789–2025

Political civil liberties index in United Kingdom, 1789–2025

00.20.40.60.81178919072025

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for political civil liberties index in United Kingdom is 0.858, measured in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.9% on the previous year and down 8.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, political civil liberties index in United Kingdom peaked at 0.956 in 2006 and was at its lowest, 0.517, in 1819.

That places United Kingdom 58th out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1780s 0.69 0.69 0.69 1
1790s 0.6491 0.625 0.69 10
1800s 0.625 0.625 0.625 10
1810s 0.6037 0.517 0.625 10
1820s 0.6343 0.556 0.726 10
1830s 0.7001 0.697 0.728 10
1840s 0.789 0.789 0.789 10
1850s 0.8201 0.803 0.822 10
1860s 0.822 0.822 0.822 10
1870s 0.8464 0.831 0.853 10
1880s 0.853 0.853 0.853 10
1890s 0.8554 0.853 0.865 10
1900s 0.8736 0.872 0.876 10
1910s 0.8611 0.848 0.875 10
1920s 0.8697 0.869 0.87 10
1930s 0.8702 0.851 0.873 10
1940s 0.8744 0.851 0.913 10
1950s 0.92 0.92 0.92 10
1960s 0.9196 0.908 0.93 10
1970s 0.908 0.908 0.908 10
1980s 0.894 0.894 0.894 10
1990s 0.9024 0.899 0.933 10
2000s 0.9532 0.946 0.956 10
2010s 0.9486 0.942 0.956 10
2020s 0.922 0.858 0.949 6

Countries ranked near United Kingdom

  1. 55 Nepal 0.863 compare
  2. 55 Nigeria 0.863 compare
  3. 57 Kenya 0.86 compare
  4. 59 Lesotho, Kingdom of 0.857 compare
  5. 60 Guatemala 0.856 compare
  6. 61 Guyana 0.855 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places β†’

More reference data data for United Kingdom

All data for United Kingdom β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is political civil liberties index in United Kingdom?
Political civil liberties index in United Kingdom was 0.858 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest political civil liberties index recorded in United Kingdom?
The highest recorded value was 0.956 in 2006.
What is the lowest political civil liberties index recorded in United Kingdom?
The lowest recorded value was 0.517 in 1819.
How does United Kingdom rank for political civil liberties index?
United Kingdom ranks 58th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is political civil liberties index rising or falling in United Kingdom?
Over the last ten years it is down 8.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Political civil liberties index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Political civil liberties index in United Kingdom. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 19 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/political-civil-liberties-index/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Political civil liberties index
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
176 places, 30,211 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed