Democracy in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Democracy was 7 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Democracy in United Kingdom, 1789–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for democracy in United Kingdom is 7, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 22.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, democracy in United Kingdom peaked at 9 in 1919 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1789.
United Kingdom ranks 32nd of 176 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1780s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1790s | 3 | 3 | 3 | 10 |
| 1800s | 3 | 3 | 3 | 10 |
| 1810s | 3 | 3 | 3 | 10 |
| 1820s | 3 | 3 | 3 | 10 |
| 1830s | 3 | 3 | 3 | 10 |
| 1840s | 3 | 3 | 3 | 10 |
| 1850s | 3 | 3 | 3 | 10 |
| 1860s | 3 | 3 | 3 | 10 |
| 1870s | 3 | 3 | 3 | 10 |
| 1880s | 3 | 3 | 3 | 10 |
| 1890s | 3.6 | 3 | 4 | 10 |
| 1900s | 4 | 4 | 4 | 10 |
| 1910s | 4.1 | 3 | 9 | 10 |
| 1920s | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 |
| 1930s | 8.1 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 1940s | 8.4 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 1950s | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 |
| 1960s | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 |
| 1970s | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 |
| 1980s | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 |
| 1990s | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 |
| 2000s | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 |
| 2010s | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 |
| 2020s | 8 | 7 | 9 | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More reference data data for United Kingdom
- Spring temperature anomalies 1.37 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 2.09 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month -0.4402 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies -0.1504 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 1.74 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 153.13 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is democracy in United Kingdom?
- Democracy in United Kingdom was 7 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest democracy recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 9 in 1919.
- What is the lowest democracy recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1789.
- How does United Kingdom rank for democracy?
- United Kingdom ranks 32nd out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
- Is democracy rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- 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 Democracy. 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
Political regime of a country using the Regimes of the World classification by political scientists Anna Lührmann, Marcus Tannenberg and Staffan Lindberg, including ambiguous categories.