Democracy in Russia
Russia: Democracy was 1 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Democracy in Russia, 1789–2025
Source: Lexical Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for democracy in Russia is 1, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 66.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, democracy in Russia peaked at 6 in 1993 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1789.
That places Russia 159th out of 197 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom 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 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1800s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1810s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1820s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1830s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1840s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1850s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1860s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1870s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1880s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1890s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1900s | 0.4 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| 1910s | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| 1920s | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| 1930s | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| 1940s | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| 1950s | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| 1960s | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| 1970s | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| 1980s | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.1 | 3 | 6 | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.2 | 3 | 6 | 10 |
| 2010s | 3 | 3 | 3 | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.67 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Russia
- 159 Belarus 1 compare
- 159 Cambodia 1 compare
- 159 Cuba 1 compare
- 159 Eswatini 1 compare
- 159 Guinea 1 compare
- 159 Laos 1 compare
- 159 Nicaragua 1 compare
- 159 North Korea 1 compare
- 159 Oman 1 compare
- 159 Syria 1 compare
- 159 Tunisia 1 compare
- 159 Turkmenistan 1 compare
- 159 Venezuela 1 compare
- 159 Vietnam 1 compare
- 159 Western Sahara 1 compare
More reference data data for Russia
- Spring temperature anomalies 1.87 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 1.68 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month -1.2 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 1.03 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.367 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 283.02 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 0 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is democracy in Russia?
- Democracy in Russia was 1 in 2025, according to Lexical Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest democracy recorded in Russia?
- The highest recorded value was 6 in 1993.
- What is the lowest democracy recorded in Russia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1789.
- How does Russia rank for democracy?
- Russia ranks 159th out of 197 countries with data for 2025.
- Is democracy rising or falling in Russia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 66.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Russia data come from?
- The figures come from Lexical Index (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
Identifies the political regime of a country. It distinguishes between non-electoral autocracies (score 0), one-party autocracies (score 1), multi-party autocracies without elected executive (score 2), multi-party autocracies (score 3), exclusive democracies (score 4), male democracies (score 5), electoral democracies (score 6), and full democracies (score 7).