State Capacity Index in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: State Capacity Index was 1.78 in 2015. ▲ Rising
State Capacity Index in United Kingdom, 1960–2015
Source: Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for state capacity index in United Kingdom is 1.78, measured in 2015.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.7% on the previous year and down 5.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, state capacity index in United Kingdom peaked at 1.9 in 2001 and was at its lowest, 0.9566, in 1963.
United Kingdom ranks 17th of 165 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.11 | 0.9566 | 1.42 | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.45 | 1.39 | 1.51 | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.52 | 1.44 | 1.67 | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.78 | 1.64 | 1.89 | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.88 | 1.84 | 1.9 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.82 | 1.78 | 1.88 | 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 state capacity index in United Kingdom?
- State capacity index in United Kingdom was 1.78 in 2015, according to Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest state capacity index recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 1.9 in 2001.
- What is the lowest state capacity index recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.9566 in 1963.
- How does United Kingdom rank for state capacity index?
- United Kingdom ranks 17th out of 165 countries with data for 2015.
- Is state capacity index rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
- The figures come from Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of State Capacity Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measures state capacity by combining 21 different indicators related to three key dimensions: extractive capacity, coercive capacity, and administrative capacity. Higher values indicate greater state capacity.