Strong Civil Society Index in Estonia

Estonia: Strong Civil Society Index was 0.962 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
0.962
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
7th
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.967
in 2021
All-time low
0.012
in 1940
Years of data
237
1789–2025

Strong Civil Society Index in Estonia, 1789–2025

00.20.40.60.81178919072025

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

Analysis

In 2025, strong civil society index in Estonia stood at 0.962.

The figure is down 0.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, strong civil society index in Estonia peaked at 0.967 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 0.012, in 1940.

That places Estonia 7th out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1780s 0.118 0.118 0.118 1
1790s 0.118 0.118 0.118 10
1800s 0.118 0.118 0.118 10
1810s 0.118 0.118 0.118 10
1820s 0.118 0.118 0.118 10
1830s 0.118 0.118 0.118 10
1840s 0.118 0.118 0.118 10
1850s 0.118 0.118 0.118 10
1860s 0.196 0.118 0.274 10
1870s 0.274 0.274 0.274 10
1880s 0.274 0.274 0.274 10
1890s 0.3436 0.274 0.398 10
1900s 0.2567 0.223 0.289 10
1910s 0.3749 0.194 0.813 10
1920s 0.8592 0.814 0.937 10
1930s 0.5671 0.387 0.826 10
1940s 0.012 0.012 0.012 10
1950s 0.0204 0.012 0.026 10
1960s 0.0246 0.024 0.026 10
1970s 0.024 0.024 0.024 10
1980s 0.1093 0.024 0.266 10
1990s 0.9242 0.849 0.945 10
2000s 0.9506 0.945 0.953 10
2010s 0.9609 0.953 0.966 10
2020s 0.9635 0.962 0.967 6

Countries ranked near Estonia

  1. 4 Iceland 0.964 compare
  2. 5 Sweden 0.963 compare
  3. 8 Switzerland 0.956 compare
  4. 9 Costa Rica 0.954 compare
  5. 10 Japan 0.95 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More reference data data for Estonia

All data for Estonia →

Frequently asked questions

What is strong civil society index in Estonia?
Strong civil society index in Estonia was 0.962 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest strong civil society index recorded in Estonia?
The highest recorded value was 0.967 in 2021.
What is the lowest strong civil society index recorded in Estonia?
The lowest recorded value was 0.012 in 1940.
How does Estonia rank for strong civil society index?
Estonia ranks 7th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is strong civil society index rising or falling in Estonia?
Over the last ten years it is down 0.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Estonia data come from?
The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Strong Civil Society Index. 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

Indicator
Strong Civil Society Index
Source
V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
176 places, 30,138 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed

Data by V-Dem. Expert estimates of the extent to which interest groups, labor unions, charities, and other civil society organizations are autonomous from the state and can freely pursue their goals. The index ranges from 0 to 1 (strongest).