Strong Civil Society Index in Germany

Germany: Strong Civil Society Index was 0.863 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
0.863
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
49th
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.889
in 2019
All-time low
0.015
in 1934
Years of data
191
1789–2025

Strong Civil Society Index in Germany, 1789–2025

00.20.40.60.8178919072025

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

Analysis

In 2025, strong civil society index in Germany stood at 0.863.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, strong civil society index in Germany peaked at 0.889 in 2019 and was at its lowest, 0.015, in 1934.

Germany ranks 49th of 176 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1780s 0.267 0.267 0.267 1
1790s 0.267 0.267 0.267 10
1800s 0.267 0.267 0.267 10
1810s 0.267 0.267 0.267 10
1820s 0.267 0.267 0.267 10
1830s 0.267 0.267 0.267 10
1840s 0.3134 0.267 0.559 10
1850s 0.439 0.439 0.439 10
1860s 0.4609 0.439 0.512 10
1870s 0.5543 0.512 0.559 10
1880s 0.559 0.559 0.559 10
1890s 0.592 0.592 0.592 10
1900s 0.5982 0.592 0.622 10
1910s 0.6189 0.557 0.852 10
1920s 0.881 0.881 0.881 10
1930s 0.2678 0.015 0.849 10
1940s 0.015 0.015 0.015 5
1990s 0.887 0.887 0.887 9
2000s 0.887 0.887 0.887 10
2010s 0.8872 0.887 0.889 10
2020s 0.8803 0.863 0.889 6

Countries ranked near Germany

  1. 46 Italy 0.872 compare
  2. 47 New Zealand 0.866 compare
  3. 48 Greece 0.864 compare
  4. 50 Senegal 0.861 compare
  5. 51 Botswana 0.859 compare
  6. 52 Lithuania 0.858 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More reference data data for Germany

All data for Germany →

Frequently asked questions

What is strong civil society index in Germany?
Strong civil society index in Germany was 0.863 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest strong civil society index recorded in Germany?
The highest recorded value was 0.889 in 2019.
What is the lowest strong civil society index recorded in Germany?
The lowest recorded value was 0.015 in 1934.
How does Germany rank for strong civil society index?
Germany ranks 49th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is strong civil society index rising or falling in Germany?
Over the last ten years it is down 2.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Germany 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 — 191 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).