Strong Civil Society Index in India

India: Strong Civil Society Index was 0.302 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
0.302
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
132nd
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.856
in 1993
All-time low
0.075
in 1789
Years of data
237
1789–2025

Strong Civil Society Index in India, 1789–2025

00.20.40.60.8178919072025

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

Analysis

India recorded 0.302 for strong civil society index in 2025.

That represents a change of down 47.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, strong civil society index in India peaked at 0.856 in 1993 and was at its lowest, 0.075, in 1789.

That places India 132nd out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it 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 0.075 0.075 0.075 1
1790s 0.075 0.075 0.075 10
1800s 0.075 0.075 0.075 10
1810s 0.075 0.075 0.075 10
1820s 0.075 0.075 0.075 10
1830s 0.1314 0.075 0.275 10
1840s 0.275 0.275 0.275 10
1850s 0.2698 0.249 0.275 10
1860s 0.249 0.249 0.249 10
1870s 0.2926 0.249 0.358 10
1880s 0.358 0.358 0.358 10
1890s 0.358 0.358 0.358 10
1900s 0.358 0.358 0.358 10
1910s 0.358 0.358 0.358 10
1920s 0.358 0.358 0.358 10
1930s 0.358 0.358 0.358 10
1940s 0.4254 0.354 0.682 10
1950s 0.682 0.682 0.682 10
1960s 0.6748 0.644 0.683 10
1970s 0.6328 0.394 0.813 10
1980s 0.7943 0.781 0.813 10
1990s 0.8462 0.823 0.856 10
2000s 0.7913 0.76 0.833 10
2010s 0.6214 0.454 0.744 10
2020s 0.366 0.302 0.421 6

Countries ranked near India

  1. 129 Guinea 0.342 compare
  2. 130 Palestine 0.316 compare
  3. 131 Uzbekistan 0.307 compare
  4. 133 Chad 0.301 compare
  5. 134 Kazakhstan 0.297 compare
  6. 135 Tunisia 0.296 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More reference data data for India

All data for India →

Frequently asked questions

What is strong civil society index in India?
Strong civil society index in India was 0.302 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest strong civil society index recorded in India?
The highest recorded value was 0.856 in 1993.
What is the lowest strong civil society index recorded in India?
The lowest recorded value was 0.075 in 1789.
How does India rank for strong civil society index?
India ranks 132nd out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is strong civil society index rising or falling in India?
Over the last ten years it is down 47.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this India 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).