Strong Civil Society Index in Iran

Iran: Strong Civil Society Index was 0.137 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
0.137
Change on year
up 23.4%
World rank
158th
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.52
in 1950
All-time low
0.035
in 2022
Years of data
237
1789–2025

Strong Civil Society Index in Iran, 1789–2025

00.10.20.30.40.5178919072025

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

Analysis

In 2025, strong civil society index in Iran stood at 0.137.

That represents a change of up 23.4% on the previous year and down 18.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, strong civil society index in Iran peaked at 0.52 in 1950 and was at its lowest, 0.035, in 2022.

Iran ranks 158th of 176 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1780s 0.064 0.064 0.064 1
1790s 0.064 0.064 0.064 10
1800s 0.064 0.064 0.064 10
1810s 0.064 0.064 0.064 10
1820s 0.064 0.064 0.064 10
1830s 0.064 0.064 0.064 10
1840s 0.064 0.064 0.064 10
1850s 0.064 0.064 0.064 10
1860s 0.064 0.064 0.064 10
1870s 0.064 0.064 0.064 10
1880s 0.064 0.064 0.064 10
1890s 0.115 0.064 0.127 10
1900s 0.148 0.127 0.203 10
1910s 0.166 0.166 0.166 10
1920s 0.1233 0.074 0.179 10
1930s 0.1126 0.105 0.128 10
1940s 0.2916 0.105 0.379 10
1950s 0.2307 0.075 0.52 10
1960s 0.068 0.044 0.08 10
1970s 0.1088 0.097 0.197 10
1980s 0.0943 0.047 0.148 10
1990s 0.3168 0.245 0.43 10
2000s 0.31 0.125 0.475 10
2010s 0.126 0.081 0.168 10
2020s 0.0827 0.035 0.137 6

Countries ranked near Iran

  1. 157 South Sudan 0.143 compare
  2. 159 Egypt 0.135 compare
  3. 160 Congo 0.132 compare
  4. 161 Myanmar 0.125 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More reference data data for Iran

All data for Iran →

Frequently asked questions

What is strong civil society index in Iran?
Strong civil society index in Iran was 0.137 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest strong civil society index recorded in Iran?
The highest recorded value was 0.52 in 1950.
What is the lowest strong civil society index recorded in Iran?
The lowest recorded value was 0.035 in 2022.
How does Iran rank for strong civil society index?
Iran ranks 158th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is strong civil society index rising or falling in Iran?
Over the last ten years it is down 18.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Iran 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).