Strong Elected Local Governments Index by country
Central estimate of the extent to which elected local governments exist, and they operate without interference from local unelected bodies.
Countries reporting
172
Highest
0.997
Switzerland
Lowest
0
Solomon Islands
Median
0.828
Years covered
237
1789–2025
Data points
25,933
What the numbers show
Strong Elected Local Governments Index is currently reported for 172 countries. The highest value is 0.997 in Switzerland; the lowest is 0 in Solomon Islands.
The median across all reporting countries is 0.828, and the mean is 0.6559.
Over the past decade 66 countries rose and 61 fell. The largest increase was in Togo (up 571.3%), and the largest decrease in Libya (down 94.6%).
Strong Elected Local Governments Index: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Switzerland | 0.997 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 2 | Australia | 0.996 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 3 | Spain | 0.995 | 2025 | down 0.2% | volatile |
| 3 | Iceland | 0.995 | 2025 | up 2.6% | flat |
| 3 | Italy | 0.995 | 2025 | up 0.1% | volatile |
| 3 | Mexico | 0.995 | 2025 | up 2.6% | rising |
| 7 | Sweden | 0.994 | 2025 | up 1.8% | rising |
| 8 | Indonesia | 0.993 | 2025 | up 2.2% | volatile |
| 9 | Israel | 0.992 | 2025 | up 3.9% | volatile |
| 9 | North Macedonia | 0.992 | 2025 | up 0.7% | volatile |
| 11 | Japan | 0.991 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 12 | Sri Lanka | 0.99 | 2025 | up 3.2% | volatile |
| 13 | Colombia | 0.989 | 2025 | down 0.5% | volatile |
| 14 | France | 0.988 | 2025 | up 0.5% | rising |
| 14 | Croatia | 0.988 | 2025 | up 6.9% | volatile |
| 14 | South Korea | 0.988 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 14 | Latvia | 0.988 | 2025 | up 0.5% | volatile |
| 14 | Slovakia | 0.988 | 2025 | down 0.5% | volatile |
| 19 | Belgium | 0.986 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 20 | Vietnam | 0.985 | 2025 | up 7.4% | flat |
| 21 | Germany | 0.983 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 22 | Austria | 0.982 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 22 | Lithuania | 0.982 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 22 | Paraguay | 0.982 | 2025 | up 1.2% | volatile |
| 25 | Jamaica | 0.98 | 2025 | up 0.1% | volatile |
| 26 | Estonia | 0.979 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 27 | United States | 0.975 | 2025 | down 1.7% | rising |
| 28 | Denmark | 0.974 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 29 | Costa Rica | 0.973 | 2025 | down 0.4% | rising |
| 30 | Brazil | 0.972 | 2025 | down 1.9% | rising |
| 30 | Poland | 0.972 | 2025 | down 2.2% | volatile |
| 32 | Peru | 0.971 | 2025 | down 1.0% | rising |
| 32 | Zambia | 0.971 | 2025 | up 5.1% | volatile |
| 34 | New Zealand | 0.97 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 35 | Ecuador | 0.969 | 2025 | down 0.1% | rising |
| 35 | Laos | 0.969 | 2025 | up 8.4% | volatile |
| 37 | Finland | 0.967 | 2025 | up 2.9% | rising |
| 37 | Montenegro | 0.967 | 2025 | up 4.9% | volatile |
| 37 | Panama | 0.967 | 2025 | up 2.8% | rising |
| 37 | Taiwan | 0.967 | 2025 | down 2.8% | volatile |
| 41 | Nepal | 0.966 | 2025 | up 134.5% | volatile |
| 41 | Portugal | 0.966 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 41 | Uruguay | 0.966 | 2025 | up 3.9% | volatile |
| 44 | Canada | 0.963 | 2025 | up 2.0% | flat |
| 45 | Philippines | 0.962 | 2025 | up 2.2% | rising |
| 46 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 0.961 | 2025 | up 142.1% | volatile |
| 47 | Norway | 0.96 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 47 | Togo | 0.96 | 2025 | up 571.3% | volatile |
| 49 | Chile | 0.957 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 50 | Czechia | 0.956 | 2025 | up 2.8% | volatile |
| 51 | Bolivia | 0.954 | 2025 | down 0.8% | volatile |
| 51 | Gabon | 0.954 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 51 | Guatemala | 0.954 | 2025 | up 12.8% | volatile |
| 54 | Slovenia | 0.952 | 2025 | up 1.5% | volatile |
| 55 | Bhutan | 0.949 | 2025 | up 7.2% | volatile |
| 56 | Mauritius | 0.938 | 2025 | up 6.7% | flat |
| 57 | Dominican Republic | 0.937 | 2025 | up 2.0% | rising |
| 57 | Gambia | 0.937 | 2025 | up 7.1% | volatile |
| 57 | East Timor | 0.937 | 2025 | up 20.4% | volatile |
| 60 | Hungary | 0.936 | 2025 | down 0.8% | falling |
| 61 | Congo | 0.931 | 2025 | up 129.9% | rising |
| 62 | Honduras | 0.93 | 2025 | up 4.6% | rising |
| 63 | Greece | 0.925 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 64 | Serbia | 0.922 | 2025 | down 1.0% | volatile |
| 64 | Tunisia | 0.922 | 2025 | up 110.5% | volatile |
| 66 | Argentina | 0.918 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 67 | Albania | 0.914 | 2025 | down 2.2% | volatile |
| 68 | Sao Tome and Principe | 0.911 | 2025 | up 0.4% | volatile |
| 69 | Burundi | 0.909 | 2025 | up 4.1% | volatile |
| 69 | Lesotho | 0.909 | 2025 | up 6.3% | volatile |
| 71 | Malawi | 0.895 | 2025 | down 3.5% | volatile |
| 71 | Nigeria | 0.895 | 2025 | down 6.6% | volatile |
| 71 | Netherlands | 0.895 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 71 | Tanzania | 0.895 | 2025 | up 1.0% | volatile |
| 75 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 0.892 | 2025 | up 1.2% | volatile |
| 76 | Cyprus | 0.889 | 2025 | down 6.4% | volatile |
| 77 | Cape Verde | 0.884 | 2025 | up 17.7% | volatile |
| 78 | South Africa | 0.88 | 2025 | down 8.2% | rising |
| 79 | Ukraine | 0.878 | 2025 | up 0.9% | volatile |
| 80 | United Kingdom | 0.868 | 2025 | down 7.9% | rising |
| 81 | Cote d'Ivoire | 0.867 | 2025 | down 7.9% | volatile |
| 82 | Sierra Leone | 0.865 | 2025 | down 6.9% | rising |
| 83 | Moldova | 0.862 | 2025 | up 0.3% | volatile |
| 84 | Mozambique | 0.858 | 2025 | down 2.9% | volatile |
| 86 | Georgia | 0.848 | 2025 | up 8.0% | volatile |
| 87 | Bulgaria | 0.829 | 2025 | down 14.4% | rising |
| 88 | Papua New Guinea | 0.827 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 89 | Trinidad and Tobago | 0.826 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 90 | India | 0.813 | 2025 | down 7.4% | volatile |
| 91 | Oman | 0.806 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 92 | Comoros | 0.805 | 2025 | down 16.1% | volatile |
| 93 | Benin | 0.801 | 2025 | down 9.6% | volatile |
| 94 | Zimbabwe | 0.793 | 2025 | down 8.2% | rising |
| 95 | Maldives | 0.77 | 2025 | down 15.8% | volatile |
| 96 | Vanuatu | 0.769 | 2024 | unchanged | volatile |
| 97 | Senegal | 0.765 | 2025 | up 7.1% | rising |
| 99 | Eswatini | 0.734 | 2025 | down 5.0% | rising |
| 100 | Kenya | 0.73 | 2025 | down 10.6% | volatile |
| 100 | Suriname | 0.73 | 2018 | unchanged | rising |
| 102 | Nicaragua | 0.725 | 2025 | down 6.5% | volatile |
| 103 | Romania | 0.722 | 2025 | down 10.8% | volatile |
| 104 | Turkey | 0.709 | 2025 | down 24.3% | volatile |
| 105 | Namibia | 0.703 | 2025 | down 26.0% | rising |
| 106 | Iraq | 0.7 | 2025 | down 12.6% | volatile |
| 107 | Mali | 0.699 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 108 | Niger | 0.692 | 2025 | down 18.5% | volatile |
| 109 | Madagascar | 0.683 | 2025 | down 1.7% | volatile |
| 110 | Venezuela | 0.68 | 2025 | down 18.0% | volatile |
| 111 | Russia | 0.674 | 2025 | down 7.2% | volatile |
| 112 | Rwanda | 0.662 | 2025 | down 22.5% | volatile |
| 114 | Djibouti | 0.645 | 2025 | up 20.1% | volatile |
| 115 | El Salvador | 0.6 | 2025 | down 36.4% | rising |
| 116 | Guyana | 0.593 | 2025 | down 32.3% | falling |
| 117 | Botswana | 0.565 | 2025 | down 35.6% | flat |
| 118 | Pakistan | 0.518 | 2025 | up 91.9% | volatile |
| 119 | Mongolia | 0.515 | 2025 | down 2.6% | volatile |
| 120 | Armenia | 0.507 | 2025 | down 9.0% | volatile |
| 121 | Afghanistan | 0.495 | 2025 | up 269.4% | volatile |
| 122 | Uganda | 0.486 | 2025 | down 31.5% | volatile |
| 123 | South Sudan | 0.474 | 2024 | up 100.8% | volatile |
| 124 | Fiji | 0.467 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 125 | Lebanon | 0.461 | 2025 | down 21.1% | volatile |
| 126 | Haiti | 0.455 | 2025 | down 49.9% | volatile |
| 127 | Chad | 0.427 | 2025 | up 46.7% | volatile |
| 128 | Guinea | 0.416 | 2025 | down 49.1% | rising |
| 128 | Liberia | 0.416 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 130 | North Korea | 0.407 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 131 | Kyrgyzstan | 0.405 | 2025 | down 45.5% | volatile |
| 132 | Burkina Faso | 0.376 | 2025 | down 37.9% | volatile |
| 133 | Malaysia | 0.293 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 134 | Ghana | 0.292 | 2025 | down 0.7% | rising |
| 135 | Mauritania | 0.272 | 2025 | up 15.7% | volatile |
| 136 | Jordan | 0.264 | 2025 | up 47.5% | rising |
| 137 | Palestine | 0.256 | 1948 | unchanged | flat |
| 138 | Myanmar | 0.216 | 2024 | up 86.2% | volatile |
| 139 | Central African Republic | 0.188 | 2025 | — | volatile |
| 140 | Ethiopia | 0.181 | 2025 | down 21.3% | volatile |
| 141 | Sudan | 0.178 | 2025 | up 6.0% | rising |
| 142 | Morocco | 0.177 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 143 | Cambodia | 0.169 | 2025 | down 48.5% | rising |
| 144 | Bahrain | 0.164 | 2025 | up 152.3% | volatile |
| 145 | Egypt | 0.156 | 2025 | up 200.0% | rising |
| 145 | Guinea-Bissau | 0.156 | 2023 | unchanged | volatile |
| 147 | Belarus | 0.148 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 148 | China | 0.135 | 2025 | up 365.5% | rising |
| 149 | Cuba | 0.132 | 2025 | up 12.8% | volatile |
| 150 | Bangladesh | 0.129 | 2025 | up 5.7% | falling |
| 151 | Seychelles | 0.086 | 2025 | up 87.0% | volatile |
| 152 | Thailand | 0.085 | 2025 | up 41.7% | volatile |
| 153 | Iran | 0.084 | 2025 | up 16.7% | rising |
| 153 | Somalia | 0.084 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 155 | Equatorial Guinea | 0.057 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 156 | Cameroon | 0.055 | 2025 | down 89.4% | falling |
| 157 | Algeria | 0.047 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 158 | Libya | 0.043 | 2025 | down 94.6% | rising |
| 159 | Kazakhstan | 0.032 | 2025 | up 77.8% | volatile |
| 160 | Yemen | 0.025 | 2025 | up 8.7% | volatile |
| 161 | Azerbaijan | 0.023 | 2025 | down 76.5% | volatile |
| 162 | Uzbekistan | 0.02 | 2025 | up 81.8% | volatile |
| 163 | Saudi Arabia | 0.016 | 2025 | down 59.0% | volatile |
| 164 | Turkmenistan | 0.014 | 2025 | down 63.2% | volatile |
| 165 | Syria | 0.012 | 2025 | down 60.0% | volatile |
| 166 | Tajikistan | 0.01 | 2025 | down 56.5% | volatile |
| 167 | United Arab Emirates | 0.006 | 2018 | unchanged | flat |
| 168 | Angola | 0.005 | 2012 | unchanged | flat |
| 169 | Eritrea | 0.004 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 170 | Barbados | 0 | 2025 | — | flat |
| 170 | Hong Kong | 0 | 2025 | — | flat |
| 170 | Kuwait | 0 | 2025 | — | flat |
| 170 | Qatar | 0 | 2025 | — | flat |
| 170 | Singapore | 0 | 2025 | — | volatile |
| 170 | Solomon Islands | 0 | 2025 | — | volatile |
About this data
Central estimate of the extent to which elected local governments exist, and they operate without interference from local unelected bodies.