Strong Elected Local Governments Index in India

India: Strong Elected Local Governments Index was 0.813 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
0.813
Change on year
down 1.9%
World rank
90th
of 175 countries
All-time high
0.878
in 1996
All-time low
0.173
in 1789
Years of data
237
1789–2025

Strong Elected Local Governments Index in India, 1789–2025

0.20.40.60.8178919072025

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

Analysis

India recorded 0.813 for strong elected local governments index in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.9% on the previous year and down 7.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, strong elected local governments index in India peaked at 0.878 in 1996 and was at its lowest, 0.173, in 1789.

India ranks 90th of 175 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 0.173 0.173 0.173 1
1790s 0.173 0.173 0.173 10
1800s 0.173 0.173 0.173 10
1810s 0.173 0.173 0.173 10
1820s 0.173 0.173 0.173 10
1830s 0.173 0.173 0.173 10
1840s 0.173 0.173 0.173 10
1850s 0.173 0.173 0.173 10
1860s 0.173 0.173 0.173 10
1870s 0.173 0.173 0.173 10
1880s 0.1753 0.173 0.176 10
1890s 0.176 0.176 0.176 10
1900s 0.176 0.176 0.176 10
1910s 0.176 0.176 0.176 10
1920s 0.176 0.176 0.176 10
1930s 0.176 0.176 0.176 10
1940s 0.2638 0.176 0.615 10
1950s 0.6798 0.667 0.731 10
1960s 0.731 0.731 0.731 10
1970s 0.731 0.731 0.731 10
1980s 0.731 0.731 0.731 10
1990s 0.8 0.726 0.878 10
2000s 0.878 0.878 0.878 10
2010s 0.8765 0.863 0.878 10
2020s 0.8382 0.813 0.856 6

Countries ranked near India

  1. 87 Bulgaria 0.829 compare
  2. 88 Papua New Guinea 0.827 compare
  3. 89 Trinidad and Tobago 0.826 compare
  4. 91 Oman 0.806 compare
  5. 92 Comoros 0.805 compare
  6. 93 Benin 0.801 compare

See the full ranking of 175 places →

More reference data data for India

All data for India →

Frequently asked questions

What is strong elected local governments index in India?
Strong elected local governments index in India was 0.813 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest strong elected local governments index recorded in India?
The highest recorded value was 0.878 in 1996.
What is the lowest strong elected local governments index recorded in India?
The lowest recorded value was 0.173 in 1789.
How does India rank for strong elected local governments index?
India ranks 90th out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
Is strong elected local governments index rising or falling in India?
Over the last ten years it is down 7.4%. 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 Elected Local Governments 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 Elected Local Governments Index
Source
V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
175 places, 25,933 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed

Central estimate of the extent to which elected local governments exist, and they operate without interference from local unelected bodies.