Electoral democracy in New Zealand

Electoral democracy in New Zealand: 0.27 of 1 in 1853 and 0.85 of 1 in 2025, by V-Dem estimates.

Latest, 2025: 0.85 of 1
Since 1853: +0.58 of 1
World, 2025: 0.48 of 1

Watch it change on the map

index, 0 to 1 · V-Dem

Estimates, V-DemWorld

What the numbers say

The highest was 0.89 of 1 in 2009, the lowest 0.27 of 1 in 1853.

Every year

index, 0 to 1 · V-Dem

Year	New Zealand	World
2025	0.85	0.48
2024	0.87	0.49
2023	0.88	0.49
2022	0.88	0.5
2021	0.87	0.5
2020	0.88	0.51
2019	0.89	0.52
2018	0.89	0.52
2017	0.88	0.52
2016	0.88	0.52
2015	0.88	0.52
2014	0.89	0.52
2013	0.89	0.52
2012	0.89	0.53
2011	0.89	0.53
2010	0.89	0.52
2009	0.89	0.52
2008	0.88	0.52
2007	0.88	0.52
2006	0.88	0.52
2005	0.88	0.52
2004	0.88	0.51
2003	0.88	0.51
2002	0.88	0.5
2001	0.88	0.49
2000	0.88	0.49
1999	0.88	0.49
1998	0.88	0.49
1997	0.88	0.49
1996	0.88	0.48
1995	0.87	0.47
1994	0.87	0.47
1993	0.87	0.46
1992	0.87	0.44
1991	0.87	0.42
1990	0.87	0.41
1989	0.87	0.36
1988	0.87	0.36
1987	0.86	0.35
1986	0.86	0.34
1985	0.86	0.34
1984	0.86	0.33
1983	0.85	0.32
1982	0.85	0.32
1981	0.85	0.32
1980	0.85	0.32
1979	0.85	0.31
1978	0.85	0.3
1977	0.85	0.3
1976	0.85	0.29
1975	0.85	0.29
1974	0.85	0.29
1973	0.85	0.29
1972	0.85	0.29
1971	0.85	0.29
1970	0.85	0.29
1969	0.83	0.29
1968	0.83	0.3
1967	0.83	0.29
1966	0.83	0.29
1965	0.83	0.3
1964	0.83	0.3
1963	0.83	0.3
1962	0.83	0.29
1961	0.82	0.29
1960	0.82	0.28
1959	0.81	0.27
1958	0.81	0.27
1957	0.8	0.27
1956	0.8	0.26
1955	0.8	0.25
1954	0.79	0.25
1953	0.79	0.24
1952	0.79	0.24
1951	0.77	0.24
1950	0.8	0.23
1949	0.8	0.22
1948	0.8	0.22
1947	0.8	0.21
1946	0.79	0.19
1945	0.77	0.16
1944	0.77	0.14
1943	0.77	0.14
1942	0.77	0.14
1941	0.77	0.15
1940	0.77	0.15
1939	0.78	0.17
1938	0.79	0.17
1937	0.79	0.17
1936	0.79	0.17
1935	0.8	0.17
1934	0.81	0.18
1933	0.81	0.18
1932	0.8	0.19
1931	0.81	0.18
1930	0.81	0.18
1929	0.81	0.19
1928	0.8	0.19
1927	0.8	0.19
1926	0.8	0.19
1925	0.81	0.19
1924	0.81	0.19
1923	0.81	0.19
1922	0.8	0.19
1921	0.8	0.19
1920	0.8	0.18
1919	0.8	0.16
1918	0.77	0.15
1917	0.77	0.15
1916	0.77	0.15
1915	0.77	0.15
1914	0.77	0.15
1913	0.78	0.15
1912	0.78	0.15
1911	0.8	0.15
1910	0.8	0.15
1909	0.8	0.15
1908	0.8	0.15
1907	0.8	0.15
1906	0.8	0.15
1905	0.8	0.15
1904	0.8	0.14
1903	0.8	0.14
1902	0.79	0.15
1901	0.79	0.14
1900	0.78	0.14
1899	0.78	0.22
1898	0.78	0.22
1897	0.78	0.22
1896	0.76	0.22
1895	0.76	0.22
1894	0.76	0.21
1893	0.76	0.21
1892	0.57	0.21
1891	0.57	0.2
1890	0.57	0.2
1889	0.57	0.2
1888	0.58	0.2
1887	0.57	0.2
1886	0.57	0.19
1885	0.57	0.19
1884	0.57	0.2
1883	0.57	0.19
1882	0.57	0.19
1881	0.57	0.19
1880	0.57	0.19
1879	0.57	0.19
1878	0.52	0.18
1877	0.52	0.18
1876	0.52	0.19
1875	0.52	0.18
1874	0.52	0.18
1873	0.52	0.18
1872	0.52	0.18
1871	0.52	0.18
1870	0.5	0.18
1869	0.5	0.17
1868	0.5	0.17
1867	0.5	0.17
1866	0.5	0.16
1865	0.5	0.16
1864	0.5	0.16
1863	0.5	0.16
1862	0.5	0.16
1861	0.5	0.15
1860	0.47	0.15
1859	0.47	0.14
1858	0.47	0.14
1857	0.47	0.14
1856	0.4	0.13
1855	0.32	0.13
1854	0.32	0.13
1853	0.27	0.13
1852	–	0.13
1851	–	0.13
1850	–	0.13
1849	–	0.15
1848	–	0.13
1847	–	0.11
1846	–	0.11
1845	–	0.11
1844	–	0.11
1843	–	0.1
1842	–	0.1
1841	–	0.1
1840	–	0.1
1839	–	0.1
1838	–	0.09
1837	–	0.09
1836	–	0.1
1835	–	0.09
1834	–	0.09
1833	–	0.09
1832	–	0.09
1831	–	0.09
1830	–	0.09
1829	–	0.08
1828	–	0.08
1827	–	0.09
1826	–	0.08
1825	–	0.08
1824	–	0.08
1823	–	0.08
1822	–	0.08
1821	–	0.07
1820	–	0.07
1819	–	0.06
1818	–	0.06
1817	–	0.06
1816	–	0.06
1815	–	0.06
1814	–	0.05
1813	–	0.05
1812	–	0.06
1811	–	0.06
1810	–	0.06
1809	–	0.05
1808	–	0.05
1807	–	0.05
1806	–	0.05
1805	–	0.05
1804	–	0.05
1803	–	0.05
1802	–	0.05
1801	–	0.05
1800	–	0.05
1799	–	0.05
1798	–	0.06
1797	–	0.05
1796	–	0.05
1795	–	0.05
1794	–	0.05
1793	–	0.05
1792	–	0.05
1791	–	0.05
1790	–	0.05
1789	–	0.05

Good to know

V-Dem’s electoral democracy index: how far rulers answer to voters through free and fair elections, with free speech and association, from 0 to 1.
Source: V-Dem (2026), via Our World in Data.
Ranks count the 175 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.

How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time

Electoral democracy in New Zealand

What the numbers say

Every year

Good to know

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