Egalitarian democracy index (V-Dem)
Definition
Measures to what extent the ideal of egalitarian democracy is achieved: rights and freedoms protected equally across social groups, resources distributed equally across groups and equal access to power. It also incorporates the level of electoral democracy. Ranges from 0 to 1.
- Formula
- 0.25·P^1.585 + 0.25·E + 0.5·P^1.585·E, where P is the electoral democracy index and E the egalitarian component.
- Unit
- index (0 to 1)
- Uncertainty
- 68% highest posterior density interval from the V-Dem measurement model (codelow and codehigh columns), roughly one standard deviation.
- License
- CC-BY-SA-4.0
Egalitarian democracy index (V-Dem)
- Brazil
- Argentina
- Chile
- Colombia
- Mexico
- Egalitarian democracy index (V-Dem)
- Source: V-Dem — Varieties of Democracy · Source version: v16 · Collected on: 2026-10-26 · License: CC-BY-SA-4.0
· Paper behind the metric: Sigman, R
Uncertainty: 68% highest posterior density interval from the V-Dem measurement model (codelow and codehigh columns), roughly one standard deviation.
Download data (CSV) · View the code: collection code · chart.ts
View the data as a table
| Year | Brazil | Argentina | Chile | Colombia | Mexico |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 0.107 (0.084–0.131) | 0.348 (0.294–0.395) | 0.035 (0.020–0.046) | 0.162 (0.121–0.194) | 0.130 (0.099–0.154) |
| 1976 | 0.110 (0.083–0.132) | 0.132 (0.103–0.155) | 0.035 (0.020–0.046) | 0.162 (0.121–0.194) | 0.134 (0.104–0.161) |
| 1977 | 0.109 (0.085–0.133) | 0.113 (0.087–0.135) | 0.035 (0.020–0.046) | 0.161 (0.121–0.195) | 0.145 (0.107–0.169) |
| 1978 | 0.110 (0.086–0.134) | 0.113 (0.087–0.135) | 0.035 (0.020–0.045) | 0.147 (0.109–0.176) | 0.151 (0.120–0.183) |
| 1979 | 0.115 (0.084–0.136) | 0.113 (0.087–0.135) | 0.035 (0.019–0.045) | 0.141 (0.100–0.166) | 0.155 (0.123–0.185) |
| 1980 | 0.127 (0.099–0.154) | 0.114 (0.091–0.138) | 0.033 (0.019–0.043) | 0.142 (0.108–0.171) | 0.157 (0.124–0.185) |
| 1981 | 0.127 (0.099–0.154) | 0.112 (0.086–0.133) | 0.038 (0.024–0.050) | 0.142 (0.108–0.171) | 0.156 (0.124–0.184) |
| 1982 | 0.131 (0.101–0.156) | 0.113 (0.089–0.136) | 0.038 (0.024–0.050) | 0.145 (0.109–0.174) | 0.160 (0.131–0.192) |
| 1983 | 0.137 (0.106–0.163) | 0.189 (0.159–0.223) | 0.038 (0.024–0.050) | 0.152 (0.111–0.178) | 0.162 (0.131–0.194) |
| 1984 | 0.140 (0.113–0.171) | 0.681 (0.621–0.744) | 0.038 (0.022–0.048) | 0.148 (0.111–0.176) | 0.162 (0.131–0.194) |
| 1985 | 0.197 (0.154–0.228) | 0.680 (0.620–0.744) | 0.038 (0.024–0.051) | 0.147 (0.114–0.179) | 0.163 (0.131–0.194) |
| 1986 | 0.246 (0.200–0.285) | 0.677 (0.616–0.743) | 0.038 (0.024–0.050) | 0.147 (0.108–0.174) | 0.164 (0.130–0.193) |
| 1987 | 0.288 (0.240–0.333) | 0.678 (0.618–0.744) | 0.038 (0.024–0.050) | 0.147 (0.112–0.177) | 0.165 (0.127–0.191) |
| 1988 | 0.433 (0.363–0.492) | 0.680 (0.620–0.745) | 0.045 (0.030–0.057) | 0.148 (0.113–0.176) | 0.167 (0.133–0.200) |
| 1989 | 0.462 (0.396–0.525) | 0.679 (0.608–0.738) | 0.051 (0.036–0.066) | 0.148 (0.113–0.176) | 0.177 (0.136–0.205) |
| 1990 | 0.528 (0.460–0.591) | 0.642 (0.582–0.716) | 0.430 (0.371–0.485) | 0.171 (0.132–0.205) | 0.189 (0.150–0.224) |
| 1991 | 0.540 (0.468–0.600) | 0.655 (0.597–0.721) | 0.524 (0.462–0.596) | 0.260 (0.210–0.314) | 0.198 (0.155–0.232) |
| 1992 | 0.546 (0.475–0.609) | 0.654 (0.593–0.718) | 0.524 (0.462–0.596) | 0.314 (0.263–0.371) | 0.209 (0.164–0.245) |
| 1993 | 0.549 (0.488–0.620) | 0.654 (0.592–0.718) | 0.524 (0.453–0.584) | 0.336 (0.277–0.388) | 0.214 (0.165–0.248) |
| 1994 | 0.556 (0.493–0.628) | 0.658 (0.603–0.727) | 0.549 (0.487–0.619) | 0.337 (0.282–0.393) | 0.227 (0.181–0.269) |
| 1995 | 0.568 (0.501–0.632) | 0.657 (0.595–0.721) | 0.549 (0.487–0.619) | 0.333 (0.271–0.381) | 0.244 (0.191–0.287) |
| 1996 | 0.569 (0.506–0.638) | 0.660 (0.605–0.736) | 0.549 (0.487–0.619) | 0.333 (0.276–0.386) | 0.252 (0.200–0.297) |
| 1997 | 0.569 (0.506–0.638) | 0.656 (0.592–0.723) | 0.549 (0.487–0.619) | 0.333 (0.276–0.386) | 0.275 (0.224–0.328) |
| 1998 | 0.574 (0.505–0.638) | 0.656 (0.588–0.718) | 0.552 (0.486–0.620) | 0.330 (0.275–0.387) | 0.299 (0.240–0.350) |
| 1999 | 0.579 (0.512–0.640) | 0.656 (0.588–0.717) | 0.553 (0.486–0.620) | 0.324 (0.257–0.367) | 0.302 (0.250–0.358) |
| 2000 | 0.579 (0.523–0.655) | 0.653 (0.589–0.721) | 0.614 (0.546–0.669) | 0.318 (0.266–0.371) | 0.344 (0.287–0.404) |
| 2001 | 0.579 (0.523–0.655) | 0.652 (0.596–0.727) | 0.614 (0.546–0.670) | 0.315 (0.259–0.366) | 0.344 (0.286–0.397) |
| 2002 | 0.607 (0.547–0.672) | 0.649 (0.589–0.714) | 0.614 (0.562–0.687) | 0.308 (0.248–0.356) | 0.350 (0.295–0.410) |
| 2003 | 0.606 (0.531–0.666) | 0.636 (0.572–0.698) | 0.614 (0.562–0.687) | 0.312 (0.262–0.367) | 0.359 (0.304–0.419) |
| 2004 | 0.608 (0.552–0.680) | 0.627 (0.568–0.697) | 0.614 (0.562–0.687) | 0.312 (0.258–0.364) | 0.365 (0.307–0.421) |
| 2005 | 0.622 (0.564–0.686) | 0.625 (0.566–0.694) | 0.634 (0.578–0.705) | 0.317 (0.270–0.376) | 0.365 (0.307–0.421) |
| 2006 | 0.622 (0.565–0.687) | 0.613 (0.554–0.678) | 0.646 (0.585–0.709) | 0.332 (0.280–0.383) | 0.346 (0.296–0.405) |
| 2007 | 0.620 (0.554–0.676) | 0.620 (0.549–0.672) | 0.646 (0.585–0.709) | 0.340 (0.297–0.405) | 0.326 (0.267–0.377) |
| 2008 | 0.620 (0.554–0.676) | 0.606 (0.546–0.666) | 0.646 (0.585–0.709) | 0.343 (0.288–0.392) | 0.331 (0.273–0.380) |
| 2009 | 0.620 (0.564–0.684) | 0.598 (0.542–0.662) | 0.642 (0.589–0.712) | 0.342 (0.292–0.400) | 0.331 (0.272–0.383) |
| 2010 | 0.631 (0.570–0.690) | 0.596 (0.536–0.658) | 0.659 (0.601–0.719) | 0.373 (0.316–0.429) | 0.340 (0.279–0.390) |
| 2011 | 0.635 (0.589–0.715) | 0.597 (0.538–0.659) | 0.664 (0.610–0.727) | 0.400 (0.329–0.447) | 0.342 (0.284–0.399) |
| 2012 | 0.629 (0.565–0.685) | 0.606 (0.559–0.682) | 0.669 (0.604–0.722) | 0.398 (0.332–0.456) | 0.336 (0.280–0.389) |
| 2013 | 0.626 (0.570–0.693) | 0.607 (0.555–0.681) | 0.672 (0.609–0.733) | 0.404 (0.341–0.463) | 0.317 (0.269–0.379) |
| 2014 | 0.626 (0.569–0.692) | 0.614 (0.553–0.678) | 0.675 (0.615–0.732) | 0.409 (0.347–0.469) | 0.315 (0.258–0.368) |
| 2015 | 0.608 (0.557–0.679) | 0.603 (0.544–0.664) | 0.665 (0.614–0.734) | 0.420 (0.348–0.471) | 0.329 (0.272–0.383) |
| 2016 | 0.495 (0.433–0.556) | 0.594 (0.537–0.662) | 0.659 (0.603–0.718) | 0.413 (0.344–0.471) | 0.328 (0.272–0.382) |
| 2017 | 0.482 (0.418–0.546) | 0.577 (0.514–0.638) | 0.664 (0.603–0.724) | 0.416 (0.341–0.464) | 0.333 (0.276–0.385) |
| 2018 | 0.446 (0.391–0.514) | 0.613 (0.554–0.673) | 0.640 (0.589–0.711) | 0.395 (0.334–0.450) | 0.372 (0.312–0.429) |
| 2019 | 0.395 (0.331–0.447) | 0.612 (0.554–0.671) | 0.613 (0.552–0.676) | 0.378 (0.311–0.433) | 0.396 (0.342–0.462) |
| 2020 | 0.397 (0.336–0.452) | 0.625 (0.567–0.689) | 0.596 (0.542–0.663) | 0.349 (0.292–0.405) | 0.365 (0.308–0.415) |
| 2021 | 0.394 (0.341–0.456) | 0.621 (0.566–0.689) | 0.616 (0.560–0.683) | 0.364 (0.313–0.430) | 0.331 (0.278–0.384) |
| 2022 | 0.400 (0.342–0.456) | 0.654 (0.594–0.709) | 0.608 (0.541–0.659) | 0.426 (0.371–0.489) | 0.316 (0.260–0.363) |
| 2023 | 0.557 (0.496–0.624) | 0.661 (0.598–0.720) | 0.613 (0.551–0.675) | 0.439 (0.390–0.515) | 0.295 (0.242–0.338) |
| 2024 | 0.569 (0.505–0.630) | 0.544 (0.489–0.610) | 0.625 (0.566–0.690) | 0.425 (0.358–0.484) | 0.276 (0.230–0.318) |
| 2025 | 0.540 (0.474–0.603) | 0.500 (0.434–0.555) | 0.640 (0.579–0.708) | 0.405 (0.347–0.469) | 0.265 (0.214–0.300) |
Criticisms of the metric
- Includes in the definition of democracy the distribution of resources across social groups (e.g. access to health and education). Those who adopt a procedural definition of democracy see this as a policy outcome, not a dimension of the regime; comparing this index with social indicators is therefore partly circular.
- Based on expert assessments aggregated by a statistical model. A recent debate asks whether the global trend of democratic backsliding shows up in objective indicators (such as incumbent electoral performance) or may reflect coder bias (Little and Meng, 2024; reply in Knutsen et al., 2024).
- Absolute values are not comparable across V-Dem versions: each version re-estimates the whole series. Compare values from the same version only.
- Intervals are wide; small differences between adjacent years or countries may be within the model's uncertainty.
References
- Sigman, R., & Lindberg, S. I. (2018). Democracy for all: conceptualizing and measuring egalitarian democracy. Political Science Research and Methods, 7(3) [2019], 595–612. doi:10.1017/psrm.2018.6
- Coppedge, M., Gerring, J., Altman, D., Bernhard, M., Fish, S., Hicken, A., et al. (2011). Conceptualizing and measuring democracy: a new approach. Perspectives on Politics, 9(2), 247–267. doi:10.1017/S1537592711000880
- Little, A. T., & Meng, A. (2024). Measuring democratic backsliding. PS: Political Science & Politics, 57(2), 149–161. doi:10.1017/S104909652300063X
- Knutsen, C. H., Marquardt, K. L., Seim, B., Coppedge, M., Edgell, A. B., et al. (2024). Conceptual and measurement issues in assessing democratic backsliding. PS: Political Science & Politics, 57(2), 162–177. doi:10.1017/S104909652300077X
- Coppedge, M., Gerring, J., Knutsen, C. H., Lindberg, S. I., Teorell, J., et al. (2026). V-Dem Country-Year Dataset v16. Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Project. https://doi.org/10.23696/vdemds26