Democracy index

Women's political empowerment by country

The V-Dem women's political empowerment index measures women's civil liberties, their participation in civil society, and their representation in politics. Here is how 179 countries score in 2025, and how that has changed since 2015.

Data: V-Dem v16, scores for 2025 · Page updated 27 October 2026

Highest score0.95Denmark

Lowest score0.03Afghanistan

World average0.71across 179 countries

Declined since 201556countries, against 70 that improved

Key findings

The highest scores in 2025 are in Denmark, Belgium and Latvia, and the lowest in Yemen, Eritrea and Afghanistan. Democracies average 0.85, against 0.59 for autocracies. Since 2015, 56 countries have lost at least 0.02 points and 70 have gained at least as much.

Top 15 countries, 2025Women's political empowerment index, 0 to 1

Denmark0.95

Belgium0.95

Latvia0.95

Spain0.94

Germany0.94

Estonia0.94

Slovenia0.94

New Zealand0.94

Finland0.93

Switzerland0.93

Czechia0.93

France0.93

Italy0.93

Jamaica0.93

Ireland0.93

Lowest 15 countries, 2025Women's political empowerment index, 0 to 1

Afghanistan0.03

Eritrea0.15

Yemen0.16

Sudan0.22

Palestine (Gaza)0.28

Syria0.29

North Korea0.29

Iran0.32

Myanmar0.33

Somalia0.34

Saudi Arabia0.35

Oman0.36

Kuwait0.36

Qatar0.39

Eswatini0.39

Biggest changes since 2015

The largest declines were in Afghanistan, Myanmar and Nicaragua. The largest gains were in The Gambia, Egypt and Solomon Islands.

Largest declines, 2015 to 2025Change in index points

Afghanistan−0.45

Myanmar−0.23

Nicaragua−0.22

Rwanda−0.22

Guinea-Bissau−0.20

Sudan−0.18

El Salvador−0.18

Belarus−0.18

Palestine (West Bank)−0.17

Bangladesh−0.16

Largest gains, 2015 to 2025Change in index points

The Gambia+0.26

Egypt+0.25

Solomon Islands+0.22

United Arab Emirates+0.18

Uzbekistan+0.15

Bahrain+0.15

Armenia+0.14

Republic of the Congo+0.12

Malaysia+0.11

Saudi Arabia+0.11

Full ranking: women's political empowerment index 2025


1	Denmark Take the test	0.95	−0.01	Liberal democracy	0.88
2	Belgium Take the test	0.95	+0.01	Liberal democracy	0.79
3	Latvia	0.95	+0.02	Liberal democracy	0.75
4	Spain Take the test	0.94	+0.01	Liberal democracy	0.74
5	Germany Take the test	0.94	−0.01	Liberal democracy	0.78
6	Estonia	0.94	+0.01	Liberal democracy	0.84
7	Slovenia	0.94	+0.00	Electoral democracy	0.59
8	New Zealand Take the test	0.94	+0.00	Liberal democracy	0.79
9	Finland Take the test	0.93	−0.01	Liberal democracy	0.81
10	Switzerland Take the test	0.93	−0.01	Liberal democracy	0.84
11	Czechia Take the test	0.93	+0.02	Liberal democracy	0.79
12	France Take the test	0.93	−0.01	Liberal democracy	0.80
13	Italy Take the test	0.93	+0.01	Liberal democracy	0.64
14	Jamaica	0.93	+0.04	Electoral democracy	0.68
15	Ireland Take the test	0.93	+0.03	Liberal democracy	0.82
16	Lithuania	0.93	+0.03	Liberal democracy	0.71
17	Norway Take the test	0.93	−0.02	Liberal democracy	0.85
18	Sweden Take the test	0.92	−0.02	Liberal democracy	0.85
19	Malta Take the test	0.92	+0.08	Electoral democracy	0.62
20	Chile Take the test	0.91	+0.07	Liberal democracy	0.78
21	Croatia	0.91	+0.03	Electoral democracy	0.59
22	Seychelles	0.91	+0.04	Liberal democracy	0.68
23	Costa Rica Take the test	0.91	−0.01	Liberal democracy	0.81
24	Bulgaria	0.91	+0.01	Electoral democracy	0.50
25	Australia Take the test	0.91	−0.03	Liberal democracy	0.79
26	Austria Take the test	0.91	−0.03	Liberal democracy	0.76
27	Taiwan	0.90	+0.01	Liberal democracy	0.70
28	Netherlands Take the test	0.90	±0.00	Liberal democracy	0.77
29	Moldova	0.90	+0.05	Electoral democracy	0.45
30	Greece Take the test	0.90	−0.03	Electoral democracy	0.57
31	Luxembourg Take the test	0.90	+0.02	Liberal democracy	0.78
32	Barbados	0.90	+0.02	Liberal democracy	0.68
33	Albania	0.89	+0.07	Electoral autocracy	0.38
34	Ukraine	0.89	+0.07	Electoral autocracy	0.24
35	Iceland Take the test	0.88	−0.04	Liberal democracy	0.72
36	Benin	0.88	+0.05	Electoral autocracy	0.32
37	Poland Take the test	0.88	−0.05	Electoral democracy	0.65
38	South Korea Take the test	0.88	+0.02	Liberal democracy	0.74
39	Slovakia	0.88	±0.00	Electoral democracy	0.57
40	Suriname	0.88	+0.03	Electoral democracy	0.63
41	Uruguay Take the test	0.88	−0.03	Liberal democracy	0.79
42	Armenia	0.88	+0.14	Electoral democracy	0.37
43	Trinidad and Tobago	0.87	−0.03	Liberal democracy	0.67
44	Canada Take the test	0.87	−0.03	Electoral democracy	0.74
45	Romania	0.87	+0.04	Electoral democracy	0.46
46	Montenegro	0.87	+0.04	Electoral democracy	0.50
47	Serbia	0.86	+0.02	Electoral autocracy	0.21
48	Israel	0.86	−0.01	Electoral democracy	0.59
49	Cyprus	0.86	+0.02	Liberal democracy	0.66
50	Senegal	0.85	+0.03	Electoral democracy	0.48
51	Cape Verde	0.85	+0.05	Electoral democracy	0.63
52	Namibia	0.85	+0.02	Electoral democracy	0.52
53	Japan Take the test	0.84	+0.07	Liberal democracy	0.73
54	Sao Tome and Principe	0.84	+0.03	Electoral democracy	0.52
55	Bolivia	0.84	+0.08	Electoral democracy	0.35
56	United Kingdom Take the test	0.84	−0.07	Electoral democracy	0.69
57	Tanzania	0.83	+0.02	Electoral autocracy	0.30
58	Argentina Take the test	0.83	−0.01	Electoral democracy	0.52
59	South Africa Take the test	0.83	−0.03	Electoral democracy	0.63
60	United States Take the test	0.83	−0.07	Electoral democracy	0.57
61	Dominican Republic	0.82	+0.04	Electoral democracy	0.51
62	North Macedonia	0.82	−0.01	Electoral democracy	0.37
63	Liberia	0.82	−0.01	Electoral democracy	0.42
64	Bosnia and Herzegovina	0.82	−0.02	Electoral autocracy	0.34
65	Brazil Take the test	0.82	+0.01	Electoral democracy	0.70
66	Hungary	0.82	−0.04	Electoral autocracy	0.32
67	Georgia	0.82	−0.01	Electoral autocracy	0.28
68	Mauritius	0.81	−0.01	Electoral democracy	0.64
69	The Gambia	0.81	+0.26	Electoral democracy	0.52
70	Portugal Take the test	0.81	−0.12	Electoral democracy	0.72
71	Philippines Take the test	0.81	−0.03	Electoral autocracy	0.29
72	Guyana	0.81	−0.06	Electoral democracy	0.33
73	Lesotho	0.81	+0.00	Electoral democracy	0.51
74	Vietnam	0.81	+0.08	Closed autocracy	0.10
75	Mongolia	0.81	−0.06	Electoral democracy	0.42
76	Kenya	0.80	+0.06	Electoral democracy	0.45
77	Mexico Take the test	0.80	+0.05	Electoral autocracy	0.22
78	Sierra Leone	0.80	+0.03	Electoral autocracy	0.35
79	Hong Kong	0.80	−0.10	Closed autocracy	0.14
80	Gabon	0.80	+0.06	Electoral autocracy	0.18
81	Nepal	0.79	+0.02	Electoral democracy	0.51
82	Zambia	0.79	+0.08	Electoral autocracy	0.38
83	Ecuador Take the test	0.79	−0.05	Electoral democracy	0.39
84	Honduras	0.79	+0.07	Electoral democracy	0.38
85	Singapore	0.79	−0.01	Electoral autocracy	0.36
86	Colombia Take the test	0.78	−0.02	Electoral democracy	0.56
87	Peru Take the test	0.78	+0.01	Electoral democracy	0.51
88	Malaysia	0.77	+0.11	Electoral democracy	0.35
89	Kosovo	0.77	+0.08	Electoral democracy	0.46
90	Angola	0.77	+0.08	Electoral autocracy	0.16
91	Timor-Leste	0.77	+0.03	Electoral democracy	0.55
92	Ghana	0.77	−0.01	Electoral democracy	0.61
93	Tunisia	0.77	−0.08	Electoral autocracy	0.27
94	Cameroon	0.76	−0.03	Electoral autocracy	0.11
95	Malawi	0.76	−0.02	Electoral democracy	0.46
96	Venezuela	0.75	−0.05	Electoral autocracy	0.04
97	Panama	0.74	−0.05	Electoral democracy	0.57
98	Sri Lanka	0.74	+0.03	Electoral democracy	0.61
99	Kyrgyzstan	0.73	−0.06	Electoral autocracy	0.18
100	Nigeria Take the test	0.73	+0.01	Electoral democracy	0.31
101	Zimbabwe	0.73	−0.07	Electoral autocracy	0.15
102	Indonesia	0.73	+0.00	Electoral autocracy	0.30
103	Mozambique	0.72	−0.01	Electoral autocracy	0.17
104	Guatemala	0.72	+0.05	Electoral democracy	0.52
105	Vanuatu	0.71	+0.04	Electoral democracy	0.62
106	Morocco	0.71	+0.03	Closed autocracy	0.25
107	Cuba	0.71	+0.03	Closed autocracy	0.06
108	Niger	0.71	−0.03	Closed autocracy	0.18
109	Mali	0.71	+0.01	Closed autocracy	0.15
110	Madagascar	0.70	−0.08	Electoral autocracy	0.19
111	Botswana	0.70	−0.04	Electoral democracy	0.52
112	Zanzibar	0.70	−0.01	Electoral autocracy	0.25
113	Ivory Coast	0.70	+0.02	Electoral autocracy	0.23
114	Togo	0.69	−0.09	Electoral autocracy	0.16
115	Ethiopia	0.69	+0.02	Electoral autocracy	0.10
116	Thailand	0.69	+0.00	Electoral autocracy	0.31
117	Kazakhstan	0.68	−0.10	Electoral autocracy	0.13
118	Bhutan	0.68	−0.08	Electoral democracy	0.46
119	Solomon Islands	0.68	+0.22	Electoral democracy	0.54
120	Jordan	0.67	+0.05	Closed autocracy	0.27
121	Paraguay	0.67	−0.02	Electoral democracy	0.38
122	India Take the test	0.66	+0.01	Electoral autocracy	0.26
123	Belarus	0.66	−0.18	Closed autocracy	0.04
124	Burundi	0.65	+0.06	Electoral autocracy	0.06
125	Azerbaijan	0.65	−0.01	Electoral autocracy	0.05
126	Fiji	0.64	−0.05	Electoral democracy	0.40
127	Uzbekistan	0.64	+0.15	Closed autocracy	0.08
128	Uganda	0.64	−0.15	Electoral autocracy	0.17
129	Rwanda	0.63	−0.22	Electoral autocracy	0.09
130	Algeria	0.63	−0.15	Electoral autocracy	0.13
131	Chad	0.63	+0.07	Electoral autocracy	0.06
132	United Arab Emirates	0.61	+0.18	Closed autocracy	0.08
133	Lebanon	0.61	+0.06	Electoral autocracy	0.27
134	Burkina Faso	0.60	−0.13	Closed autocracy	0.10
135	El Salvador	0.59	−0.18	Electoral autocracy	0.09
136	China	0.59	−0.04	Closed autocracy	0.04
137	Djibouti	0.58	+0.07	Electoral autocracy	0.12
138	Bahrain	0.57	+0.15	Closed autocracy	0.06
139	Türkiye	0.56	−0.06	Electoral autocracy	0.11
140	Central African Republic	0.56	−0.06	Electoral autocracy	0.10
141	Comoros	0.56	+0.07	Electoral autocracy	0.13
142	Iraq	0.56	+0.02	Electoral autocracy	0.22
143	Democratic Republic of the Congo	0.55	+0.07	Electoral autocracy	0.12
144	Egypt	0.55	+0.25	Electoral autocracy	0.12
145	Russia	0.55	−0.14	Electoral autocracy	0.06
146	Mauritania	0.54	−0.10	Electoral autocracy	0.13
147	Bangladesh	0.54	−0.16	Closed autocracy	0.12
148	Cambodia	0.53	−0.04	Electoral autocracy	0.05
149	Guinea	0.53	+0.05	Closed autocracy	0.10
150	Maldives	0.53	+0.03	Electoral democracy	0.42
151	Nicaragua	0.53	−0.22	Electoral autocracy	0.02
152	Pakistan	0.52	−0.06	Electoral autocracy	0.18
153	Laos	0.51	+0.05	Closed autocracy	0.11
154	Guinea-Bissau	0.50	−0.20	Closed autocracy	0.10
155	Papua New Guinea	0.48	+0.01	Electoral autocracy	0.38
156	South Sudan	0.48	+0.06	Closed autocracy	0.06
157	Palestine (West Bank)	0.47	−0.17	Electoral autocracy	0.11
158	Somaliland	0.47	+0.06	Electoral autocracy	0.30
159	Republic of the Congo	0.47	+0.12	Electoral autocracy	0.12
160	Equatorial Guinea	0.45	−0.02	Electoral autocracy	0.05
161	Turkmenistan	0.44	+0.07	Closed autocracy	0.03
162	Tajikistan	0.43	−0.03	Electoral autocracy	0.04
163	Libya	0.41	+0.02	Closed autocracy	0.10
164	Haiti	0.40	−0.08	Closed autocracy	0.10
165	Eswatini	0.39	+0.07	Closed autocracy	0.10
166	Qatar	0.39	+0.09	Closed autocracy	0.09
167	Kuwait	0.36	−0.01	Closed autocracy	0.13
168	Oman	0.36	−0.01	Closed autocracy	0.14
169	Saudi Arabia	0.35	+0.11	Closed autocracy	0.05
170	Somalia	0.34	+0.08	Closed autocracy	0.13
171	Myanmar	0.33	−0.23	Closed autocracy	0.01
172	Iran	0.32	−0.01	Electoral autocracy	0.10
173	North Korea	0.29	+0.02	Closed autocracy	0.01
174	Syria	0.29	−0.04	Closed autocracy	0.05
175	Palestine (Gaza)	0.28	−0.01	Closed autocracy	0.06
176	Sudan	0.22	−0.18	Closed autocracy	0.03
177	Yemen	0.16	+0.00	Closed autocracy	0.04
178	Eritrea	0.15	−0.01	Closed autocracy	0.01
179	Afghanistan	0.03	−0.45	Closed autocracy	0.02

Scores run from 0 to 1. Higher is better. Click a column heading to sort. Countries with a CoreOpinion test link to it.

Frequently asked questions

Which country scores highest on the V-Dem women's political empowerment index?

Denmark, with a score of 0.95 in 2025, followed by Belgium and Latvia.

What does the women's political empowerment index measure?

It measures women's civil liberties, their participation in civil society, and their representation in politics. Scores run from 0 to 1, and higher is better.

Where does this data come from?

From the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) dataset, version 16, which combines assessments by thousands of country experts. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where do you stand?

See how your own views compare with the parties in your country. CoreOpinion has political tests for 46 countries.

Find your country's test

Source and licence

All scores come from the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Country-Year dataset, version 16, produced by the V-Dem Institute at the University of Gothenburg. V-Dem combines the judgements of thousands of country experts into indices that run from 0 to 1, and reports measurement uncertainty for each one. Figures here refer to 2025, with changes measured against 2015. Small differences between countries, of a few hundredths, are often within that uncertainty.

The V-Dem data is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. The rankings and tables on these pages are derived from it and shared under the same licence. See v-dem.net for the full dataset and codebook.