Democracy indicators show a decline in America’s standing in recent years
Ratings of U.S. democracy, 2005-2025
Source: Pew Research Center analysis of data from the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Institute, Freedom House, and the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
Democracy indicators show a decline in America’s standing in recent years
Ratings of U.S. democracy, 2005-2025
| Year | Freedom in the World score | V-Dem Liberal Democracy Index | EIU Democracy Index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/1/05 | 93 | 0.79 | |
| 1/1/06 | 93 | 0.8 | 8.22 |
| 1/1/07 | 94 | 0.84 | |
| 1/1/08 | 94 | 0.85 | 8.22 |
| 1/1/09 | 94 | 0.85 | |
| 1/1/10 | 94 | 0.85 | 8.18 |
| 1/1/11 | 93 | 0.85 | 8.11 |
| 1/1/12 | 93 | 0.84 | 8.11 |
| 1/1/13 | 92 | 0.85 | 8.11 |
| 1/1/14 | 92 | 0.85 | 8.11 |
| 1/1/15 | 90 | 0.85 | 8.05 |
| 1/1/16 | 89 | 0.83 | 7.98 |
| 1/1/17 | 86 | 0.75 | 7.98 |
| 1/1/18 | 86 | 0.74 | 7.96 |
| 1/1/19 | 86 | 0.74 | 7.96 |
| 1/1/20 | 83 | 0.73 | 7.92 |
| 1/1/21 | 83 | 0.76 | 7.85 |
| 1/1/22 | 83 | 0.77 | 7.85 |
| 1/1/23 | 83 | 0.79 | 7.85 |
| 1/1/24 | 84 | 0.75 | 7.85 |
| 1/1/25 | 81 | 0.57 | 7.65 |
Source: Pew Research Center analysis of data from the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Institute, Freedom House, and the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
