India ranks 106th on V-Dem Electoral Democracy Index

India has been ranked 106th out of 179 countries on the Electoral Democracy Index by the V-Dem Institute, according to reports. Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram noted that India’s score is at its lowest level since 1975.

In its 2025 assessment, V-Dem assigned India a score of 0.38 on the Electoral Democracy Index and ranked it 105th on the Liberal Democracy Index with a score of 0.26. The institute categorized India as an ‘electoral autocracy,’ a classification it also applied to Kazakhstan and Pakistan.

The V-Dem report suggests a slow process of autocratization in India since 2009, citing a ‘systematic dismantling of democratic institutions.’ Specific areas of concern highlighted include the deterioration of freedom of expression, the independence of the media, the harassment of journalists, and attacks on civil society and political opposition.