2025 country profile

How democratic is
Bangladesh?

Bangladesh scores 32.0 out of 100 and ranks 138 of 179 in our independent 2025 democracy measure. Its lowest-scoring test is free and fair elections. Explore the evidence and history below.

Democracys.org beta estimate, derived from V-Dem v16. A measure of political institutions and conditions—not a percentage of democracy or a judgment of people.

Printable country brief Compare this country

DEMOCRACYS SCORE

32.0out of 100Far from the standard

2025 rank138 of 179

10-year change+4.3

25-year change−5.2

Source-bound range25.4–39.0

Weakest areaElections

The source-bound range is an uncertainty guide, not a confidence interval for this combined score. How to read the range →

SCORE HISTORY

Bangladesh, 1975–2025

The shaded area is a plain-language uncertainty guide. Treat small score differences cautiously.

About uncertainty

BEYOND THE NUMBERS

What changed on the ground?

A documented development to help interpret the institutions behind the score.

2025 context · Freedom House assessment

The transition still lacked an elected legislature

Following the dissolution of parliament in August 2024, the interim administration governed throughout 2025 without a legislature. Freedom House describes elections as planned for 2026, not completed within this assessment period. Openings after Sheikh Hasina’s departure therefore coexisted with a continuing gap in elected representation and oversight.

Read the country report · Freedom in the World 2026

AI-assisted source summary · not independently expert-reviewed

What this context does—and does not—explain

This is a selected development, not a complete political history. Its date may differ from the selected comparison period. It is not evidence that one event caused a particular number of points, and it may describe progress even when this index declines.

The scores use V-Dem. The narrative summarizes a separate assessment by Freedom House, whose definitions and coverage differ. Neither organization endorses this website. The summary is AI-assisted, source-linked, and has not received independent country-expert review. Source checked October 5, 2026.

Why democracy measures can disagree →

UNDERSTAND THE CHANGE

What drove the score?

2015–2025 · the measured story

The score for Bangladesh rose 4.3 points, from 27.7 to 32.0 between 2015 and 2025. 3 of the five areas improved while 2 worsened, so the headline combines competing movements. Public reasoning contributed the largest upward push in the score calculation.

Read the political context ↓

Largest influence on the calculation

Public reasoning

The evidence rates public justification, consultation, and engagement with opposing arguments more favorably.

Area score: 31.3 → 48.0
Approx. contribution to overall change: +2.9 points

Moving in the other direction

Elections

The evidence rates electoral choice, voting rights, political organization, and the space for open debate less favorably.

Area score: 27.5 → 19.5
Approx. contribution to overall change: −1.8 points

These contributions explain the calculation—not the causes. The five area scores combine several indicators; they do not identify which individual law, election, or event changed.

When did the biggest shifts appear?

The largest year-to-year movements within this period. These are changes in annual estimates, not precise dates of political events.

2017–2018−3.5 points
The overall score fell from 27.3 to 23.8. Public reasoning supplied the largest downward contribution to that year’s calculated change.
2023–2024+4.1 points
The overall score rose from 25.4 to 29.5. Public reasoning supplied the largest upward contribution to that year’s calculated change.
2024–2025+2.5 points
The overall score rose from 29.5 to 32.0. Public reasoning supplied the largest upward contribution to that year’s calculated change.

Highest published score in this window: 32.0 in 2025. Small differences may fall within the source’s uncertainty.

See all five areas and how contributions are calculated

Changes in inputs versus contributions to the overall score
Area	2015	2025	Input change	Approx. contribution
Public reasoning	31.3	48.0	+16.7	+2.9
Rights and checks	23.7	33.9	+10.2	+2.1
Elections	27.5	19.5	−8.0	−1.8
Political equality	27.8	33.4	+5.6	+1.1
Participation	28.7	28.3	−0.4	−0.1

We change the five inputs from their starting to ending values in every possible order, then average each area’s effect on the formula. This distributes the formula’s interactions (a Shapley allocation). It is a mathematical attribution, not a causal estimate.

Inputs and published scores are rounded, so contributions are approximate and may not add exactly to the displayed total. No significance test is implied. Read the full scoring method →

BENEATH THE SCORE

Five dimensions of democracy

The headline score cannot show where a political system is strong or constrained. These five tests can. Each has equal weight in the beta standard.

Free and fair elections

Can people choose their leaders through broad voting rights, honest elections, free political groups, and open public debate?

19.5

Rights and checks on power

Are basic freedoms protected, laws applied fairly, courts independent, and leaders prevented from abusing power?

33.9

Public participation

Can people shape public life through civic groups, direct voting, and meaningful local and regional government?

28.3

Public reasoning

Do leaders explain decisions, consult the public, answer opposing arguments, and consider the common good?

48.0

Political equality

Do different social groups have equal rights, access, resources, and a real chance to influence political power?

33.4

HOW TO READ THIS PROFILE

Two kinds of evidence.
One clearer picture.

The score breakdown identifies which parts of the measure changed most. The country report adds documented political context. Together they help explain the institutions at stake—but they do not prove that a specific event produced a specific number of points.

Why this score differs from other democracy indices →

What a declining score can—and cannot—tell us about democratic backsliding

A recent improvement can coexist with a long-term decline. Always compare the dates, check the linked source, and consider developments the selected narrative does not cover.

ANNUAL DATA

Bangladesh score table

Download Bangladesh CSV

Year	Score	Source-bound range	Elections	Rights & checks	Participation	Reasoning	Equality
2025	32.0	25.4–39.0	19.5	33.9	28.3	48.0	33.4
2024	29.5	22.3–36.0	22.5	28.7	27.1	40.3	30.1
2023	25.4	18.4–31.5	25.3	21.2	25.7	31.3	24.2
2022	23.9	16.8–29.6	26.1	19.7	25.7	26.2	22.0
2021	23.4	16.4–29.4	25.5	20.5	24.4	25.9	21.2
2020	23.6	16.7–29.4	25.5	21.0	25.4	24.5	21.7
2019	24.5	17.4–30.2	25.1	21.2	25.8	27.7	23.0
2018	23.8	16.9–29.5	25.2	22.3	26.0	24.1	21.6
2017	27.3	20.7–33.7	26.5	24.0	28.4	34.5	23.7
2016	28.1	20.9–33.7	26.9	24.0	28.3	34.5	27.5
2015	27.7	20.9–33.7	27.5	23.7	28.7	31.3	27.8
2014	27.4	20.4–33.0	27.8	23.0	27.1	30.6	28.7
2013	30.7	23.4–37.3	37.6	25.6	27.8	32.5	30.6
2012	32.2	24.9–38.7	40.9	28.0	29.7	32.6	30.7
2011	33.2	25.2–39.4	41.6	28.5	32.2	32.6	31.6
2010	33.2	25.8–40.0	42.5	28.4	31.8	32.9	31.3
2009	34.4	26.9–41.4	41.8	34.4	32.2	32.9	31.2
2008	27.0	20.7–32.7	21.0	28.7	30.6	25.8	29.4
2007	26.8	20.4–32.5	20.5	28.6	31.0	25.8	28.6
2006	33.8	26.1–40.4	42.3	38.5	32.5	27.7	29.2
2005	35.0	27.5–42.2	47.4	38.7	33.3	27.7	29.8
2004	35.2	27.5–42.2	47.4	38.7	33.7	27.7	30.2
2003	35.4	27.6–42.2	47.4	39.5	34.1	27.7	30.2
2002	35.5	27.6–42.3	47.0	39.5	34.5	27.7	30.2
2001	37.0	28.8–44.0	50.5	44.5	34.4	27.7	30.2
2000	37.2	28.6–43.9	51.2	44.8	34.8	27.7	30.2
1999	37.2	28.8–44.0	51.2	44.4	35.2	27.7	30.2
1998	37.3	28.8–43.9	51.2	44.4	35.6	27.7	30.2
1997	37.4	28.8–44.0	51.2	44.4	36.0	27.7	30.2
1996	37.0	28.8–44.0	50.6	44.4	35.2	27.7	29.7
1995	37.6	30.0–45.3	51.3	43.1	35.6	30.5	29.7
1994	37.0	29.3–44.8	51.3	43.1	32.8	30.5	29.6
1993	37.0	29.3–44.8	51.3	43.1	32.8	30.5	29.6
1992	37.1	29.4–45.0	51.3	43.1	32.8	30.5	29.9
1991	36.2	28.5–43.6	48.3	42.4	32.8	29.2	29.9
1990	31.2	23.6–37.3	30.2	38.1	30.8	24.7	33.1
1989	31.3	23.8–37.5	30.2	36.3	31.2	26.1	33.1
1988	31.4	23.9–37.7	30.7	36.3	31.2	26.1	33.4
1987	32.0	24.5–38.7	32.7	37.1	31.2	26.1	33.4
1986	29.7	22.6–35.9	23.7	35.7	31.2	26.1	32.8
1985	26.5	19.4–32.1	18.8	31.7	27.1	23.3	32.7
1984	25.4	18.7–31.3	18.7	31.7	24.8	20.4	33.1
1983	23.2	16.5–28.6	18.2	31.7	21.4	15.2	32.1
1982	24.6	17.8–30.4	22.8	33.6	21.8	15.2	31.9
1981	31.0	23.4–38.2	37.5	37.0	26.7	23.1	31.9
1980	32.3	24.8–39.5	37.8	37.0	30.0	25.9	31.8
1979	31.7	24.4–38.8	36.4	35.2	30.0	25.9	31.8
1978	27.0	20.3–33.4	23.0	31.2	24.0	25.9	31.3
1977	25.5	19.0–31.7	17.5	30.2	24.0	25.9	31.3
1976	20.3	14.4–25.9	13.2	29.5	15.1	15.4	32.0
1975	24.3	17.3–30.2	21.0	35.3	15.2	18.2	35.2
1974	31.5	23.6–38.7	38.0	38.2	20.8	28.1	34.6
1973	32.9	25.0–40.0	36.2	39.4	24.1	31.2	34.6
1972	31.4	24.4–38.5	22.3	46.5	24.1	32.1	34.7
1971	20.6	14.1–26.2	17.0	31.8	13.9	12.8	31.5

CITE THIS PROFILE

Source and attribution

Democracys.org (2026), “Bangladesh Democracy Score, 1971–2025,” Democracys Standard v1.0 beta; derived from Coppedge et al. (2026), V-Dem Country-Year Dataset v16.

Open source DOI

NEARBY IN THE 2025 RANKING

#136Oman33.6 #137Palestine/West Bank32.5 #139Guinea-Bissau31.2 #140Guinea30.3

All rankings

How democratic isBangladesh?

Bangladesh, 1975–2025

The transition still lacked an elected legislature

Public reasoning

Elections

When did the biggest shifts appear?

Five dimensions of democracy

Free and fair elections

Rights and checks on power

Public participation

Public reasoning

Political equality

Two kinds of evidence.One clearer picture.

Bangladesh score table

Source and attribution

How democratic is
Bangladesh?

Two kinds of evidence.
One clearer picture.