2025 country profile

How democratic is
Montenegro?

Montenegro scores 71.1 out of 100 and ranks 48 of 179 in our independent 2025 democracy measure. Its lowest-scoring test is public participation. 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.

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DEMOCRACYS SCORE

71.1out of 100Substantial but incomplete

2025 rank48 of 179

10-year change+4.0

25-year change+11.0

Source-bound range65.0–78.5

Weakest areaParticipation

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

SCORE HISTORY

Montenegro, 1998–2025

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

Fast-track lawmaking reduced deliberation

Many government bills passed through expedited procedures with limited transparency and legislative debate. This matters because democratic lawmaking includes opportunities to inspect proposals, hear objections, and amend them. A parliament can continue voting while the quality of public and legislative participation deteriorates.

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 Montenegro rose 4.0 points, from 67.1 to 71.1 between 2015 and 2025. 3 of the five areas improved while 2 worsened, so the headline combines competing movements. Elections contributed the largest upward push in the score calculation.

Read the political context ↓

Largest influence on the calculation

Elections

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

Area score: 48.4 → 63.6
Approx. contribution to overall change: +3.4 points

Moving in the other direction

Participation

The evidence rates opportunities to participate through civic organizations, direct democracy, and local or regional institutions less favorably.

Area score: 59.4 → 57.3
Approx. contribution to overall change: −0.5 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.

2019–2020+2.9 points
The overall score rose from 65.3 to 68.2. Public reasoning supplied the largest upward contribution to that year’s calculated change.
2021–2022−1.3 points
The overall score fell from 68.9 to 67.6. Public reasoning supplied the largest downward contribution to that year’s calculated change.
2022–2023+3.0 points
The overall score rose from 67.6 to 70.6. Elections supplied the largest upward contribution to that year’s calculated change.

Highest published score in this window: 71.1 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
Elections	48.4	63.6	+15.2	+3.4
Public reasoning	77.1	81.3	+4.2	+0.8
Participation	59.4	57.3	−2.1	−0.5
Rights and checks	75.6	77.0	+1.4	+0.3
Political equality	77.9	77.8	−0.1	0.0

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?

63.6

Rights and checks on power

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

77.0

Public participation

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

57.3

Public reasoning

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

81.3

Political equality

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

77.8

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

Montenegro score table

Download Montenegro CSV

Year	Score	Source-bound range	Elections	Rights & checks	Participation	Reasoning	Equality
2025	71.1	65.0–78.5	63.6	77.0	57.3	81.3	77.8
2024	70.6	64.0–77.7	64.0	76.2	57.5	77.2	79.3
2023	70.6	64.1–78.1	61.0	79.4	56.2	78.6	79.7
2022	67.6	61.1–74.9	53.2	77.8	52.4	77.6	80.1
2021	68.9	62.6–75.7	53.4	78.0	52.3	83.3	81.0
2020	68.2	62.4–75.4	50.0	75.1	57.2	79.8	82.1
2019	65.3	58.8–72.7	48.3	73.2	58.3	73.3	76.0
2018	65.5	59.4–73.0	48.2	73.6	57.6	72.6	78.2
2017	66.1	59.5–72.7	47.4	74.2	60.0	74.5	77.2
2016	67.1	61.2–74.3	48.4	74.8	59.2	78.1	77.9
2015	67.1	60.9–74.1	48.4	75.6	59.4	77.1	77.9
2014	67.0	61.0–74.2	48.4	75.3	59.6	77.1	77.3
2013	67.3	61.3–74.5	49.4	75.3	59.9	77.1	77.3
2012	68.9	63.0–76.1	51.7	76.9	61.3	79.0	77.8
2011	68.8	63.1–76.2	51.0	76.9	61.5	79.0	77.8
2010	68.6	62.8–75.9	51.0	76.8	61.7	79.0	76.9
2009	69.0	63.1–76.1	51.1	76.8	62.8	79.0	77.9
2008	67.6	61.1–74.6	50.6	76.7	61.8	77.7	73.6
2007	66.5	60.3–73.8	49.3	75.3	61.8	74.7	73.7
2006	64.3	58.0–72.1	51.2	70.1	54.5	74.8	73.0
2005	63.9	57.3–71.5	52.2	70.2	53.9	71.9	73.1
2004	63.6	56.5–71.0	51.8	70.2	53.9	70.5	73.1
2003	63.0	56.0–70.4	50.3	70.2	52.9	70.5	73.1
2002	62.2	55.0–69.8	48.3	69.7	51.6	70.5	73.1
2001	61.6	54.9–69.4	45.7	69.7	51.6	70.5	73.1
2000	60.1	52.8–67.4	43.2	70.1	50.3	67.0	73.1
1999	59.9	52.8–67.5	43.2	69.4	50.1	67.0	73.1
1998	54.2	47.7–61.1	35.3	50.9	50.1	67.0	71.8
1917	16.8	11.5–20.8	7.7	30.3	8.8	9.5	37.5
1916	19.1	13.3–23.5	7.9	32.1	8.8	17.6	38.6
1915	20.8	14.6–25.4	10.7	38.1	8.8	17.6	38.6
1914	21.3	14.9–25.9	10.9	37.6	8.8	19.7	38.6
1913	21.1	14.9–25.8	10.3	38.0	8.8	19.7	38.0
1912	20.7	14.8–25.5	9.9	37.6	8.8	18.3	38.9
1911	20.8	14.7–25.6	10.3	38.2	8.8	17.2	39.8
1910	20.8	14.7–25.4	10.7	38.2	8.7	17.2	39.1
1909	20.8	14.7–25.4	10.7	38.2	8.7	17.2	39.1
1908	20.8	14.7–25.5	10.7	38.2	8.7	17.2	39.1
1907	21.8	15.7–26.8	12.8	40.9	8.7	17.2	39.1
1906	21.9	15.4–26.5	13.9	35.3	8.7	20.4	39.1
1905	20.1	14.9–25.4	9.3	33.9	8.7	19.1	38.8
1904	18.9	13.8–23.8	6.9	33.9	8.7	16.9	38.8
1903	18.9	13.8–23.8	6.9	33.9	8.7	16.9	38.8
1902	18.8	13.6–23.6	6.9	33.2	8.7	16.9	38.8
1901	18.8	13.6–23.6	6.9	33.2	8.7	16.9	38.8
1900	18.8	13.6–23.6	6.9	33.2	8.7	16.9	38.8

CITE THIS PROFILE

Source and attribution

Democracys.org (2026), “Montenegro Democracy Score, 1900–2025,” 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

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