V-Dem Index marks India's democratic standing at lowest since 1975

The Gothenburg-based V-Dem Institute assigned India a score of 0.38 for 2025, placing it alongside Kazakhstan and Pakistan in the electoral autocracy bracket. On the Liberal Democracy Index, the nation fared similarly, securing the 105th spot with a score of 0.26. The report points to a gradual autocratization process spanning over fifteen years, marked by the systematic weakening of democratic pillars.

Researchers highlighted specific areas of concern, including the suppression of media independence, frequent harassment of journalists, and mounting pressure on civil society organizations and opposition figures. These findings bolster claims previously voiced by opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, who has frequently accused the administration of undermining the integrity of the electoral process.

According to the study, only 2 percent of the population in South and Central Asia currently resides in nations classified as full electoral democracies. While the institute acknowledges the complexity of its population-weighted measures—which treat smaller nations like the Seychelles with the same statistical weight as global powers—the persistent decline in India's metrics remains a focal point of domestic political debate. The V-Dem Institute, led by Associate Professor Steven Wilson, continues to categorize Afghanistan and Turkmenistan as closed autocracies, further complicating the regional landscape.