Skip to content
Nations Inquiry — home
Iconic University Square, symbolizing Bucharest's historic and cultural center.

Photo: Madalin Pentelie · CC0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale

Topic 09 of 18 · Country Index 2026

Romania: Democracy & Civil Liberties

Do people choose their rulers, and can they speak freely?

Romania is placed 76th of 198 countries on democracy & civil liberties in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 3 key statistics. Readings behind it: Rule of Law 0.297 (2025); Civic Space Ratings 61.24 (2025).

Democracy & Civil Liberties

76th

of 198 countries placed

Placed from 3 of 3 key statistics

Country Index 2026, all topics39th of 178 →

01The evidence

The 3 key statistics that decide it

Only these place Romania on democracy & civil liberties — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.

Why these keys

  1. Key 1 of 3

    Rule of Law

    World Bank Group

    Why it is a key: Whether the law binds those who write it — contract enforcement, property rights, the police and the courts. Where the other two keys measure who holds power and what people may do, this measures whether power itself is bound by rules.

    2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY 4.0

    0.297

    Rule of Law estimate (−2.5 to 2.5)

    Higher is better

    Romania: 0.297. Across the 211 countries in this edition, values run from -2.199 (Venezuela) to 2.012 (Finland); the world median is -0.102.

    World median
    -0.102
    Best in Eastern Europe
    1.17 Czechia
    Land neighbours
    Bulgaria -0.046 · Hungary 0.216 · Moldova -0.153 · Serbia -0.321 · Ukraine -0.788

    Each grey tick is one of 211 countries in the 2025 edition.

  2. Key 2 of 3

    Civic Space Ratings

    CIVICUS

    Why it is a key: Whether people can assemble, organise and speak in practice this year. Correlates 0.915 with V-Dem, just inside the 0.92 bar, and kept because a country can hold real elections while closing civic space between them.

    2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY-SA 4.0

    61.24

    Civic space score (0–100)

    Higher is better

    Romania: 61.24. Across the 198 countries in this edition, values run from 2.17 (North Korea) to 100 (Kiribati); the world median is 50.46.

    World median
    50.46
    Best in Eastern Europe
    86.85 Czechia
    Land neighbours
    Bulgaria 65.48 · Hungary 46 · Moldova 72.08 · Serbia 38.15 · Ukraine 52.4

    Each grey tick is one of 198 countries in the 2025 edition.

  3. Key 3 of 3

    V-Dem Electoral Democracy Index

    V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg

    Why it is a key: Regime type as assessed by scholars: whether elections are genuine and whether rulers can be removed by them.

    2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY-SA 4.0

    0.605

    Electoral democracy index (0–1)

    Higher is better

    Romania: 0.605. Across the 176 countries in this edition, values run from 0.016 (Saudi Arabia) to 0.913 (Denmark); the world median is 0.497.

    World median
    0.497
    Best in Eastern Europe
    0.849 Czechia
    Land neighbours
    Bulgaria 0.599 · Hungary 0.421 · Moldova 0.553 · Serbia 0.3 · Ukraine 0.386

    Each grey tick is one of 176 countries in the 2025 edition.

03In context

Romania beside its neighbours

A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 198 countries on democracy & civil liberties, never a place within the region.

Eastern Europe
1st198thNot placed · 26 countries with too few key statisticsNo data

The whole world on democracy & civil liberties

Romania and the countries it borders

The standing is each country’s place among all 198 placed on the topic; the other columns are the publishers’ own values, read at the edition the standing used.

CountryStandingRule of LawRule of Law estimate (−2.5 to 2.5)Civic Space RatingsCivic space score (0–100)V-Dem Electoral Democracy IndexElectoral democracy index (0–1)
Romania76th0.29761.240.605
Bulgaria83rd-0.04665.480.599
Moldova=84th-0.15372.080.553
Hungary102nd0.216460.421
Ukraine117th-0.78852.40.386
Serbia125th-0.32138.150.3

“—” means the publisher gives no reading for that country in that edition. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed.

Placed either side on democracy & civil liberties

The countries immediately above and below Romania in the topic’s list.

04Context, no vote

Where Romania is ahead of the world, and behind

14 more statistics filed under democracy & civil liberties, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.

Every country

Ahead of the world median13

Statistics on which Romania does better than the middle country measured.

  • Physical Violence IndexV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 0.790.955▲ Improved since 2015

    Romania: 0.955 · world median 0.79 · Freedom from political killings and torture (0–1). V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.

    Published values in that edition run from 0.053 to 0.989; higher is better.

    Position 25th of 176 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.

    Chart and every countryThe 2025 dataset

  • Military Dimension IndexV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 0.10▼ Worsened since 2015

    Romania: 0 · world median 0.1 · Military dimension index (0–1; higher = larger military role). V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.

    Published values in that edition run from 0 to 1; lower is better.

    Chart and every countryThe 2025 dataset

  • Social Institutions and Gender IndexOECD · 2023 · world median 25.215.7No earlier reading

    Romania: 15.7 · world median 25.2 · SIGI score (0 = no discrimination, 100 = absolute). OECD, 2023 edition, data for 2023.

    Published values in that edition run from 6.7 to 67.4; lower is better.

    Position 108th of 140 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = worst. The publisher ranks no country on this.

    Chart and every countryThe 2023 dataset

  • Government Internet ShutdownsV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 1.0231.743▲ Improved since 2015

    Romania: 1.743 · world median 1.023 · Original latent estimate (≈ −4 to +2); higher = fewer shutdowns. V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.

    Published values in that edition run from -3.547 to 2.081; higher is better.

    Position 44th of 176 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.

    Chart and every countryThe 2025 dataset

  • Women's Political Empowerment IndexV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 0.7720.872▲ Improved since 2015

    Romania: 0.872 · world median 0.772 · Women's political empowerment index (0–1). V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.

    Published values in that edition run from 0.028 to 0.954; higher is better.

    Position 44th of 176 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.

    Chart and every countryThe 2025 dataset

  • Government Censorship of the MediaV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 0.5651.246▼ Worsened since 2015

    Romania: 1.246 · world median 0.565 · Original latent estimate (≈ −3 to +3.5); higher = less censorship. V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.

    Published values in that edition run from -3.017 to 3.489; higher is better.

    Position 56th of 176 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.

    Chart and every countryThe 2025 dataset

  • Participatory Democracy IndexV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 0.2980.416▼ Worsened since 2015

    Romania: 0.416 · world median 0.298 · Participatory democracy index (0–1). V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.

    Published values in that edition run from 0.008 to 0.785; higher is better.

    Position 58th of 176 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.

    Chart and every countryThe 2025 dataset

  • Voice and AccountabilityWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median -0.0220.441No real change since 2015

    Romania: 0.441 · world median -0.022 · Voice and Accountability estimate (−2.5 to 2.5). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.

    Published values in that edition run from -2.348 to 1.825; higher is better.

    Position 74th of 206 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.

    Chart and every countryThe 2025 dataset

  • Academic Freedom IndexV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 0.6190.754▼ Worsened since 2015

    Romania: 0.754 · world median 0.619 · Academic freedom index (0–1). V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.

    Published values in that edition run from 0.019 to 0.978; higher is better.

    Position 66th of 176 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.

    Chart and every countryThe 2025 dataset

  • Egalitarian Democracy IndexV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 0.3210.424▼ Worsened since 2015

    Romania: 0.424 · world median 0.321 · Egalitarian democracy index (0–1). V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.

    Published values in that edition run from 0.016 to 0.876; higher is better.

    Position 67th of 176 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.

    Chart and every countryThe 2025 dataset

  • Freedom of Expression and Alternative Sources of Information IndexV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 0.6930.777▼ Worsened since 2015

    Romania: 0.777 · world median 0.693 · Freedom of expression index (0–1). V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.

    Published values in that edition run from 0.013 to 0.98; higher is better.

    Position 68th of 176 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.

    Chart and every countryThe 2025 dataset

  • Liberal Democracy IndexV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 0.3530.464▼ Worsened since 2015

    Romania: 0.464 · world median 0.353 · Liberal democracy index (0–1). V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.

    Published values in that edition run from 0.009 to 0.884; higher is better.

    Position 69th of 176 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.

    Chart and every countryThe 2025 dataset

  • Judicial Constraints on the Executive IndexV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 0.6760.745▼ Worsened since 2015

    Romania: 0.745 · world median 0.676 · Judicial constraints on the executive index (0–1). V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.

    Published values in that edition run from 0.003 to 0.988; higher is better.

    Position 72nd of 175 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.

    Chart and every countryThe 2025 dataset

Behind the world median1

Statistics on which Romania does worse than the middle country measured.

  • Deliberative Democracy IndexV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 0.3390.294▼ Worsened since 2015

    Romania: 0.294 · world median 0.339 · Deliberative democracy index (0–1). V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.

    Published values in that edition run from 0.011 to 0.867; higher is better.

    Position 96th of 176 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.

    Chart and every countryThe 2025 dataset

05Country Index 2026

Democracy & Civil Liberties among Romania’s 16 topics

Democracy & Civil Liberties is Romania’s 13th best-placed topic of 16. Strongest first; each marker sits at the position divided by that topic’s field, so fields of different sizes compare fairly.

On the profile
  1. Education & Knowledge16th of 171
  2. Food & Agriculture27th of 175
  3. Governance & Institutions43rd of 194
  4. Poverty & Inequality36th of 159
  5. Economy & Innovation43rd of 176
  6. Gender & Equality46th of 183
  7. Energy50th of 193
  8. Development & Human Capital53rd of 196
  9. Digital & Technologyjoint 64th of 198
  10. Risk & Resiliencejoint 66th of 192
  11. Peace & Security66th of 177
  12. Mobility & Trade55th of 147
  13. Democracy & Civil Liberties76th of 198
  14. Health & Wellbeingjoint 87th of 200
  15. Environment & Sustainabilityjoint 97th of 181
  16. Work & Labour122nd of 182

06The top of the list

Who leads on democracy & civil liberties

The three countries placed highest of 198, and the leaders Romania can most readily be measured against.

All 198 countries
  1. 1

    Norway

    Northern Europe

    1st of 198 · 3 of 3 keys

    Photo: Ximonic , Simo Räsänen · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale

  2. =2

    Denmark

    Northern Europe

    Joint 2nd of 198 · 3 of 3 keys

    Photo: User:Aconcagua · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale

  3. =2

    Liechtenstein

    Western Europe

    Joint 2nd of 198 · 2 of 3 keys

    Photo: Guido Radig,Inkey · CC BY 3.0, greyscale

Placed highest nearby

  1. Highest in Europe

    Norway1st3/3 keys

  2. Highest in Eastern Europe

    Czechia=20th3/3 keys

  3. This page

    Romania76th3/3 keys

Positions out of 198 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.

07Analysis

Charts and analysis about Romania and democracy & civil liberties

All charts

08Questions

Romania on democracy & civil liberties: questions answered

Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.

How does Romania rank on democracy & civil liberties?

Romania is placed 76th of 198 countries on Democracy & Civil Liberties in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 3 key statistics (Rule of Law, Civic Space Ratings and V-Dem Electoral Democracy Index). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.

What is the latest Rule of Law figure for Romania?

0.297 in 2025 (rule of Law estimate (−2.5 to 2.5)), according to World Bank Group. The world median in the same edition was -0.102.

What is the latest Civic Space Ratings figure for Romania?

61.24 in 2025 (civic space score (0–100)), according to CIVICUS. The world median in the same edition was 50.46.

How does Romania compare with Ukraine on democracy & civil liberties?

Ukraine is placed 117th of 198, and Romania 76th. Rule of Law: Ukraine -0.788, Romania 0.297; Civic Space Ratings: Ukraine 52.4, Romania 61.24; V-Dem Electoral Democracy Index: Ukraine 0.386, Romania 0.605.

How have Romania’s democracy & civil liberties figures changed?

Rule of Law rose from -0.286 in 2000 to 0.297 in 2025; V-Dem Electoral Democracy Index fell from 0.611 in 2000 to 0.605 in 2025.

09Keep reading

Explore further

Democracy & Civil Liberties

Romania, topic by topic

10Method

Method, sources and how to cite

What this topic does not measure

This topic does not judge whether a government is competent or honest — that is Governance & Institutions — and it does not measure economic freedom. It also cannot capture everything about a political system in a single place in a list, which is why every key behind it links to the publisher's full edition.

About democracy & civil liberties, in full

How the Democracy & Civil Liberties standing is decided, step by step

A standing is a place in a list, not a mark out of anything. This one is part of the Country Index 2026, and it is worked out like this.

  1. A few key indicators decide it; the rest are context. 3 indicators on this topic are keys and 14 are charted alongside them without a vote. That split is the point: if every statistic voted, importing five more of one kind would quietly change what the topic is about.
  2. Each key is read at one edition. All of them describe 2025.
  3. Every country’s published value is turned into a place within that one key’s own field, and then expressed as a share of that field — how far down this key’s list the country sits, rather than how many countries are above it. Keys where a higher published number is worse (terrorism, hunger, disaster risk) are turned round first, so the good end is always the same end.
  4. Dividing by the field first is the whole reason this works. A place carries the size of its list inside it: 22nd of 44 and 108th of 215 are the same showing, and averaging the numbers 22 and 108 says loudly that they are not. Fields on this site run from about 44 countries to about 215, so averaging raw places would reward a country for happening to be measured in small ones. Dividing each place by its own field removes the size and leaves only the showing.
  5. The shares are averaged, plainly. One key, one vote — no key is weighted above another, because any weighting would be this site’s opinion presented as a measurement. Countries are then put in order by that average, and the average itself is never published. It is our arithmetic with nothing anchoring it, so printing it would invite it to be read as a measurement somebody made. The position it produces, the band, and the keys it was built from are all published instead — every one of them checkable against the tables on this page.
  6. A country needs 2 of this topic’s 3 keys — half, rounded up, and never fewer than 2. A standing built from one reading, printed beside one built from four, is two different things sharing a column heading. 198 countries clear the bar here.
  7. A key has to earn its vote every edition. It must measure at least 120 countries (below that it starts measuring who was surveyed rather than the world), it must not have more than 10% of its field tied at either end, and it must not repeat another key in the same topic — Spearman correlation above 0.92 counts as repeating. A topic needs at least 2 surviving keys to place anyone at all; this one has 3.
  8. A standing is relative, and the grouping is ours. It says where a country places against the others measured alongside it, so it moves when they move. The publishers listed on this page did not agree to be read together, and each measures its subject its own way: the underlying numbers are theirs, the ordering on top is this site’s — the same method as the rest of the Country Index, applied to one subject instead of all of them.

The key statistics and their licences

The other 14 statistics on this page come from 3 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.

The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Photographs

Romania’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.

Cite this page

Nations Inquiry (2026). Romania: Democracy & Civil Liberties — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/romania/democracy

Feedback

Feedback

How are we doing?

Two answers are required — a rating and your email. The rest is up to you.