Voice and Accountability by Country
What Is Voice and Accountability?
Voice and Accountability measures the extent to which a country’s citizens can participate in selecting their government, as well as freedom of expression, association, and a free media. It is part of the World Bank’s Worldwide Governance Indicators, with scores ranging from –2.5 (weak) to 2.5 (strong). Higher values indicate more inclusive political processes and greater civil liberties.
Why Voice and Accountability Matters to a Country’s Progress
- Reflects democratic participation, since strong voice means citizens can influence policy through elections and civil society.
- Indicates media freedom, as a free press holds officials accountable and informs public debate.
- Informs governance quality, because governments responsive to citizen input are more likely to address public needs and reduce corruption.
Ranking Highlights
- Fiji tops the progress rankings in Voice and Accountability, recording an increase from -0.14 to 0.19. Australia follows with a gain from 1.32 to 1.51, while Spain rounds out the top three, rising from 1.02 to 1.20.
- Across all 193 countries, the average year-over-year change was +0.02 pts with a median change of +0.02 pts.
- Overall, 130 countries improved in this area while 62 worsened. Click on a country to open the full country scorecard and see how it performs across a range of key indicators.
| Rank | Country | Most Recent Year | Previous Year | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Fiji | 0.19 (2023) | -0.14 (2022) | +0.33 pts |
| 2 |  Australia | 1.51 (2023) | 1.32 (2022) | +0.18 pts |
| 3 |  Spain | 1.20 (2023) | 1.02 (2022) | +0.18 pts |
| 4 |  Thailand | -0.45 (2023) | -0.62 (2022) | +0.17 pts |
| 5 |  Brazil | 0.38 (2023) | 0.23 (2022) | +0.16 pts |
| 6 |  Oman | -1.00 (2023) | -1.15 (2022) | +0.14 pts |
| 7 |  Moldova | 0.24 (2023) | 0.10 (2022) | +0.14 pts |
| 8 |  Cyprus | 0.98 (2023) | 0.85 (2022) | +0.13 pts |
| 9 |  Tanzania | -0.53 (2023) | -0.65 (2022) | +0.12 pts |
| 10 |  Benin | -0.22 (2023) | -0.34 (2022) | +0.12 pts |
| 11 |  Uganda | -0.70 (2023) | -0.80 (2022) | +0.10 pts |
| 12 |  Slovenia | 1.08 (2023) | 0.98 (2022) | +0.10 pts |
| 13 |  Bulgaria | 0.39 (2023) | 0.29 (2022) | +0.10 pts |
| 14 |  Brunei | -0.72 (2023) | -0.82 (2022) | +0.10 pts |
| 15 |  China | -1.51 (2023) | -1.60 (2022) | +0.10 pts |
| 16 |  Luxembourg | 1.63 (2023) | 1.54 (2022) | +0.09 pts |
| 17 |  Kuwait | -0.59 (2023) | -0.69 (2022) | +0.09 pts |
| 18 |  Cuba | -1.25 (2023) | -1.34 (2022) | +0.09 pts |
| 19 |  Malaysia | 0.09 (2023) | 0.00 (2022) | +0.09 pts |
| 20 |  Japan | 1.11 (2023) | 1.02 (2022) | +0.09 pts |
| 21 |  Cameroon | -1.07 (2023) | -1.15 (2022) | +0.08 pts |
| 22 |  Qatar | -0.97 (2023) | -1.05 (2022) | +0.08 pts |
| 23 |  Mauritania | -0.66 (2023) | -0.73 (2022) | +0.07 pts |
| 24 |  Denmark | 1.67 (2023) | 1.59 (2022) | +0.07 pts |
| 25 |  Angola | -0.74 (2023) | -0.81 (2022) | +0.07 pts |
| 26 |  Egypt | -1.38 (2023) | -1.45 (2022) | +0.07 pts |
| 27 |  Yemen | -1.55 (2023) | -1.62 (2022) | +0.07 pts |
| 28 |  Montenegro | 0.34 (2023) | 0.28 (2022) | +0.07 pts |
| 29 |  Maldives | -0.14 (2023) | -0.21 (2022) | +0.07 pts |
| 30 |  Saudi Arabia | -1.42 (2023) | -1.48 (2022) | +0.07 pts |
| 31 |  Türkiye | -0.86 (2023) | -0.93 (2022) | +0.07 pts |
| 32 |  Kazakhstan | -1.00 (2023) | -1.07 (2022) | +0.06 pts |
| 33 |  Turkmenistan | -1.88 (2023) | -1.95 (2022) | +0.06 pts |
| 34 |  Morocco | -0.49 (2023) | -0.55 (2022) | +0.06 pts |
| 35 |  Eswatini | -1.17 (2023) | -1.22 (2022) | +0.06 pts |
| 36 |  Liberia | 0.05 (2023) | 0.00 (2022) | +0.06 pts |
| 37 |  Latvia | 0.99 (2023) | 0.94 (2022) | +0.06 pts |
| 38 |  Greece | 1.01 (2023) | 0.96 (2022) | +0.06 pts |
| 39 |  Botswana | 0.50 (2023) | 0.45 (2022) | +0.05 pts |
| 40 |  Nigeria | -0.55 (2023) | -0.60 (2022) | +0.05 pts |
| 41 |  Sweden | 1.58 (2023) | 1.53 (2022) | +0.05 pts |
| 42 |  Grenada | 0.75 (2023) | 0.71 (2022) | +0.05 pts |
| 43 |  India | 0.09 (2023) | 0.05 (2022) | +0.05 pts |
| 44 |  Germany | 1.46 (2023) | 1.41 (2022) | +0.05 pts |
| 45 |  Congo | -1.15 (2023) | -1.20 (2022) | +0.05 pts |
| 46 |  France | 1.16 (2023) | 1.11 (2022) | +0.04 pts |
| 47 |  North Korea | -1.98 (2023) | -2.02 (2022) | +0.04 pts |
| 48 |  Switzerland | 1.67 (2023) | 1.62 (2022) | +0.04 pts |
| 49 |  Vietnam | -1.24 (2023) | -1.29 (2022) | +0.04 pts |
| 50 |  Serbia | -0.06 (2023) | -0.10 (2022) | +0.04 pts |
| 51 |  Italy | 1.12 (2023) | 1.07 (2022) | +0.04 pts |
| 52 |  Bhutan | 0.20 (2023) | 0.16 (2022) | +0.04 pts |
| 53 |  Comoros | -0.81 (2023) | -0.85 (2022) | +0.04 pts |
| 54 |  Chile | 1.02 (2023) | 0.98 (2022) | +0.04 pts |
| 55 |  Vanuatu | 0.63 (2023) | 0.59 (2022) | +0.04 pts |
| 56 |  Syria | -1.85 (2023) | -1.90 (2022) | +0.04 pts |
| 57 |  Bahrain | -1.38 (2023) | -1.42 (2022) | +0.04 pts |
| 58 |  Canada | 1.48 (2023) | 1.44 (2022) | +0.04 pts |
| 59 |  Tajikistan | -1.64 (2023) | -1.67 (2022) | +0.04 pts |
| 60 |  Paraguay | 0.04 (2023) | 0.00 (2022) | +0.04 pts |
| 61 |  Philippines | -0.02 (2023) | -0.06 (2022) | +0.04 pts |
| 62 |  Honduras | -0.45 (2023) | -0.49 (2022) | +0.04 pts |
| 63 |  Czech Republic | 1.08 (2023) | 1.04 (2022) | +0.04 pts |
| 64 |  New Zealand | 1.69 (2023) | 1.65 (2022) | +0.04 pts |
| 65 |  Chad | -1.44 (2023) | -1.47 (2022) | +0.04 pts |
| 66 |  Colombia | 0.21 (2023) | 0.17 (2022) | +0.04 pts |
| 67 |  Tunisia | -0.21 (2023) | -0.25 (2022) | +0.04 pts |
| 68 |  Rwanda | -0.90 (2023) | -0.94 (2022) | +0.03 pts |
| 69 |  United Arab Emirates | -1.10 (2023) | -1.13 (2022) | +0.03 pts |
| 70 |  Algeria | -0.98 (2023) | -1.01 (2022) | +0.03 pts |
| 71 |  Zambia | -0.05 (2023) | -0.08 (2022) | +0.03 pts |
| 72 |  Azerbaijan | -1.41 (2023) | -1.44 (2022) | +0.03 pts |
| 73 |  Belgium | 1.33 (2023) | 1.30 (2022) | +0.03 pts |
| 74 |  Ireland | 1.48 (2023) | 1.45 (2022) | +0.03 pts |
| 75 |  Burundi | -1.37 (2023) | -1.40 (2022) | +0.03 pts |
| 76 |  Barbados | 1.16 (2023) | 1.13 (2022) | +0.03 pts |
| 77 |  Albania | 0.17 (2023) | 0.14 (2022) | +0.03 pts |
| 78 |  Jordan | -0.78 (2023) | -0.80 (2022) | +0.03 pts |
| 79 |  Kenya | -0.12 (2023) | -0.15 (2022) | +0.03 pts |
| 80 |  Equatorial Guinea | -1.68 (2023) | -1.70 (2022) | +0.03 pts |
| 81 |  Liechtenstein | 1.40 (2023) | 1.38 (2022) | +0.03 pts |
| 82 |  Finland | 1.63 (2023) | 1.61 (2022) | +0.03 pts |
| 83 |  Laos | -1.63 (2023) | -1.66 (2022) | +0.03 pts |
| 84 |  Papua New Guinea | 0.01 (2023) | -0.02 (2022) | +0.03 pts |
| 85 |  Poland | 0.63 (2023) | 0.60 (2022) | +0.02 pts |
| 86 |  Slovakia | 0.91 (2023) | 0.89 (2022) | +0.02 pts |
| 87 |  South Africa | 0.75 (2023) | 0.72 (2022) | +0.02 pts |
| 88 |  Nepal | -0.02 (2023) | -0.05 (2022) | +0.02 pts |
| 89 |  Tonga | 0.87 (2023) | 0.85 (2022) | +0.02 pts |
| 90 |  Eritrea | -1.86 (2023) | -1.88 (2022) | +0.02 pts |
| 91 |  Uzbekistan | -1.31 (2023) | -1.33 (2022) | +0.02 pts |
| 92 |  Marshall Islands | 1.13 (2023) | 1.11 (2022) | +0.02 pts |
| 93 |  Nauru | 0.64 (2023) | 0.62 (2022) | +0.02 pts |
| 94 |  Georgia | 0.04 (2023) | 0.02 (2022) | +0.02 pts |
| 95 |  Iceland | 1.45 (2023) | 1.43 (2022) | +0.02 pts |
| 96 |  Côte d'Ivoire | -0.38 (2023) | -0.39 (2022) | +0.02 pts |
| 97 |  Estonia | 1.22 (2023) | 1.20 (2022) | +0.02 pts |
| 98 |  Cambodia | -1.29 (2023) | -1.31 (2022) | +0.02 pts |
| 99 |  United States | 0.88 (2023) | 0.86 (2022) | +0.02 pts |
| 100 |  Samoa | 1.02 (2023) | 1.00 (2022) | +0.02 pts |
| 101 |  Zimbabwe | -1.09 (2023) | -1.11 (2022) | +0.02 pts |
| 102 |  Antigua and Barbuda | 0.74 (2023) | 0.73 (2022) | +0.02 pts |
| 103 |  Namibia | 0.58 (2023) | 0.57 (2022) | +0.02 pts |
| 104 |  Djibouti | -1.27 (2023) | -1.29 (2022) | +0.02 pts |
| 105 |  Tuvalu | 1.22 (2023) | 1.21 (2022) | +0.02 pts |
| 106 |  Saint Lucia | 0.86 (2023) | 0.85 (2022) | +0.02 pts |
| 107 |  Palau | 1.09 (2023) | 1.07 (2022) | +0.02 pts |
| 108 |  San Marino | 1.25 (2023) | 1.23 (2022) | +0.02 pts |
| 109 |  Venezuela | -1.53 (2023) | -1.55 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 110 |  Malawi | 0.08 (2023) | 0.06 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 111 |  Haiti | -1.18 (2023) | -1.19 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 112 |  South Sudan | -1.68 (2023) | -1.70 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 113 |  Dominican Republic | 0.33 (2023) | 0.31 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 114 |  Cabo Verde | 0.96 (2023) | 0.95 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 115 |  Ghana | 0.41 (2023) | 0.40 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 116 |  Netherlands | 1.56 (2023) | 1.55 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 117 |  Iran | -1.45 (2023) | -1.46 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 118 |  Kyrgyzstan | -0.72 (2023) | -0.73 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 119 |  Saint Kitts and Nevis | 0.77 (2023) | 0.77 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 120 |  Panama | 0.55 (2023) | 0.54 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 121 |  Peru | 0.06 (2023) | 0.05 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 122 |  Bosnia and Herzegovina | -0.32 (2023) | -0.33 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 123 |  Somalia | -1.66 (2023) | -1.67 (2022) | +0.01 pts |
| 124 |  Mexico | -0.12 (2023) | -0.12 (2022) | +0.00 pts |
| 125 |  Belize | 0.54 (2023) | 0.54 (2022) | +0.00 pts |
| 126 |  United Kingdom | 1.26 (2023) | 1.26 (2022) | +0.00 pts |
| 127 |  Solomon Islands | 0.34 (2023) | 0.34 (2022) | +0.00 pts |
| 128 |  Lithuania | 1.07 (2023) | 1.07 (2022) | +0.00 pts |
| 129 |  Mauritius | 0.62 (2023) | 0.61 (2022) | +0.00 pts |
| 130 |  North Macedonia | 0.16 (2023) | 0.16 (2022) | +0.00 pts |
| 131 |  Gambia | -0.04 (2023) | -0.04 (2022) | +0.00 pts |
| 132 |  Kiribati | 1.09 (2023) | 1.09 (2022) | 0.00 pts |
| 133 |  Uruguay | 1.28 (2023) | 1.29 (2022) | 0.00 pts |
| 134 |  Bangladesh | -0.75 (2023) | -0.75 (2022) | 0.00 pts |
| 135 |  Austria | 1.41 (2023) | 1.41 (2022) | 0.00 pts |
| 136 |  Costa Rica | 1.07 (2023) | 1.07 (2022) | 0.00 pts |
| 137 |  Norway | 1.78 (2023) | 1.78 (2022) | 0.00 pts |
| 138 |  Indonesia | 0.14 (2023) | 0.14 (2022) | 0.00 pts |
| 139 |  Singapore | -0.07 (2023) | -0.06 (2022) | -0.01 pts |
| 140 |  Mozambique | -0.59 (2023) | -0.59 (2022) | -0.01 pts |
| 141 |  Iraq | -0.96 (2023) | -0.95 (2022) | -0.01 pts |
| 142 |  Libya | -1.39 (2023) | -1.38 (2022) | -0.01 pts |
| 143 |  Dominica | 0.79 (2023) | 0.80 (2022) | -0.01 pts |
| 144 |  Guatemala | -0.53 (2023) | -0.52 (2022) | -0.01 pts |
| 145 |  Argentina | 0.53 (2023) | 0.55 (2022) | -0.01 pts |
| 146 |  Bahamas | 0.86 (2023) | 0.87 (2022) | -0.01 pts |
| 147 |  Ethiopia | -1.06 (2023) | -1.05 (2022) | -0.01 pts |
| 148 |  Armenia | 0.08 (2023) | 0.09 (2022) | -0.01 pts |
| 149 |  Mongolia | 0.25 (2023) | 0.27 (2022) | -0.02 pts |
| 150 |  Sri Lanka | -0.23 (2023) | -0.22 (2022) | -0.02 pts |
| 151 |  Suriname | 0.35 (2023) | 0.37 (2022) | -0.02 pts |
| 152 |  South Korea | 0.86 (2023) | 0.88 (2022) | -0.02 pts |
| 153 |  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 0.83 (2023) | 0.85 (2022) | -0.02 pts |
| 154 |  Lesotho | 0.03 (2023) | 0.05 (2022) | -0.02 pts |
| 155 |  Guinea-Bissau | -0.44 (2023) | -0.42 (2022) | -0.02 pts |
| 156 |  Democratic Republic of the Congo | -1.21 (2023) | -1.19 (2022) | -0.02 pts |
| 157 |  Lebanon | -0.65 (2023) | -0.63 (2022) | -0.02 pts |
| 158 |  Russia | -1.29 (2023) | -1.26 (2022) | -0.02 pts |
| 159 |  Sao Tome and Principe | 0.25 (2023) | 0.28 (2022) | -0.03 pts |
| 160 |  Madagascar | -0.32 (2023) | -0.29 (2022) | -0.03 pts |
| 161 |  Jamaica | 0.56 (2023) | 0.59 (2022) | -0.03 pts |
| 162 |  Togo | -0.78 (2023) | -0.76 (2022) | -0.03 pts |
| 163 |  Trinidad and Tobago | 0.62 (2023) | 0.65 (2022) | -0.03 pts |
| 164 |  Myanmar | -1.84 (2023) | -1.81 (2022) | -0.03 pts |
| 165 |  Israel | 0.64 (2023) | 0.68 (2022) | -0.03 pts |
| 166 |  Nicaragua | -1.39 (2023) | -1.35 (2022) | -0.04 pts |
| 167 |  Gabon | -0.92 (2023) | -0.88 (2022) | -0.04 pts |
| 168 |  Belarus | -1.67 (2023) | -1.63 (2022) | -0.04 pts |
| 169 |  Seychelles | 0.56 (2023) | 0.60 (2022) | -0.04 pts |
| 170 |  Micronesia | 1.09 (2023) | 1.13 (2022) | -0.04 pts |
| 171 |  Senegal | 0.13 (2023) | 0.18 (2022) | -0.04 pts |
| 172 |  Guyana | 0.15 (2023) | 0.19 (2022) | -0.04 pts |
| 173 |  Croatia | 0.57 (2023) | 0.62 (2022) | -0.05 pts |
| 174 |  Portugal | 1.21 (2023) | 1.26 (2022) | -0.05 pts |
| 175 |  Central African Republic | -1.26 (2023) | -1.21 (2022) | -0.05 pts |
| 176 |  Timor-Leste | 0.43 (2023) | 0.49 (2022) | -0.06 pts |
| 177 |  Monaco | 0.65 (2023) | 0.72 (2022) | -0.06 pts |
| 178 |  Guinea | -1.15 (2023) | -1.08 (2022) | -0.06 pts |
| 179 |  Romania | 0.50 (2023) | 0.57 (2022) | -0.06 pts |
| 180 |  Hungary | 0.36 (2023) | 0.43 (2022) | -0.07 pts |
| 181 |  Bolivia | -0.27 (2023) | -0.20 (2022) | -0.07 pts |
| 182 |  Ukraine | -0.10 (2023) | -0.02 (2022) | -0.08 pts |
| 183 | Ecuador | -0.06 (2023) | 0.03 (2022) | -0.09 pts |
| 184 |  Mali | -1.01 (2023) | -0.92 (2022) | -0.09 pts |
| 185 |  Pakistan | -0.96 (2023) | -0.86 (2022) | -0.10 pts |
| 186 |  Afghanistan | -1.85 (2023) | -1.75 (2022) | -0.10 pts |
| 187 |  El Salvador | -0.47 (2023) | -0.37 (2022) | -0.10 pts |
| 188 |  Andorra | 1.00 (2023) | 1.11 (2022) | -0.11 pts |
| 189 |  Sudan | -1.61 (2023) | -1.49 (2022) | -0.11 pts |
| 190 |  Burkina Faso | -0.81 (2023) | -0.68 (2022) | -0.13 pts |
| 191 |  Sierra Leone | -0.30 (2023) | -0.15 (2022) | -0.15 pts |
| 192 |  Malta | 0.91 (2023) | 1.08 (2022) | -0.17 pts |
| 193 |  Niger | -0.70 (2023) | -0.38 (2022) | -0.32 pts |
Source: World Bank. Only countries with complete data (both points within the past 10 years) are shown.
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