On the whole, are you very satisfied, fairly satisfied, not very satisfied or not at all satisfied with the way democracy works (in your country) ?
This question was also regularly asked in the MONTHLY MONITOR flash surveys 1994 and 1995, alternating regarding the European Union.
Related publication:
Angelika Scheuer: Demokratiezufriedenheit sinkt in Deutschland unter EU-Niveau. Eine europäisch-vergleichende Analyse. In: Informationsdienst Soziale Indikatoren (ZUMA Publikation), Ausgabe 33, Januar 2005 (ISI 33 (204 kB)), p. 8-11.
Time series chart (35 kB) "Democracy Satisfaction" 1973-2010 (Germany East/West, Italy, EU).
| ZA Study Number | Eurobarometer | Fieldwork Month | Fieldwork Year | Question Number | Variable Name (1) |
| 0628 | ECS73 | 9-10 | 1973 | Q.19c | V15 |
| 0987 | 3 | 5 | 1975 | Q.217 | V85 (2) |
| 0989 | 5 | 5-6 | 1976 | Q.215 | V89 (2) |
| 0990 | 6 | 11 | 1976 | Q.120 | V20 |
| 0990 | 6 | 11 | 1976 | Q.213 | V119 (2) |
| 0991 | 7 | 4-5 | 1977 | Q.115b | V12 |
| 0992 | 8 | 10-11 | 1977 | Q.116 | V13 |
| 0993 | 9 | 5-6 | 1978 | Q.116 | V13 |
| 0994 | 10 | 10-11 | 1978 | Q.115 | V12 |
| 1036 | 11 | 4 | 1979 | Q.155 | V65 |
| 1037 | 12 | 10 | 1979 | Q.114 | V11 |
| 1039 | 14 | 10-11 | 1980 | Q.119 | V13 |
| 1207 | 16 | 10-11 | 1981 | Q.233 | V48 |
| 1208 | 17 | 3-4 | 1982 | Q.143 | V55 |
| 1209 | 18 | 10 | 1982 | Q.233 | V34 |
| 1318 | 19 | 3-4 | 1983 | Q.122 | V11 |
| 1319 | 20 | 10 | 1983 | Q.239 | V36 |
| 1320 | 21 | 3-4 | 1984 | Q.213 | V12 |
| 1321 | 22 | 10-11 | 1984 | Q.227 | V125 |
| 1541 | 23 | 3-4 | 1985 | Q.133 | V12 |
| 1542 | 24 | 10-11 | 1985 | Q.156 | V18 |
| 1543 | 25 | 3-4 | 1986 | Q.123 | V12 |
| 1544 | 26 | 10-11 | 1986 | Q.146 | V18 |
| 1712 | 27 | 4 | 1987 | Q.232 | V12 |
| 1713 | 28 | 10-11 | 1987 | Q.136 | V18 |
| 1714 | 29 | 3-4 | 1988 | Q.126 | V12 |
| 1715 | 30 | 10-11 | 1988 | Q.120 | V19 (3) |
| 1750 | 31 | 3-4 | 1989 | Q.125 | V12 |
| 1751 | 31A | 7 | 1989 | Q.127 (5) | V16 |
| 1752 | 32 | 10-11 | 1989 | Q.4 | V13 |
| 1753 | 33 | 3-4 | 1990 | Q.3 | V13 |
| 1960 | 34.0 | 10-11 | 1990 | Q.8 | V24/V25-V29 |
| 1962 | 34.2 | 10-11 | 1990 | Q.3 | V18 |
| 2031 | 35.0 | 3 | 1991 | Q.3 | V19 |
| 2081 | 36 | 10-11 | 1991 | Q.3 | V20 |
| 2141 | 37.0 | 3-4 | 1992 | Q.3 | V19 |
| 2294 | 38.0 | 9-10 | 1992 | Q.3 | V19 |
| 2295 | 38.1 | 11 | 1992 | Q.10 | V25 |
| 2346 | 39.0 | 3-4 | 1993 | Q.3 | V21 |
| 2459 | 40 | 10-11 | 1993 | Q.3 | V20 |
| 2490 | 41.0 | 4-5 | 1994 | Q.3 | V37 |
| 2491 | 41.1 | 6-7 | 1994 | Q.10 | V54 |
| 2563 | 42 | 11-12 | 1994 | Q.21a | V58 |
| 2637 | 43.1 | 4-5 | 1995 | Q.6a | V44 |
| 2830 | 44.3 | 2-4 | 1996 | Q.103 (4) | V479 |
| 2936 | 47.1 | 3-4 | 1997 | Q.41 | V255 |
| 2959 | 48.0 | 10-11 | 1997 | Q.5a | V44 |
| 3052 | 49 | 4-5 | 1998 | Q.6a | V43 |
| 3171 | 51.0 | 3-4 | 1999 | Q.12a | |
| 3204 | 52.0 | 10-11 | 1999 | Q.11 | |
| 3296 | 53 | 4-5 | 2000 | Q.17 | |
| 3387 | 54.1 | 11-12 | 2000 | Q.9 | |
| 3627 | 56.2 | 10-11 | 2001 | Q.9 | |
| 3693 | 58.1 | 10-11 | 2002 | Q.22a | |
| 3904 | 59.1 | 3-4 | 2003 | Q.20a | |
| 3938 | 60.1 | 10-11 | 2003 | Q.23a | |
| 4056 | 61 | 3-4 | 2004 | Q.39a | |
| 4229 | 62.0 | 10-11 | 2004 | Q.44a | |
| 4231 | 62.2 | 11-12 | 2004 | QD1_13 (4) | |
| 4411 | 63.4 | 5-6 | 2005 | QA34a | |
| 4506 | 65.2 | 3-5 | 2006 | QA34a | |
| 4565 | 68.1 | 9-11 | 2007 | QA11a | |
| 4994 | 72.4 | 10-11 | 2009 | QA18a | |
| 5234 | 73.4 | 5 | 2010 | QA24a | |
| 5567 | 76.3 | 11 | 2011 | QA18a | |
| 5612 | 77.3 | 5 | 2012 | QA20a | |
| 5685 | 78.1 | 11 | 2012 | QA19a | |
| 5689 | 79.3 | 5 | 2013 | QA21a | |
| 5875 | 79.5 | 6 | 2013 | Q30a | |
| 5876 | 80.1 | 11 | 2013 | QA18a | |
| 5913 | 81.2 | 3 | 2014 | QA12a | |
| 5928 | 81.4 | 5-6 | 2014 | QA18a | |
| 5932 | 82.3 | 11 | 2014 | QA20a | |
| 5998 | 83.3 | 5 | 2015 | QA20a | |
| 6643 | 84.3 | 11 | 2015 | QA20a | |
| 6694 | 85.2 | 5 | 2016 | QA18a | |
| 6788 | 86.2 | 11 | 2016 | QA18a | |
| 6861 | 87.1 | 3 | 2017 | QA14a | |
| 6863 | 87.3 | 5 | 2017 | QA17a | |
| 6928 | 88.3 | 11 | 2017 | QA17a | |
| 6963 | 89.1 | 3 | 2018 | QA17a | |
| 7484 | 90.1 | 9 | 2018 | D80a | |
| 7562 | 91.2 | 3 | 2019 | QA6A | |
| 7576 | 91.5 | 6-7 | 2019 | QA17a | |
| 7580 | 92.2 | 10 | 2019 | QB13a | |
| 7601 | 92.3 | 11-12 | 2019 | QA17a | |
| 7649 | 93.1 | 7-8 | 2020 | SD18a | |
| 7739 | 93.2 | 8-9 | 2020 | SD18a | |
| 7749 | 94.1 | 10-11 | 2020 | SD18a | |
| 7750 | 94.2 | 11-12 | 2020 | SD18a | |
| 7780 | 94.3 | 2-3 | 2021 | SD18a | |
| 7781 | 95.1 | 3-4 | 2021 | SD18a | |
| 7782 | 95.2 | 4-5 | 2021 | SD18a | |
| 7783 | 95.3 | 6-7 | 2021 | SD18a | |
| 7846 | 96.1 | 9-10 | 2021 | SD18a | |
| 7847 | 96.2 | 11-12 | 2021 | SD18a | |
| 7848 | 96.3 | 1-2 | 2022 | SD18a | |
| 7886 | 97.1 | 2-3 | 2022 | SD18a | |
| 7887 | 97.2 | 3-4 | 2022 | SD18a | |
| 7888 | 97.3 | 4-5 | 2022 | SD18a | |
| 7902 | 97.5 | 6-7 | 2022 | SD18a | |
| 7953 | 98.2 | 1-2 | 2023 | SD18a | |
| 7997 | 99.4 | 5-6 | 2023 | SD18a | |
| 8779 | 100.2 | 10-11 | 2023 | SD18a |
(1) Please note that the variable names refer to the final ICPSR/ZA codebook editions, if available.
(2) 11-Point-Scale
(3) 10-Point-Scale
(4) satisfaction with democracy asked among other items
(5) A second question version was used in addition to the standard question with merged responses in variable V16: "Some people are for the present government (of your country). Others are against it. Putting aside whether you are for or against the present government, on the whole are you very satisfied, fairly satisfied, nor very satisfied or not at all satisfied with the way democracy works (in your country)?". A SPLIT variable is available (V15).
