Democracy Satisfaction

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).