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Policy profile on 12 axes

How Pakistan Is Governed

Pakistan is a federal state that scores 0.18 out of 1 on the V-Dem Liberal Democracy Index (2025). Government spending is 21% of GDP (IMF, 2025), the death penalty remains in law, with no executions in the last five years and same-sex relations are criminalized. Below: the laws, institutions and public spending of Pakistan, scored on the same 12 axes as the test, with every indicator and source.

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Policy profile

The 12 axes, indicator by indicator

This profile describes the country's policy regime (laws, institutions and public spending) from published indices, not the views of its people or its current leaders. Data as of October 2026; each value shows its own year.

Ownership-0.20PublicPrivate4 indicators and sources
  • State ownership of the economy (coded tier): State controls major firms in several sectors beyond utilities (energy, banking, telecom, mining, transport) (2026). Source
  • Index of Economic Freedom 2026: Property Rights (0-100): 25.7 (2026). Source
  • Index of Economic Freedom 2026: Investment Freedom (0-100): 60 (2026). Source
  • Index of Economic Freedom 2026: Financial Freedom (0-100): 40 (2026). Source
Markets-0.25PlannedFree5 indicators and sources
  • Index of Economic Freedom 2026: Business Freedom (0-100): 54.4 (2026). Source
  • Index of Economic Freedom 2026: Labor Freedom (0-100): 51.7 (2026). Source
  • Index of Economic Freedom 2026: Monetary Freedom (0-100): 54.1 (2026). Source
  • Regulatory Quality, estimate (-2.5 to 2.5): -0.92 (2025). Source
  • State ownership of the economy (coded tier): State controls major firms in several sectors beyond utilities (energy, banking, telecom, mining, transport) (2026). Source
Welfare+0.70SharedSelf-reliant3 indicators and sources
  • General government total expenditure (% of GDP): 21.19 (2025). Source
  • Domestic general government health expenditure (% of GDP): 0.9 (2023). Source
  • Index of Economic Freedom 2026: Tax Burden (0-100): 78.2 (2026). Source
Authority+0.50DemocraticStrong leader2 indicators and sources
  • Liberal Democracy Index (0-1): 0.18 (2025). Source
  • Judicial constraints on the executive (0-1): 0.5 (2025). Source
Security+0.15LibertyOrder4 indicators and sources
  • Freedom in the World civil liberties score (0-60): 20 (2025). Source
  • World Press Freedom Index score (0-100): 32.61 (2026). Source
  • Death penalty status: Retentionist, no executions in the last 5 years (2025). Last executions in 2019. Source
  • Prison population per 100,000 people: 45 (2024). Source
Structure-0.75LocalCentral2 indicators and sources
  • Territorial form of the state: Federation (2025). Source
  • Strong elected regional governments index (0-1): 0.76 (2025). Source
Morality+0.75ProgressiveTraditional3 indicators and sources
  • Same-sex marriage law (0 marriage, 1 civil union or partnership, 2 no recognition, 3 constitutional or statutory ban): Same-sex relations criminalized (2026). Source
  • Abortion law: To preserve health, or a few narrow grounds such as rape (2025). Source
  • Women, Business and the Law: Legal Framework Index (0-100): 46.68 (2025). Source
Religion+0.75SecularReligious2 indicators and sources
  • Religion and the state: Official religion that is a main source of legislation, or religious courts control marriage and family law (2025). Source
  • Blasphemy or religious-insult law in force: In force (2025). Source
Technology-0.35EmbraceCaution3 indicators and sources
  • Research and development expenditure (% of GDP): 0.16 (2023). Source
  • Nuclear power policy: Building or officially planning new reactors (2025). Source
  • Genetically modified crop cultivation: GM crops grown commercially (2025). Source
Culture-0.25MulticulturalNational identity4 indicators and sources
  • International migrant stock (% of population): 1.66 (2024). Source
  • Citizenship by birth in the territory: Unconditional birthright citizenship (2025). Citizenship Act 1951, section 4; applied unevenly to Afghan-born residents. Source
  • Residence required for ordinary naturalization (years; 0 = no ordinary route): 5 years (2025). Source
  • Dual citizenship for naturalizing adults: Restricted (some countries only, permission, or exceptions) (2025). Source
Trade+0.30GlobalProtected4 indicators and sources
  • Tariff rate, applied, weighted mean, all products (%): 7.61 (2022). Source
  • Tariff rate, applied, simple mean, all products (%): 10.97 (2022). Source
  • Index of Economic Freedom 2026: Trade Freedom (0-100): 70.4 (2026). Source
  • Trade (exports + imports) (% of GDP): 27.19 (2025). Source
Foreign policy+0.25CooperationStrength5 indicators and sources
  • Military expenditure (% of GDP): 2.91 (2025). Source
  • Military conscription: None: volunteer forces or no military (2025). Source
  • Nuclear weapons status (0 none, 1 considers, 2 pursues, 3 possesses): Possesses nuclear weapons (2023). Source
  • Party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court: Not a party (never joined, signed only, or withdrew) (2026). Source
  • Collective defense commitments: Other mutual defense commitment only (EU Treaty art. 42.7, Rio Treaty, Arab League treaty, bilateral pact) (2026). Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement with Saudi Arabia, September 2025. Source

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Policy neighbours

Governed most like Pakistan

Every other country with a profile, tinted by how close its laws, institutions and public spending are to those of Pakistan on the same 12 axes. The percentage uses the 12 Axes match formula.

  1. 1Indonesia80%
  2. 2United Arab Emirates78%
  3. 3India76%
  4. 4Nigeria76%
  5. 5Russia75%
Least similarNew Zealand43%
World map of countries by how similar their policy regime is to PakistanClosest: 1. Indonesia 80%, 2. United Arab Emirates 78%, 3. India 76%, 4. Nigeria 76%, 5. Russia 75%, 6. Kenya 72%, 7. Egypt 70%, 8. Saudi Arabia 70%, 9. Iran 68%, 10. Philippines 68%. Least similar: New Zealand 43%. Every country is in the list after the map.Pakistan
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Figures from Pakistan

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FAQ

Pakistan: questions

How is Pakistan governed, on the 12 axes?

Pakistan is a federal state that scores 0.18 out of 1 on the V-Dem Liberal Democracy Index (2025). Government spending is 21% of GDP (IMF, 2025), the death penalty remains in law, with no executions in the last five years and same-sex relations are criminalized. Its policy regime leans furthest toward Traditional on Morality (+0.75), Religious on Religion (+0.75) and Local on Structure (-0.75), on a scale from -1 to +1.

Which countries are governed most like Pakistan?

On the same 12 axes, the closest policy regimes are Indonesia (80%), the United Arab Emirates (78%) and India (76%). The furthest is New Zealand (43%). Matches use the same formula as the 12 Axes test.

Where does the data on Pakistan come from?

From 41 indicators dated 2022 to 2026, published by V-Dem, Freedom House, the Heritage Foundation, the IMF, the OECD, the World Bank, SIPRI, Reporters Without Borders, the World Prison Brief, UN DESA and others. Among them: a press freedom score of 32.6 out of 100 (RSF, 2026), 45 prisoners per 100,000 people (2024), military spending of 2.9% of GDP (SIPRI, 2025) and 1.7% of residents born abroad (UN DESA, 2024). Every value, year and source is listed in the profile above.

Does the profile describe what people in Pakistan think?

No. It describes the policy regime: laws, institutions and public spending. It does not measure public opinion or the speeches of the current government. To see which country is governed closest to your own views, take the 12 Axes test and open the country match on your result.

Which political figures from Pakistan are on PoliticalTests?

So far Benazir Bhutto, each placed on the 12 axes of the 12 Axes Political Test from their own speeches, writings and record, with sources on the profile page. More figures are added over time.

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