🇹🇱 Timor-Leste: Politics & Democracy
Broadly yes — Timor-Leste scores 0.549 on the V-Dem liberal democracy index (0–1 scale), placing it among functioning democracies, though with weaker liberal safeguards than the top-ranked states.
Current leaders
José Ramos-Horta
Head of State · Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor
Xanana Gusmão
Head of Government · Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor
Democracy trend
Upcoming elections
2027 East Timorese presidential election
2027-01-01T00:00:00ZVoting alignment
Timor-Leste's closest UN General Assembly voting partners since 1946:
Frequently asked questions
Is Timor-Leste a democracy?
Broadly yes — Timor-Leste scores 0.549 on the V-Dem liberal democracy index (0–1 scale), placing it among functioning democracies, though with weaker liberal safeguards than the top-ranked states. It ranks #54 of 179 countries in 2024.
Is democracy in Timor-Leste improving or declining?
Timor-Leste's V-Dem liberal democracy score has improved by 0.076 points over the past decade, standing at 0.549 in 2024 (1-year change: +0.024).
Who leads Timor-Leste?
José Ramos-Horta is Timor-Leste's head of state (Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor); Xanana Gusmão serves as head of government (Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor).
When is the next election in Timor-Leste?
2027 East Timorese presidential election is scheduled for 2027-01-01T00:00:00Z.