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About the ICD Index
Societies today are dynamic, diverse and highly interconnected. Complex factors such as immigration, globalization, racism, inequality, social exclusion and intercultural conflict have contributed to increasing levels of global, social and political transformation.
Intercultural dialogue (ICD) aims to address the urgent need for meaningful cross-cultural interactions and combat sociocultural exclusion and conflict. However, measurement is a key challenge in implementing and evaluating ICD as an effective approach to diversity.
While there are indices that measure diversity, so far little work has focussed on measuring ICD at a country level. This ICD Index has been developed by Mansouri and Elias (2021) using publicly available data from 51 countries. It measures ICD across three interrelated dimensions: legislative and policy context, structural foundation, and intercultural opportunities. The index is based on 31 indicators grouped under 10 broad components to capture both macro- and micro-level factors affecting or contributing to intergroup relationships nationally and globally.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Intercultural Dialogue?
Broadly conceived, Intercultural Dialogue (ICD) is a process of interaction, exchange, and dialogue among individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds, with an emphasis on fostering social harmony and peaceful coexistence. UNESCO defines ICD as “equitable exchange and dialogue among civilizations, cultures and peoples, based on mutual understanding and respect and the equal dignity of all cultures is the essential prerequisite for constructing social cohesion, reconciliation among peoples and peace among nations.” (UNESCO, 2017) It could also be described as “A process-driven framework that encourages open dialogue and meaningful interaction based on mutual understanding, respect, and acceptance of cultural differences” (Elias and Mansouri, 2020).
How were countries selected?
Countries were selected depending on availability of reliable data. In some cases, countries did not have values for certain indicators for at least two reasons: data were not reported to peak bodies; or a source did not include certain countries. A country was excluded if more than one indicator value was missing for two or more components.
What are the 31 indicators?
The 31 indicators are listed in the table below. You can also read more about how the indicators were selected in the Full Report.
Dimensions, components, and indicators used for assessing intercultural dialogue
| Dimensions | Components | Indicators |
| Basic legislative & policy context (LPC) | Multiculturalism | Multicultural/diversity: act or policy |
| Measures on integration of migrants | ||
| Dual citizenship | ||
| Anti-discrimination | Anti-discrimination: act or policy | |
| Ratification of international anti-discrimination convention | ||
| Structural foundations (SFs) | Platform for social contact | Tourism arrivals |
| Cultural participation | ||
| Number of living Indigenous languages | ||
| Number of living immigrant languages | ||
| Fractionalisation | Ethnic Fractionalisation index | |
| Linguistic Fractionalisation index | ||
| Religious Fractionalisation index | ||
| Socio-economic inequality | Gini coefficient | |
| Intergenerational social mobility | ||
| Level of educational attainment | ||
| Access to communication | Newspapers published | |
| Mobile telephone subscription | ||
| Internet users | ||
| Cohesion and stability | Intergroup cohesion | |
| State Fragility Index | ||
| Fragile States Index | ||
| Intercultural opportunities (ICO) | Intercultural attitudes and competence | Racism (attitudes towards other groups) |
| Global Social Tolerance Index (tolerance) | ||
| Global Tolerance Index (intolerance) | ||
| Minority representation | Religious Restriction Index | |
| Inclusion for Minorities Index | ||
| Intergroup relations (ethnic exclusion) | ||
| Discrimination of ethnic minorities | ||
| Freedom and rights | Press Freedom Index | |
| Freedom of domestic movement | ||
| Freedom of foreign movement and travel |
What data was collected?
The main data sources were:
- National constitutions, legislations, and policy documents
- National statistics
- Existing global indices
- International databases
For more information about data sources, read the Full Report.
About the authors
Professor Fethi Mansouri
Deakin Distinguished Professor Mansouri is the Director of the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation at Deakin University, Australia, and is the Chairholder of the UNESCO Chair, Cultural Diversity and Social Justice. He also holds an Alfred Deakin Research Chair in migration and intercultural studies and is the Editor of the Journal of Intercultural Studies, founding Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Citizenship and Globalisation Studies and founding co-editor of the International Journal of Social Inclusion. Since 2010, Professor Mansouri has served as an expert advisor to the UN on cultural diversity and intercultural relations and is currently the elected convenor of the UNITWIN Network for Inter-Religious Dialogue and Intercultural Understanding (IDIU). His recent books include The Global Politics of Forced Migration: An Australian Perspective (2023), Racism in Australia Today (2021), co-authored with Amanuel Elias and Yin Paradies, L’interculturalisme à la croisée des chemins: Perspectives comparatives sur les concepts, les politiques et les pratiques (editor, 2019) and Contesting the Theological Foundations of Islamism and Violent Extremism (co-editor, 2019).
Dr. Amanuel Elias
Dr. Amanuel Elias is a research fellow for the UNESCO Chair, Cultural Diversity and Social Justice at the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation. He received a Masters in Economics from Monash University (2012) and Ph.D. in health economics from Deakin University (2015). His latest research estimated the economic cost of racial discrimination in Australia (BMC Public Health, 2016). His books include Racism and Anti-racism Today (2024), and Racism in Australia Today (2021), co-authored with Fethi Mansouri and Yin Paradies. Prior to his academic career, Dr. Elias worked in development projects in Eritrea where he worked for a local government until 2005. His research interests include the: socio-economic and health impacts of racial discrimination; experiences of migrants and cultural minorities; and intercultural relations and cultural diversity.