Which has higher democracy index, Syria or United Arab Emirates?

United Arab Emirates, at -8 against -9 in Syria as of 2018.

What is the difference in democracy index between Syria and United Arab Emirates?

1, with United Arab Emirates ahead.

How many years of comparable data are there for Syria and United Arab Emirates?

48 years are reported by both, from 1971 to 2018.

Where does this data come from?

Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Democracy Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Syria vs United Arab Emirates: Democracy Index

Syria

-9

in 2018

United Arab Emirates

-8

in 2018

Syria rank

162nd

United Arab Emirates rank

159th

Democracy Index over time

Syria
United Arab Emirates

How they compare

United Arab Emirates currently reports -8 against -9 in Syria, a difference of 1.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 48 shared years of data; in 1971 it was United Arab Emirates ahead.

Syria ranks 162nd and United Arab Emirates ranks 159th of 168 countries.

Across the 5 decades both report, Syria averaged higher in 1 and United Arab Emirates in 4.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Syria	United Arab Emirates	Difference	Ahead
1970s	-9	-8	1	United Arab Emirates
1980s	-9	-8	1	United Arab Emirates
1990s	-9	-8	1	United Arab Emirates
2000s	-6	-8	2	Syria
2010s	-8.33	-8	0.3333	United Arab Emirates

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher democracy index, Syria or United Arab Emirates?: United Arab Emirates, at -8 against -9 in Syria as of 2018.
What is the difference in democracy index between Syria and United Arab Emirates?: 1, with United Arab Emirates ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Syria and United Arab Emirates?: 48 years are reported by both, from 1971 to 2018.
How do Syria and United Arab Emirates rank globally for democracy index?: Syria ranks 162nd and United Arab Emirates ranks 159th of 168 countries.
Where does this data come from?: Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Democracy Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Syria vs United Arab Emirates: Democracy Index. Statizoid, drawing on Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 07 November 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/compare/democracy-index-polity/syrian-arab-republic/united-arab-emirates/

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About this data

Indicator: Democracy Index
Source: Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 168 places, 18,392 data points, 1776–2020
Last refreshed: 30 October 2026

It combines information on the extent to which open, multi-party, and competitive elections choose a chief executive who faces comprehensive institutional constraints, and political participation is competitive. It ranges from -10 to 10 (fully democratic).