Which has higher varieties of democracy, Nigeria or Zambia?

Nigeria, at 0.505 against 0.497 in Zambia as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for Nigeria and Zambia?

112 years are reported by both, from 1914 to 2025.

Where does this data come from?

V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Varieties of democracy. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Nigeria vs Zambia: Varieties of democracy

Nigeria

0.505

in 2025

Zambia

0.497

in 2025

Nigeria rank

85th

Zambia rank

88th

Varieties of democracy over time

Nigeria
Zambia

How they compare

Nigeria currently reports 0.505 against 0.497 in Zambia, a difference of 0.008.

The two have swapped places 8 times across 112 shared years of data; in 1914 it was Nigeria ahead.

Nigeria ranks 85th and Zambia ranks 88th of 176 countries.

Across the 12 decades both report, Nigeria averaged higher in 9 and Zambia in 3.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Nigeria	Zambia	Difference	Ahead
1910s	0.1138	0.038	0.0758	Nigeria
1920s	0.1331	0.0491	0.084	Nigeria
1930s	0.1406	0.0668	0.0738	Nigeria
1940s	0.1417	0.0757	0.066	Nigeria
1950s	0.1743	0.1035	0.0708	Nigeria
1960s	0.2235	0.2234	0.0001	Nigeria
1970s	0.1915	0.2163	0.0248	Zambia
1980s	0.2593	0.1921	0.0672	Nigeria
1990s	0.2232	0.4278	0.2046	Zambia
2000s	0.4317	0.495	0.0633	Zambia
2010s	0.5202	0.4426	0.0776	Nigeria
2020s	0.4963	0.4713	0.025	Nigeria

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher varieties of democracy, Nigeria or Zambia?: Nigeria, at 0.505 against 0.497 in Zambia as of 2025.
What is the difference in varieties of democracy between Nigeria and Zambia?: 0.008, with Nigeria ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Nigeria and Zambia?: 112 years are reported by both, from 1914 to 2025.
How do Nigeria and Zambia rank globally for varieties of democracy?: Nigeria ranks 85th and Zambia ranks 88th of 176 countries.
Where does this data come from?: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Varieties of democracy. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator: Varieties of democracy
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 29,649 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

Central estimate of the extent to which political leaders are elected under comprehensive suffrage in free and fair elections, and freedoms of association and expression are guaranteed.