Age of democracy in Pakistan
Pakistan: Age of democracy was 9 years in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Age of democracy in Pakistan, 1973–2018
Source: Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for age of democracy in Pakistan is 9 years, measured in 2018.
That represents a change of up 12.5% on the previous year and up 800.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age of democracy in Pakistan peaked at 11 years in 1998 and was at its lowest, 1 years, in 1973.
That places Pakistan 93rd out of 110 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Age of democracy in Pakistan, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 1 years | — |
| 1974 | 2 years | +100.0% |
| 1975 | 3 years | +50.0% |
| 1976 | 4 years | +33.3% |
| 1988 | 1 years | -75.0% |
| 1989 | 2 years | +100.0% |
| 1990 | 3 years | +50.0% |
| 1991 | 4 years | +33.3% |
| 1992 | 5 years | +25.0% |
| 1993 | 6 years | +20.0% |
| 1994 | 7 years | +16.7% |
| 1995 | 8 years | +14.3% |
| 1996 | 9 years | +12.5% |
| 1997 | 10 years | +11.1% |
| 1998 | 11 years | +10.0% |
| 2010 | 1 years | -90.9% |
| 2011 | 2 years | +100.0% |
| 2012 | 3 years | +50.0% |
| 2013 | 4 years | +33.3% |
| 2014 | 5 years | +25.0% |
| 2015 | 6 years | +20.0% |
| 2016 | 7 years | +16.7% |
| 2017 | 8 years | +14.3% |
| 2018 | 9 years | +12.5% |
Pakistan compared with similar countries
- Pakistan's 9 years is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 16.5 years, 55% of the median. (24 countries reporting)
- Pakistan's 9 years is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 9 years, 1.0× the median. (5 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Age of democracy in Pakistan changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | -90.9% | 11 years | 1 years |
| 1988 | -75.0% | 4 years | 1 years |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.5 years | 1 years | 4 years | 4 |
| 1980s | 1.5 years | 1 years | 2 years | 2 |
| 1990s | 7 years | 3 years | 11 years | 9 |
| 2010s | 5 years | 1 years | 9 years | 9 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
More social development data for Pakistan
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1.16 million (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 90,497 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 5 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 5 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0004 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 90,497 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0045 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age of democracy in Pakistan?
- Age of democracy in Pakistan was 9 years in 2018, according to Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest age of democracy recorded in Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 11 years in 1998.
- What is the lowest age of democracy recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 1 years in 1973.
- How does Pakistan rank for age of democracy?
- Pakistan ranks 93rd out of 110 countries with data for 2018.
- Is age of democracy rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 800.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Pakistan data come from?
- The figures come from Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Age of democracy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of consecutive years in a democracy.