Democracy Index in Bahrain
Bahrain: Democracy Index was -10 in 2018. ▲ Rising
Democracy Index in Bahrain, 1971–2018
Source: Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2018, democracy index in Bahrain stood at -10. That is the lowest value across all 48 years on record.
That represents a change of down 42.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, democracy index in Bahrain peaked at -5 in 2010 and was at its lowest, -10, in 1971.
That places Bahrain 164th out of 167 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 48 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | -9.33 | -10 | -7 | 9 |
| 1980s | -10 | -10 | -10 | 10 |
| 1990s | -9.3 | -10 | -9 | 10 |
| 2000s | -7.3 | -9 | -7 | 10 |
| 2010s | -9.22 | -10 | -5 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Bahrain
- 161 Syria -9 compare
- 161 Uzbekistan -9 compare
- 161 Vatican -9 compare
- 164 North Korea -10 compare
- 164 Qatar -10 compare
- 164 Saudi Arabia -10 compare
More social development data for Bahrain
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 240 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 267 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 7 (2025)
- Key features of liberal democracy 0.062 (2025)
- Varieties of democracy 0.139 (2025)
- Freedom of Expression Index 0.172 (2025)
- Freedom of Association Index 0.139 (2025)
- Electoral Democracy Index 0.139 (2025)
- Liberal democracy 0 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is democracy index in Bahrain?
- Democracy index in Bahrain was -10 in 2018, according to Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest democracy index recorded in Bahrain?
- The highest recorded value was -5 in 2010.
- What is the lowest democracy index recorded in Bahrain?
- The lowest recorded value was -10 in 1971.
- How does Bahrain rank for democracy index?
- Bahrain ranks 164th out of 167 countries with data for 2018.
- Is democracy index rising or falling in Bahrain?
- Over the last ten years it is down 42.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bahrain data come from?
- The figures come from Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Democracy Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 48 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
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).