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 165th out of 168 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.
Democracy Index in Bahrain, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | -10 | — |
| 1972 | -10 | -0.0% |
| 1973 | -7 | -30.0% |
| 1974 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1975 | -10 | +42.9% |
| 1976 | -10 | -0.0% |
| 1977 | -10 | -0.0% |
| 1978 | -10 | -0.0% |
| 1979 | -10 | -0.0% |
| 1980 | -10 | -0.0% |
| 1981 | -10 | -0.0% |
| 1982 | -10 | -0.0% |
| 1983 | -10 | -0.0% |
| 1984 | -10 | -0.0% |
| 1985 | -10 | -0.0% |
| 1986 | -10 | -0.0% |
| 1987 | -10 | -0.0% |
| 1988 | -10 | -0.0% |
| 1989 | -10 | -0.0% |
| 1990 | -10 | -0.0% |
| 1991 | -10 | -0.0% |
| 1992 | -10 | -0.0% |
| 1993 | -9 | -10.0% |
| 1994 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1995 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1996 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1997 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1998 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1999 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 2000 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 2001 | -8 | -11.1% |
| 2002 | -7 | -12.5% |
| 2003 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2004 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2005 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2006 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2007 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2008 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2009 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2010 | -5 | -28.6% |
| 2011 | -8 | +60.0% |
| 2012 | -10 | +25.0% |
| 2013 | -10 | -0.0% |
| 2014 | -10 | -0.0% |
| 2015 | -10 | -0.0% |
| 2016 | -10 | -0.0% |
| 2017 | -10 | -0.0% |
| 2018 | -10 | -0.0% |
Bahrain compared with similar countries
- Bahrain's -10 is below the median for high income countries, which is 10. (50 countries reporting)
- Bahrain's -10 is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is -3, 3.3× the median. (21 countries reporting)
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
- 162 Syria -9 compare
- 162 Uzbekistan -9 compare
- 162 Vatican -9
- 165 North Korea -10 compare
- 165 Qatar -10 compare
- 165 Saudi Arabia -10 compare
More social development data for Bahrain
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 240 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 267 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 7 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 7 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0002 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 267 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0001 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 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 165th out of 168 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).