Democracy Index in Bangladesh
Bangladesh: Democracy Index was -6 in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Democracy Index in Bangladesh, 1972–2018
Source: Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Bangladesh recorded -6 for democracy index in 2018.
That represents a change of down 700.0% on the previous year and unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, democracy index in Bangladesh peaked at 8 in 1972 and was at its lowest, -7, in 1975.
That places Bangladesh 147th out of 168 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.
Democracy Index in Bangladesh, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 8 | — |
| 1973 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 1974 | -2 | -125.0% |
| 1975 | -7 | +250.0% |
| 1976 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1977 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1978 | -4 | -42.9% |
| 1979 | -4 | -0.0% |
| 1980 | -4 | -0.0% |
| 1981 | -4 | -0.0% |
| 1982 | -7 | +75.0% |
| 1983 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1984 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1985 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1986 | -5 | -28.6% |
| 1987 | -5 | -0.0% |
| 1988 | -5 | -0.0% |
| 1989 | -5 | -0.0% |
| 1990 | -5 | -0.0% |
| 1991 | 6 | -220.0% |
| 1992 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | -6 | -200.0% |
| 2008 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 2009 | 5 | -183.3% |
| 2010 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 4 | -20.0% |
| 2014 | 1 | -75.0% |
| 2015 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | -6 | -700.0% |
Bangladesh compared with similar countries
- Bangladesh's -6 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5. (43 countries reporting)
- Bangladesh's -6 is below the median for South Asia, which is 7. (5 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | -1.88 | -7 | 8 | 8 |
| 1980s | -5.6 | -7 | -4 | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.9 | -5 | 6 | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.5 | -6 | 6 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.89 | -6 | 5 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Bangladesh
- 145 Cameroon -5 compare
- 145 Cuba -5 compare
- 147 Equatorial Guinea -6 compare
- 147 Kazakhstan -6 compare
- 150 Azerbaijan -7 compare
- 150 Belarus -7 compare
- 150 China -7 compare
- 150 Eritrea -7 compare
- 150 Eswatini -7 compare
- 150 Iran -7 compare
- 150 Kuwait -7 compare
- 150 Laos -7 compare
- 150 Vietnam -7 compare
More social development data for Bangladesh
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1.18 million (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 31,862 (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 0.0002 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 31,862 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0067 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 Bangladesh?
- Democracy index in Bangladesh was -6 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 Bangladesh?
- The highest recorded value was 8 in 1972.
- What is the lowest democracy index recorded in Bangladesh?
- The lowest recorded value was -7 in 1975.
- How does Bangladesh rank for democracy index?
- Bangladesh ranks 147th out of 168 countries with data for 2018.
- Is democracy index rising or falling in Bangladesh?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Bangladesh 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.
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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).