Democracy Index in Ecuador
Ecuador: Democracy Index was 5 in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2018)
5
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
98th
of 168 countries
All-time high
9
in 1979
All-time low
-6
in 1963
Years of data
189
1830–2018
Democracy Index in Ecuador, 1830–2018
Source: Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2018, democracy index in Ecuador stood at 5.
The figure is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, democracy index in Ecuador peaked at 9 in 1979 and was at its lowest, -6, in 1963.
That places Ecuador 98th out of 168 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Democracy Index in Ecuador, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1830 | -1 | — |
| 1831 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1832 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1833 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1834 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1835 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1836 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1837 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1838 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1839 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1840 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1841 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1842 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1843 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1844 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1845 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1846 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1847 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1848 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1849 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1850 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1851 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1852 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1853 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1854 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1855 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1856 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1857 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1858 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1859 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1860 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1861 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1862 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1863 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1864 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1865 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1866 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1867 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1868 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1869 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1870 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1871 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1872 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1873 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1874 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1875 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1876 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1877 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1878 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1879 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1880 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1881 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1882 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1883 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1884 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1885 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1886 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1887 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1888 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1889 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1890 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1891 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1892 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1893 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1894 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1895 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1896 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1897 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1898 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1899 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1900 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1901 | -3 | +200.0% |
| 1902 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1903 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1904 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1905 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1906 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1907 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1908 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1909 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1910 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1911 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1912 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1913 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1914 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1915 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1916 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1917 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1918 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1919 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1920 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1921 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1922 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1923 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1924 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1925 | -1 | -66.7% |
| 1926 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1927 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1928 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1929 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1930 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1931 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1932 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1933 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1934 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1935 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1936 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1937 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1938 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1939 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1940 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1941 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1942 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1943 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1944 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1945 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1946 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1947 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1948 | 1 | -200.0% |
| 1949 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1950 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1951 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1952 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1953 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1954 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1955 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1956 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1957 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1958 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1959 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1960 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1961 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1963 | -6 | -700.0% |
| 1964 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1965 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1966 | -2 | -66.7% |
| 1967 | 2 | -200.0% |
| 1968 | 5 | +150.0% |
| 1969 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 1971 | 0 | — |
| 1972 | -5 | — |
| 1973 | -5 | -0.0% |
| 1974 | -5 | -0.0% |
| 1975 | -5 | -0.0% |
| 1976 | -5 | -0.0% |
| 1977 | -5 | -0.0% |
| 1978 | -5 | -0.0% |
| 1979 | 9 | -280.0% |
| 1980 | 9 | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 9 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 9 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 9 | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 9 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 9 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 9 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 9 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 9 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 9 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 9 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 9 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 9 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 9 | +0.0% |
| 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 | 6 | -33.3% |
| 2001 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 7 | +16.7% |
| 2007 | 5 | -28.6% |
| 2008 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 5 | +0.0% |
Ecuador compared with similar countries
- Ecuador's 5 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 7, 71% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Ecuador's 5 is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 8, 62% of the median. (24 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1830s | -1 | -1 | -1 | 10 |
| 1840s | -1 | -1 | -1 | 10 |
| 1850s | -1 | -1 | -1 | 10 |
| 1860s | -1 | -1 | -1 | 10 |
| 1870s | -1 | -1 | -1 | 10 |
| 1880s | -1 | -1 | -1 | 10 |
| 1890s | -1 | -1 | -1 | 10 |
| 1900s | -2.8 | -3 | -1 | 10 |
| 1910s | -3 | -3 | -3 | 10 |
| 1920s | -2 | -3 | -1 | 10 |
| 1930s | -1 | -1 | -1 | 10 |
| 1940s | -0.6 | -1 | 1 | 10 |
| 1950s | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| 1960s | -0.5 | -6 | 5 | 10 |
| 1970s | -2.6 | -5 | 9 | 10 |
| 1980s | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 |
| 1990s | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.8 | 5 | 7 | 10 |
| 2010s | 5 | 5 | 5 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Ecuador
More social development data for Ecuador
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 26,428 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 5,723 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 3 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 3 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0003 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 5,723 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0014 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 Ecuador?
- Democracy index in Ecuador was 5 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 Ecuador?
- The highest recorded value was 9 in 1979.
- What is the lowest democracy index recorded in Ecuador?
- The lowest recorded value was -6 in 1963.
- How does Ecuador rank for democracy index?
- Ecuador ranks 98th out of 168 countries with data for 2018.
- Is democracy index rising or falling in Ecuador?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Ecuador 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 — 189 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).