Democracy Index in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Democracy Index was 1 in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Democracy Index in Ethiopia, 1993–2018
Source: Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for democracy index in Ethiopia is 1, measured in 2018. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 133.3% on the previous year and up 133.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, democracy index in Ethiopia peaked at 1 in 1993 and was at its lowest, -3, in 2005.
That places Ethiopia 118th 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 Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 1 | — |
| 1994 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | -3 | -400.0% |
| 2006 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 2007 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 2008 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 2009 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 2010 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 2011 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 2012 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 2013 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 2014 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 2015 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 2016 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 2017 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 1 | -133.3% |
Ethiopia compared with similar countries
- Ethiopia's 1 is above the median for low income countries, which is 1, 1.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Ethiopia's 1 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.5, 22% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| 2000s | -1 | -3 | 1 | 10 |
| 2010s | -2.56 | -3 | 1 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
More social development data for Ethiopia
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1.01 million (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 164,215 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 6 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 6 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0012 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 164,215 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0075 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 Ethiopia?
- Democracy index in Ethiopia was 1 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 Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 1 in 1993.
- What is the lowest democracy index recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was -3 in 2005.
- How does Ethiopia rank for democracy index?
- Ethiopia ranks 118th out of 168 countries with data for 2018.
- Is democracy index rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 133.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Ethiopia 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 — 26 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).