Democracy Index in Gambia
Gambia: Democracy Index was 4 in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Democracy Index in Gambia, 1965–2018
Source: Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Gambia recorded 4 for democracy index in 2018.
The figure is up 180.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, democracy index in Gambia peaked at 8 in 1965 and was at its lowest, -7, in 1994.
That places Gambia 107th 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 Gambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 8 | — |
| 1966 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 7 | -12.5% |
| 1982 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 8 | +14.3% |
| 1991 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | -7 | -187.5% |
| 1995 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1996 | -6 | -14.3% |
| 1997 | -5 | -16.7% |
| 1998 | -5 | -0.0% |
| 1999 | -5 | -0.0% |
| 2000 | -5 | -0.0% |
| 2001 | -5 | -0.0% |
| 2002 | -5 | -0.0% |
| 2003 | -5 | -0.0% |
| 2004 | -5 | -0.0% |
| 2005 | -5 | -0.0% |
| 2006 | -5 | -0.0% |
| 2007 | -5 | -0.0% |
| 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 | 4 | -180.0% |
| 2018 | 4 | +0.0% |
Gambia compared with similar countries
- Gambia's 4 is above the median for low income countries, which is 1, 4.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Gambia's 4 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.5, 89% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 8 | 8 | 8 | 5 |
| 1970s | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 |
| 1980s | 7.1 | 7 | 8 | 10 |
| 1990s | -0.3 | -7 | 8 | 10 |
| 2000s | -5 | -5 | -5 | 10 |
| 2010s | -3 | -5 | 4 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Gambia
More social development data for Gambia
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 4,108 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 6,728 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 4 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 4 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0024 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 6,728 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0015 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 Gambia?
- Democracy index in Gambia was 4 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 Gambia?
- The highest recorded value was 8 in 1965.
- What is the lowest democracy index recorded in Gambia?
- The lowest recorded value was -7 in 1994.
- How does Gambia rank for democracy index?
- Gambia ranks 107th out of 168 countries with data for 2018.
- Is democracy index rising or falling in Gambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 180.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Gambia 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 — 54 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).