Democracy Index in Ghana
Ghana: Democracy Index was 8 in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Democracy Index in Ghana, 1960–2018
Source: Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2018, democracy index in Ghana stood at 8. That is the highest value across all 59 years on record.
The figure is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, democracy index in Ghana peaked at 8 in 2004 and was at its lowest, -9, in 1964.
That places Ghana 52nd 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 Ghana, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 1 | — |
| 1961 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1962 | -3 | -400.0% |
| 1963 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1964 | -9 | +200.0% |
| 1965 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1966 | -4 | -55.6% |
| 1967 | -4 | -0.0% |
| 1968 | -4 | -0.0% |
| 1969 | -4 | -0.0% |
| 1970 | 4 | -200.0% |
| 1971 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1972 | -7 | -275.0% |
| 1973 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1974 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1975 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1976 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1977 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1978 | -5 | -28.6% |
| 1979 | 5 | -200.0% |
| 1980 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | -7 | -240.0% |
| 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 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1991 | -4 | -42.9% |
| 1992 | -1 | -75.0% |
| 1993 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1994 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1995 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1996 | 2 | -300.0% |
| 1997 | 2 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 2 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 2 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 2 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 6 | +200.0% |
| 2002 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 8 | +33.3% |
| 2005 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 8 | +0.0% |
Ghana compared with similar countries
- Ghana's 8 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5, 1.6× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Ghana's 8 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.5, 1.8× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -3.8 | -9 | 1 | 10 |
| 1970s | -3.4 | -7 | 5 | 10 |
| 1980s | -4.6 | -7 | 5 | 10 |
| 1990s | -0.7 | -7 | 2 | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.8 | 2 | 8 | 10 |
| 2010s | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
- 52 Belgium 8 compare
- 52 Botswana 8 compare
- 52 Brazil 8 compare
- 52 East Timor 8 compare
- 52 El Salvador 8 compare
- 52 Guatemala 8 compare
- 52 Kyrgyzstan 8 compare
- 52 Latvia 8 compare
- 52 Lesotho 8 compare
- 52 Mexico 8 compare
- 52 Myanmar 8 compare
- 52 Philippines 8 compare
- 52 Serbia 8 compare
- 52 Solomon Islands 8 compare
- 52 South Korea 8 compare
- 52 United Kingdom 8 compare
More social development data for Ghana
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 21,050 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 16,030 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0005 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 16,030 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0006 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 Ghana?
- Democracy index in Ghana was 8 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 Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 8 in 2004.
- What is the lowest democracy index recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was -9 in 1964.
- How does Ghana rank for democracy index?
- Ghana ranks 52nd out of 168 countries with data for 2018.
- Is democracy index rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Ghana 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 — 59 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).