Democracy Index in Guinea-Bissau
Guinea-Bissau: Democracy Index was 6 in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Democracy Index in Guinea-Bissau, 1974–2018
Source: Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2018, democracy index in Guinea-Bissau stood at 6. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, democracy index in Guinea-Bissau peaked at 6 in 2005 and was at its lowest, -9, in 1980.
That places Guinea-Bissau 86th 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 Guinea-Bissau, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | -7 | — |
| 1975 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1976 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1977 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1978 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1979 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1980 | -9 | +28.6% |
| 1981 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1982 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1983 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1984 | -8 | -11.1% |
| 1985 | -8 | -0.0% |
| 1986 | -8 | -0.0% |
| 1987 | -8 | -0.0% |
| 1988 | -8 | -0.0% |
| 1989 | -8 | -0.0% |
| 1990 | -8 | -0.0% |
| 1991 | -5 | -37.5% |
| 1992 | -5 | -0.0% |
| 1993 | -5 | -0.0% |
| 1994 | 2 | -140.0% |
| 1995 | 2 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 2 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 2 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 1999 | 3 | — |
| 2000 | 5 | +66.7% |
| 2001 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | -1 | -120.0% |
| 2004 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 2005 | 6 | -700.0% |
| 2006 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 1 | -83.3% |
| 2013 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 6 | +500.0% |
| 2015 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 6 | +0.0% |
Guinea-Bissau compared with similar countries
- Guinea-Bissau's 6 is above the median for low income countries, which is 1, 6.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Guinea-Bissau's 6 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.5, 1.3× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | -7 | -7 | -7 | 6 |
| 1980s | -8.4 | -9 | -8 | 10 |
| 1990s | -1.2 | -8 | 3 | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.3 | -1 | 6 | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.89 | 1 | 6 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Guinea-Bissau
More social development data for Guinea-Bissau
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 24 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1,800 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 6 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 20 % 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 0.0008 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1,800 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 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 Guinea-Bissau?
- Democracy index in Guinea-Bissau 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 Guinea-Bissau?
- The highest recorded value was 6 in 2005.
- What is the lowest democracy index recorded in Guinea-Bissau?
- The lowest recorded value was -9 in 1980.
- How does Guinea-Bissau rank for democracy index?
- Guinea-Bissau ranks 86th out of 168 countries with data for 2018.
- Is democracy index rising or falling in Guinea-Bissau?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Guinea-Bissau 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 — 45 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).