Democracy Index in Iraq
Iraq: Democracy Index was 6 in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Democracy Index in Iraq, 1924–2018
Source: Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Iraq recorded 6 for democracy index in 2018. That is the highest value across all 88 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 100.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, democracy index in Iraq peaked at 6 in 2014 and was at its lowest, -9, in 1979.
That places Iraq 86th out of 167 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | -4 | -4 | -4 | 6 |
| 1930s | -3.6 | -4 | -3 | 10 |
| 1940s | -3.9 | -4 | -3 | 10 |
| 1950s | -4.2 | -5 | -4 | 10 |
| 1960s | -5.4 | -7 | -5 | 10 |
| 1970s | -7.2 | -9 | -7 | 10 |
| 1980s | -9 | -9 | -9 | 10 |
| 1990s | -9 | -9 | -9 | 10 |
| 2000s | -9 | -9 | -9 | 3 |
| 2010s | 4.67 | 3 | 6 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Iraq
More social development data for Iraq
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 322,345 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 270,671 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 5 (2025)
- Key features of liberal democracy 0.22 (2025)
- Varieties of democracy 0.369 (2025)
- Freedom of Expression Index 0.571 (2025)
- Freedom of Association Index 0.578 (2025)
- Electoral Democracy Index 0.369 (2025)
- Liberal democracy 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is democracy index in Iraq?
- Democracy index in Iraq 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 Iraq?
- The highest recorded value was 6 in 2014.
- What is the lowest democracy index recorded in Iraq?
- The lowest recorded value was -9 in 1979.
- How does Iraq rank for democracy index?
- Iraq ranks 86th out of 167 countries with data for 2018.
- Is democracy index rising or falling in Iraq?
- Over the last ten years it is up 100.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Iraq 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 — 88 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).