Democracy Index in Jamaica
Jamaica: Democracy Index was 9 in 2018. ▼ Falling
Democracy Index in Jamaica, 1959–2018
Source: Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Jamaica recorded 9 for democracy index in 2018. That is the lowest value across all 60 years on record.
That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, democracy index in Jamaica peaked at 10 in 1959 and was at its lowest, 9, in 1993.
That places Jamaica 33rd out of 167 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 60 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 10 | 10 | 10 | 1 |
| 1960s | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| 1970s | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| 1980s | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| 1990s | 9.3 | 9 | 10 | 10 |
| 2000s | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 |
| 2010s | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Jamaica
- 33 Albania 9 compare
- 33 Argentina 9 compare
- 33 Bulgaria 9 compare
- 33 Croatia 9 compare
- 33 Czechia 9 compare
- 33 Estonia 9 compare
- 33 India 9 compare
- 33 Indonesia 9 compare
- 33 Kenya 9 compare
- 33 Moldova 9 compare
- 33 Montenegro 9 compare
- 33 North Macedonia 9 compare
- 33 Panama 9 compare
- 33 Paraguay 9 compare
- 33 Peru 9 compare
- 33 Romania 9 compare
- 33 South Africa 9 compare
- 33 Trinidad and Tobago 9 compare
More social development data for Jamaica
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 31 (2022)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 2,642 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
- Key features of liberal democracy 0.679 (2025)
- Varieties of democracy 0.805 (2025)
- Freedom of Expression Index 0.919 (2025)
- Freedom of Association Index 0.879 (2025)
- Electoral Democracy Index 0.805 (2025)
- Liberal democracy 2 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is democracy index in Jamaica?
- Democracy index in Jamaica was 9 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 Jamaica?
- The highest recorded value was 10 in 1959.
- What is the lowest democracy index recorded in Jamaica?
- The lowest recorded value was 9 in 1993.
- How does Jamaica rank for democracy index?
- Jamaica ranks 33rd out of 167 countries with data for 2018.
- Is democracy index rising or falling in Jamaica?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Jamaica 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 — 60 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).