Democracy Index in Kuwait
Kuwait: Democracy Index was -7 in 2018. ▲ Rising
Democracy Index in Kuwait, 1963–2018
Source: Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for democracy index in Kuwait is -7, measured in 2018. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.
The figure is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, democracy index in Kuwait peaked at -7 in 1992 and was at its lowest, -10, in 1976.
That places Kuwait 150th out of 168 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.
Democracy Index in Kuwait, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 | -8 | — |
| 1964 | -8 | -0.0% |
| 1965 | -9 | +12.5% |
| 1966 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1967 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1968 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1969 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1970 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1971 | -8 | -11.1% |
| 1972 | -8 | -0.0% |
| 1973 | -8 | -0.0% |
| 1974 | -8 | -0.0% |
| 1975 | -8 | -0.0% |
| 1976 | -10 | +25.0% |
| 1977 | -10 | -0.0% |
| 1978 | -10 | -0.0% |
| 1979 | -10 | -0.0% |
| 1980 | -10 | -0.0% |
| 1981 | -8 | -20.0% |
| 1982 | -8 | -0.0% |
| 1983 | -8 | -0.0% |
| 1984 | -8 | -0.0% |
| 1985 | -8 | -0.0% |
| 1986 | -10 | +25.0% |
| 1987 | -10 | -0.0% |
| 1988 | -10 | -0.0% |
| 1989 | -10 | -0.0% |
| 1991 | -9 | -10.0% |
| 1992 | -7 | -22.2% |
| 1993 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1994 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1995 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1996 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1997 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1998 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1999 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2000 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2001 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2002 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2003 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2004 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2005 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2006 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2007 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2008 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2009 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2010 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2011 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2012 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2013 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2014 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2015 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2016 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2017 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 2018 | -7 | -0.0% |
Kuwait compared with similar countries
- Kuwait's -7 is below the median for high income countries, which is 10. (50 countries reporting)
- Kuwait's -7 is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is -3, 2.3× the median. (21 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -8.71 | -9 | -8 | 7 |
| 1970s | -8.9 | -10 | -8 | 10 |
| 1980s | -9 | -10 | -8 | 10 |
| 1990s | -7.22 | -9 | -7 | 9 |
| 2000s | -7 | -7 | -7 | 10 |
| 2010s | -7 | -7 | -7 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Kuwait
More social development data for Kuwait
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 386 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 3,369 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 6 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % 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 0.0007 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 3,369 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0001 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 Kuwait?
- Democracy index in Kuwait was -7 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 Kuwait?
- The highest recorded value was -7 in 1992.
- What is the lowest democracy index recorded in Kuwait?
- The lowest recorded value was -10 in 1976.
- How does Kuwait rank for democracy index?
- Kuwait ranks 150th out of 168 countries with data for 2018.
- Is democracy index rising or falling in Kuwait?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kuwait 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 — 55 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).