Democracy Index in Mali
Mali: Democracy Index was 5 in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Democracy Index in Mali, 1960–2018
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 Mali is 5, measured in 2018.
That represents a change of down 28.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, democracy index in Mali peaked at 7 in 2005 and was at its lowest, -7, in 1960.
Mali ranks 98th of 168 countries on this measure, 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 Mali, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | -7 | — |
| 1961 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1962 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1963 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1964 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1965 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1966 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1967 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1968 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1969 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1970 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1971 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1972 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1973 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1974 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1975 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1976 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1977 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1978 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1979 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1980 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1981 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1982 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 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 | -1 | -85.7% |
| 1992 | 4 | -500.0% |
| 1993 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 5 | +25.0% |
| 1998 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 7 | +40.0% |
| 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 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 2013 | 5 | — |
| 2014 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 5 | +0.0% |
Mali compared with similar countries
- Mali's 5 is above the median for low income countries, which is 1, 5.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Mali's 5 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.5, 1.1× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -7 | -7 | -7 | 10 |
| 1970s | -7 | -7 | -7 | 10 |
| 1980s | -7 | -7 | -7 | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.7 | -7 | 5 | 10 |
| 2000s | 6 | 5 | 7 | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.89 | 0 | 7 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Mali
More social development data for Mali
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 286,715 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 519,738 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 7 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 16.67 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 7 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0206 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 519,738 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0114 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 Mali?
- Democracy index in Mali was 5 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 Mali?
- The highest recorded value was 7 in 2005.
- What is the lowest democracy index recorded in Mali?
- The lowest recorded value was -7 in 1960.
- How does Mali rank for democracy index?
- Mali ranks 98th out of 168 countries with data for 2018.
- Is democracy index rising or falling in Mali?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Mali 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).