Democracy Index in Mexico
Mexico: Democracy Index was 8 in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2018)
8
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
52nd
of 168 countries
All-time high
8
in 2000
All-time low
-9
in 1879
Years of data
194
1822–2018
Democracy Index in Mexico, 1822–2018
Source: Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Mexico recorded 8 for democracy index in 2018. That is the highest value across all 194 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, democracy index in Mexico peaked at 8 in 2000 and was at its lowest, -9, in 1879.
That places Mexico 52nd 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 Mexico, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1822 | -1 | — |
| 1823 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1824 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1825 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1826 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1827 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1828 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1829 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1830 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1831 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1832 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1833 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1834 | -2 | +100.0% |
| 1835 | -3 | +50.0% |
| 1836 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1837 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1838 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1839 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1840 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1841 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1842 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1843 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1844 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1845 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1848 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1849 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1850 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1851 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1852 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1853 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1854 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1855 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1856 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1857 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1858 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1859 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1860 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1861 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1862 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1864 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1865 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1866 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1867 | -5 | +66.7% |
| 1868 | -5 | -0.0% |
| 1869 | -5 | -0.0% |
| 1870 | -5 | -0.0% |
| 1871 | -5 | -0.0% |
| 1872 | -5 | -0.0% |
| 1873 | -5 | -0.0% |
| 1874 | -5 | -0.0% |
| 1875 | -5 | -0.0% |
| 1876 | -6 | +20.0% |
| 1877 | -7 | +16.7% |
| 1878 | -8 | +14.3% |
| 1879 | -9 | +12.5% |
| 1880 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1881 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1882 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1883 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1884 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1885 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1886 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1887 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1888 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1889 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1890 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1891 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1892 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1893 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1894 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1895 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1896 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1897 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1898 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1899 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1900 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1901 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1902 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1903 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1904 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1905 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1906 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1907 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1908 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1909 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1910 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1911 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 1912 | 0 | — |
| 1913 | 0 | — |
| 1914 | 0 | — |
| 1915 | 0 | — |
| 1916 | 0 | — |
| 1917 | -1 | — |
| 1918 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1919 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1920 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1921 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1922 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1923 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1924 | -3 | +200.0% |
| 1925 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1926 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1927 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1928 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1929 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1930 | -6 | +100.0% |
| 1931 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1932 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1933 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1934 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1935 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1936 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1937 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1938 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1939 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1940 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1941 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1942 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1943 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1944 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1945 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1946 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1947 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1948 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1949 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1950 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1951 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1952 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1953 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1954 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1955 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1956 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1957 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1958 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1959 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1960 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1961 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1962 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1963 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1964 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1965 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1966 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1967 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1968 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1969 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1970 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1971 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1972 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1973 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1974 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1975 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1976 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1977 | -3 | -50.0% |
| 1978 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1979 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1980 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1981 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1982 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1983 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1984 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1985 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1986 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1987 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1988 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 1989 | 0 | — |
| 1990 | 0 | — |
| 1991 | 0 | — |
| 1992 | 0 | — |
| 1993 | 0 | — |
| 1994 | 4 | — |
| 1995 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 6 | +50.0% |
| 1998 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 8 | +33.3% |
| 2001 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 8 | +0.0% |
Mexico compared with similar countries
- Mexico's 8 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 7, 1.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Mexico's 8 is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 8, 1.0× the median. (24 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1820s | -1 | -1 | -1 | 8 |
| 1830s | -2.1 | -3 | -1 | 10 |
| 1840s | -3 | -3 | -3 | 8 |
| 1850s | -3 | -3 | -3 | 10 |
| 1860s | -3.67 | -5 | -3 | 9 |
| 1870s | -6 | -9 | -5 | 10 |
| 1880s | -9 | -9 | -9 | 10 |
| 1890s | -9 | -9 | -9 | 10 |
| 1900s | -9 | -9 | -9 | 10 |
| 1910s | -1.2 | -9 | 0 | 10 |
| 1920s | -2.2 | -3 | -1 | 10 |
| 1930s | -6 | -6 | -6 | 10 |
| 1940s | -6 | -6 | -6 | 10 |
| 1950s | -6 | -6 | -6 | 10 |
| 1960s | -6 | -6 | -6 | 10 |
| 1970s | -5.1 | -6 | -3 | 10 |
| 1980s | -2.4 | -3 | 0 | 10 |
| 1990s | 3 | 0 | 6 | 10 |
| 2000s | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 |
| 2010s | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Mexico
- 52 Belgium 8 compare
- 52 Botswana 8 compare
- 52 Brazil 8 compare
- 52 East Timor 8 compare
- 52 El Salvador 8 compare
- 52 Ghana 8 compare
- 52 Guatemala 8 compare
- 52 Kyrgyzstan 8 compare
- 52 Latvia 8 compare
- 52 Lesotho 8 compare
- 52 Myanmar 8 compare
- 52 Philippines 8 compare
- 52 Serbia 8 compare
- 52 Solomon Islands 8 compare
- 52 South Korea 8 compare
- 52 United Kingdom 8 compare
More social development data for Mexico
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 152,002 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 41,307 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 3 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 3 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0003 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 41,307 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0012 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 Mexico?
- Democracy index in Mexico was 8 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 Mexico?
- The highest recorded value was 8 in 2000.
- What is the lowest democracy index recorded in Mexico?
- The lowest recorded value was -9 in 1879.
- How does Mexico rank for democracy index?
- Mexico ranks 52nd out of 168 countries with data for 2018.
- Is democracy index rising or falling in Mexico?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Mexico 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 — 194 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).