Democracy Index in Nepal
Nepal: Democracy Index was 7 in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2018)
7
Change on year
up 16.7%
World rank
69th
of 168 countries
All-time high
7
in 2018
All-time low
-10
in 1960
Years of data
219
1800–2018
Democracy Index in Nepal, 1800–2018
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 Nepal is 7, measured in 2018. That is the highest value across all 219 years on record.
That represents a change of up 16.7% on the previous year and up 16.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, democracy index in Nepal peaked at 7 in 2018 and was at its lowest, -10, in 1960.
Nepal ranks 69th 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 Nepal, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1800 | -6 | — |
| 1801 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1802 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1803 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1804 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1805 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1806 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1807 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1808 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1809 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1810 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1811 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1812 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1813 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1814 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1815 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1816 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1817 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1818 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1819 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1820 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1821 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1822 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1823 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1824 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1825 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1826 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1827 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1828 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1829 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1830 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1831 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1832 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1833 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1834 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1835 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1836 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1837 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1838 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1839 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1840 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1841 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1842 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1843 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1844 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1845 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1846 | -3 | -50.0% |
| 1847 | -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% |
| 1863 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1864 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1865 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1866 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1867 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1868 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1869 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1870 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1871 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1872 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1873 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1874 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1875 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1876 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1877 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1878 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1879 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1880 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1881 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1882 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1883 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1884 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1885 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1886 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1887 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1888 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1889 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1890 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1891 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1892 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1893 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1894 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1895 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1896 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1897 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1898 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1899 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1900 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1901 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1902 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1903 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1904 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1905 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1906 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1907 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1908 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1909 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1910 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1911 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1912 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1913 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1914 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1915 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1916 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1917 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1918 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1919 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1920 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1921 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1922 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1923 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1924 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1925 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1926 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1927 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1928 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1929 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1930 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1931 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1932 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1933 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1934 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1935 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1936 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1937 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1938 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1939 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1940 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1941 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1942 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1943 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1944 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1945 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1946 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 1947 | -5 | +66.7% |
| 1948 | -5 | -0.0% |
| 1949 | -5 | -0.0% |
| 1950 | -5 | -0.0% |
| 1951 | -7 | +40.0% |
| 1952 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1953 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1954 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1955 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1956 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1957 | -4 | -42.9% |
| 1958 | -1 | -75.0% |
| 1959 | 2 | -300.0% |
| 1960 | -10 | -600.0% |
| 1961 | -10 | -0.0% |
| 1962 | -9 | -10.0% |
| 1963 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1964 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1965 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1966 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1967 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1968 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1969 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1970 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1971 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1972 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1973 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1974 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1975 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1976 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1977 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1978 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1979 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1980 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1981 | -2 | -77.8% |
| 1982 | -2 | -0.0% |
| 1983 | -2 | -0.0% |
| 1984 | -2 | -0.0% |
| 1985 | -2 | -0.0% |
| 1986 | -2 | -0.0% |
| 1987 | -2 | -0.0% |
| 1988 | -2 | -0.0% |
| 1989 | -2 | -0.0% |
| 1990 | 5 | -350.0% |
| 1991 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 6 | +20.0% |
| 2000 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | -6 | -200.0% |
| 2003 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 2004 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 2005 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 2006 | 6 | -200.0% |
| 2007 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 7 | +16.7% |
Nepal compared with similar countries
- Nepal's 7 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5, 1.4× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Nepal's 7 is above the median for South Asia, which is 7, 1.0× the median. (5 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1800s | -6 | -6 | -6 | 10 |
| 1810s | -6 | -6 | -6 | 10 |
| 1820s | -6 | -6 | -6 | 10 |
| 1830s | -6 | -6 | -6 | 10 |
| 1840s | -4.8 | -6 | -3 | 10 |
| 1850s | -3 | -3 | -3 | 10 |
| 1860s | -3 | -3 | -3 | 10 |
| 1870s | -3 | -3 | -3 | 10 |
| 1880s | -3 | -3 | -3 | 10 |
| 1890s | -3 | -3 | -3 | 10 |
| 1900s | -3 | -3 | -3 | 10 |
| 1910s | -3 | -3 | -3 | 10 |
| 1920s | -3 | -3 | -3 | 10 |
| 1930s | -3 | -3 | -3 | 10 |
| 1940s | -3.6 | -5 | -3 | 10 |
| 1950s | -5 | -7 | 2 | 10 |
| 1960s | -9.2 | -10 | -9 | 10 |
| 1970s | -9 | -9 | -9 | 10 |
| 1980s | -2.7 | -9 | -2 | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.1 | 5 | 6 | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.2 | -6 | 6 | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.11 | 6 | 7 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
- 69 Armenia 7 compare
- 69 Benin 7 compare
- 69 Bhutan 7 compare
- 69 Bolivia 7 compare
- 69 Colombia 7 compare
- 69 Dominican Republic 7 compare
- 69 Georgia 7 compare
- 69 Guyana 7 compare
- 69 Honduras 7 compare
- 69 Liberia 7 compare
- 69 Malaysia 7 compare
- 69 Nigeria 7 compare
- 69 Pakistan 7 compare
- 69 Senegal 7 compare
- 69 Sierra Leone 7 compare
- 69 Tunisia 7 compare
More social development data for Nepal
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 19,613 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 8,019 (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 8,019 (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 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is democracy index in Nepal?
- Democracy index in Nepal 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 Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 7 in 2018.
- What is the lowest democracy index recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was -10 in 1960.
- How does Nepal rank for democracy index?
- Nepal ranks 69th out of 168 countries with data for 2018.
- Is democracy index rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nepal 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 — 219 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).