Democracy Index in Nigeria
Nigeria: Democracy Index was 7 in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Democracy Index in Nigeria, 1960–2018
Source: Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2018, democracy index in Nigeria stood at 7.
That represents a change of up 75.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, democracy index in Nigeria peaked at 8 in 1960 and was at its lowest, -7, in 1966.
Nigeria 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 Nigeria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 8 | — |
| 1961 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 7 | -12.5% |
| 1965 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 1966 | -7 | -200.0% |
| 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 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 1979 | 7 | — |
| 1980 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 1984 | -7 | -200.0% |
| 1985 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1986 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1987 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1988 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1989 | -5 | -28.6% |
| 1990 | -5 | -0.0% |
| 1991 | -5 | -0.0% |
| 1992 | -5 | -0.0% |
| 1993 | -7 | +40.0% |
| 1994 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1995 | -6 | -14.3% |
| 1996 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1997 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1998 | -1 | -83.3% |
| 1999 | 4 | -500.0% |
| 2000 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 7 | +75.0% |
| 2016 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 7 | +0.0% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 7 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5, 1.4× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 7 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.5, 1.6× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.8 | -7 | 8 | 10 |
| 1970s | -4.9 | -7 | 7 | 10 |
| 1980s | -1.2 | -7 | 7 | 10 |
| 1990s | -4.4 | -7 | 4 | 10 |
| 2000s | 4 | 4 | 4 | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.33 | 4 | 7 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 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 Nepal 7 compare
- 69 Pakistan 7 compare
- 69 Senegal 7 compare
- 69 Sierra Leone 7 compare
- 69 Tunisia 7 compare
More social development data for Nigeria
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 123,848 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 478,150 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 4 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 4 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.002 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 478,150 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0005 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 Nigeria?
- Democracy index in Nigeria 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 Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 8 in 1960.
- What is the lowest democracy index recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was -7 in 1966.
- How does Nigeria rank for democracy index?
- Nigeria ranks 69th out of 168 countries with data for 2018.
- Is democracy index rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 75.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nigeria 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).