Democracy Index in Portugal
Portugal: Democracy Index was 10 in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Democracy Index in Portugal, 1800–2018
Source: Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2018, democracy index in Portugal stood at 10. That is the highest value across all 205 years on record.
That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, democracy index in Portugal peaked at 10 in 1982 and was at its lowest, -10, in 1800.
Portugal ranks 1st of 167 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1800s | -10 | -10 | -10 | 6 |
| 1820s | -3 | -3 | -3 | 10 |
| 1830s | -1.7 | -4 | 1 | 10 |
| 1840s | -3 | -4 | 1 | 10 |
| 1850s | -5 | -6 | -4 | 10 |
| 1860s | -7 | -7 | -7 | 10 |
| 1870s | -7 | -7 | -7 | 10 |
| 1880s | -5 | -5 | -5 | 10 |
| 1890s | -4 | -4 | -4 | 10 |
| 1900s | -2.4 | -9 | 2 | 10 |
| 1910s | 6.8 | 5 | 7 | 10 |
| 1920s | 3.8 | -6 | 7 | 10 |
| 1930s | -9 | -9 | -9 | 10 |
| 1940s | -9 | -9 | -9 | 10 |
| 1950s | -9 | -9 | -9 | 10 |
| 1960s | -9 | -9 | -9 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0 | -9 | 9 | 10 |
| 1980s | 9.8 | 9 | 10 | 10 |
| 1990s | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| 2000s | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| 2010s | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Portugal
- 1 Australia 10 compare
- 1 Austria 10 compare
- 1 Canada 10 compare
- 1 Cape Verde 10 compare
- 1 Chile 10 compare
- 1 Costa Rica 10 compare
- 1 Cyprus 10 compare
- 1 Denmark 10 compare
- 1 Finland 10 compare
- 1 France 10 compare
- 1 Germany 10 compare
- 1 Greece 10 compare
- 1 Hungary 10 compare
- 1 Italy 10 compare
- 1 Japan 10 compare
- 1 Lithuania 10 compare
- 1 Mauritius 10 compare
- 1 Mongolia 10 compare
- 1 Netherlands 10 compare
- 1 New Zealand 10 compare
- 1 Norway 10 compare
- 1 Poland 10 compare
- 1 Slovakia 10 compare
- 1 Slovenia 10 compare
- 1 Spain 10 compare
- 1 Sweden 10 compare
- 1 Switzerland 10 compare
- 1 Taiwan 10 compare
- 1 Uruguay 10 compare
More social development data for Portugal
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 70,349 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 109 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
- Key features of liberal democracy 0.717 (2025)
- Varieties of democracy 0.822 (2025)
- Freedom of Expression Index 0.899 (2025)
- Freedom of Association Index 0.874 (2025)
- Electoral Democracy Index 0.822 (2025)
- Liberal democracy 2 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is democracy index in Portugal?
- Democracy index in Portugal was 10 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 Portugal?
- The highest recorded value was 10 in 1982.
- What is the lowest democracy index recorded in Portugal?
- The lowest recorded value was -10 in 1800.
- How does Portugal rank for democracy index?
- Portugal ranks 1st out of 167 countries with data for 2018.
- Is democracy index rising or falling in Portugal?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Portugal 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 — 205 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).