Democracy Index in Rwanda
Rwanda: Democracy Index was -3 in 2018. ▲ Rising
Democracy Index in Rwanda, 1961–2018
Source: Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Rwanda recorded -3 for democracy index in 2018. That is the highest value across all 58 years on record.
That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, democracy index in Rwanda peaked at -3 in 2003 and was at its lowest, -7, in 1973.
Rwanda ranks 131st of 167 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 58 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -5 | -5 | -5 | 9 |
| 1970s | -6.4 | -7 | -5 | 10 |
| 1980s | -7 | -7 | -7 | 10 |
| 1990s | -6.4 | -7 | -6 | 10 |
| 2000s | -3.3 | -4 | -3 | 10 |
| 2010s | -3.33 | -4 | -3 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Rwanda
More social development data for Rwanda
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 115,794 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 244,415 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 6 (2025)
- Key features of liberal democracy 0.09 (2025)
- Varieties of democracy 0.193 (2025)
- Freedom of Expression Index 0.17 (2025)
- Freedom of Association Index 0.144 (2025)
- Electoral Democracy Index 0.193 (2025)
- Liberal democracy 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is democracy index in Rwanda?
- Democracy index in Rwanda was -3 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 Rwanda?
- The highest recorded value was -3 in 2003.
- What is the lowest democracy index recorded in Rwanda?
- The lowest recorded value was -7 in 1973.
- How does Rwanda rank for democracy index?
- Rwanda ranks 131st out of 167 countries with data for 2018.
- Is democracy index rising or falling in Rwanda?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Rwanda 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 — 58 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).