Democracy Index in Senegal
Senegal: Democracy Index was 7 in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Democracy Index in Senegal, 1960–2018
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 Senegal is 7, measured in 2018.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, democracy index in Senegal peaked at 8 in 2000 and was at its lowest, -7, in 1963.
That places Senegal 69th 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 Senegal, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | -1 | — |
| 1961 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1962 | -4 | +300.0% |
| 1963 | -7 | +75.0% |
| 1964 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1965 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1966 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 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 | -6 | -14.3% |
| 1975 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1976 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1977 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1978 | -2 | -66.7% |
| 1979 | -2 | -0.0% |
| 1980 | -2 | -0.0% |
| 1981 | -1 | -50.0% |
| 1982 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1983 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1984 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1985 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1986 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1987 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1988 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1989 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1990 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1991 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1992 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1993 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1994 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1995 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1996 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1997 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1998 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1999 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 2000 | 8 | -900.0% |
| 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 | 7 | -12.5% |
| 2008 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 7 | +0.0% |
Senegal compared with similar countries
- Senegal's 7 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5, 1.4× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Senegal'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 | -5.5 | -7 | -1 | 10 |
| 1970s | -5.6 | -7 | -2 | 10 |
| 1980s | -1.1 | -2 | -1 | 10 |
| 1990s | -1 | -1 | -1 | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.7 | 7 | 8 | 10 |
| 2010s | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Senegal
- 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 Nigeria 7 compare
- 69 Pakistan 7 compare
- 69 Sierra Leone 7 compare
- 69 Tunisia 7 compare
More social development data for Senegal
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 17,259 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 13,028 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 2 (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 13,028 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0009 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 Senegal?
- Democracy index in Senegal 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 Senegal?
- The highest recorded value was 8 in 2000.
- What is the lowest democracy index recorded in Senegal?
- The lowest recorded value was -7 in 1963.
- How does Senegal rank for democracy index?
- Senegal ranks 69th out of 168 countries with data for 2018.
- Is democracy index rising or falling in Senegal?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Senegal 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).