Democracy Index in Singapore
Singapore: Democracy Index was -2 in 2018. ▲ Rising
Democracy Index in Singapore, 1965–2018
Source: Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2018, democracy index in Singapore stood at -2. That is the highest value across all 54 years on record.
That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, democracy index in Singapore peaked at -2 in 2005 and was at its lowest, -4, in 1965.
That places Singapore 127th out of 167 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 54 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -4 | -4 | -4 | 5 |
| 1970s | -4 | -4 | -4 | 10 |
| 1980s | -4 | -4 | -4 | 10 |
| 1990s | -4 | -4 | -4 | 10 |
| 2000s | -3 | -4 | -2 | 10 |
| 2010s | -2 | -2 | -2 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Singapore
More social development data for Singapore
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 0 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 43 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 4 (2025)
- Key features of liberal democracy 0.36 (2025)
- Varieties of democracy 0.434 (2025)
- Freedom of Expression Index 0.4 (2025)
- Freedom of Association Index 0.591 (2025)
- Electoral Democracy Index 0.434 (2025)
- Liberal democracy 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is democracy index in Singapore?
- Democracy index in Singapore was -2 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 Singapore?
- The highest recorded value was -2 in 2005.
- What is the lowest democracy index recorded in Singapore?
- The lowest recorded value was -4 in 1965.
- How does Singapore rank for democracy index?
- Singapore ranks 127th out of 167 countries with data for 2018.
- Is democracy index rising or falling in Singapore?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Singapore 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 — 54 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).