Democracy Index in Suriname
Suriname: Democracy Index was 5 in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Democracy Index in Suriname, 1975–2018
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 Suriname is 5, measured in 2018. That is the highest value across all 44 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, democracy index in Suriname peaked at 5 in 1975 and was at its lowest, -6, in 1982.
Suriname ranks 98th 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 Suriname, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 5 | — |
| 1976 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | -1 | -120.0% |
| 1981 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1982 | -6 | +500.0% |
| 1983 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1984 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1985 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1986 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1987 | -1 | -83.3% |
| 1988 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1989 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 1990 | 2 | -300.0% |
| 1991 | 5 | +150.0% |
| 1992 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 5 | +0.0% |
Suriname compared with similar countries
- Suriname's 5 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 7, 71% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Suriname's 5 is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 8, 62% of the median. (24 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 1980s | -3.5 | -6 | -1 | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.7 | 2 | 5 | 10 |
| 2000s | 5 | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| 2010s | 5 | 5 | 5 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Suriname
More social development data for Suriname
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 24 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 56 (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 0.0001 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 56 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 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 Suriname?
- Democracy index in Suriname was 5 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 Suriname?
- The highest recorded value was 5 in 1975.
- What is the lowest democracy index recorded in Suriname?
- The lowest recorded value was -6 in 1982.
- How does Suriname rank for democracy index?
- Suriname ranks 98th out of 168 countries with data for 2018.
- Is democracy index rising or falling in Suriname?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Suriname 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 — 44 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).