Democracy Index in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Democracy Index was 4 in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Democracy Index in Zimbabwe, 1980–2018
Source: Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2018, democracy index in Zimbabwe stood at 4. That is the highest value across all 39 years on record.
That represents a change of up 200.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, democracy index in Zimbabwe peaked at 4 in 1980 and was at its lowest, -6, in 1987.
That places Zimbabwe 107th 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 Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 4 | — |
| 1981 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 1 | -75.0% |
| 1984 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | -6 | -700.0% |
| 1988 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1989 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1990 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1991 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1992 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1993 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1994 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1995 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1996 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1997 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1998 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1999 | -3 | -50.0% |
| 2000 | -3 | -0.0% |
| 2001 | -4 | +33.3% |
| 2002 | -4 | -0.0% |
| 2003 | -4 | -0.0% |
| 2004 | -4 | -0.0% |
| 2005 | -4 | -0.0% |
| 2006 | -4 | -0.0% |
| 2007 | -4 | -0.0% |
| 2008 | -4 | -0.0% |
| 2009 | 1 | -125.0% |
| 2010 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 4 | +300.0% |
| 2014 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 4 | +0.0% |
Zimbabwe compared with similar countries
- Zimbabwe's 4 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5, 80% of the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Zimbabwe's 4 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.5, 89% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | -0.2 | -6 | 4 | 10 |
| 1990s | -5.7 | -6 | -3 | 10 |
| 2000s | -3.4 | -4 | 1 | 10 |
| 2010s | 3 | 1 | 4 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
More social development data for Zimbabwe
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 8,570 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 6,632 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 6 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 6 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0004 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 6,632 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0005 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 Zimbabwe?
- Democracy index in Zimbabwe was 4 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 Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 4 in 1980.
- What is the lowest democracy index recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was -6 in 1987.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for democracy index?
- Zimbabwe ranks 107th out of 168 countries with data for 2018.
- Is democracy index rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 200.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zimbabwe 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 — 39 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).