Distribution of Democracy Index in Bangladesh
Bangladesh: Distribution of Democracy Index was 4 in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Distribution of Democracy Index in Bangladesh, 1972–2018
Source: Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Bangladesh recorded 4 for distribution of democracy index in 2018.
The figure is down 63.6% on the previous year and unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, distribution of democracy index in Bangladesh peaked at 18 in 1972 and was at its lowest, 3, in 1975.
That places Bangladesh 147th out of 168 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Distribution of Democracy Index in Bangladesh, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 18 | — |
| 1973 | 18 | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 8 | -55.6% |
| 1975 | 3 | -62.5% |
| 1976 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 6 | +100.0% |
| 1979 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 3 | -50.0% |
| 1983 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 5 | +66.7% |
| 1987 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 16 | +220.0% |
| 1992 | 16 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 16 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 16 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 16 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 16 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 16 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 16 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 16 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 16 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 16 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 16 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 16 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 16 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 16 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 16 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 4 | -75.0% |
| 2008 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 15 | +275.0% |
| 2010 | 15 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 15 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 15 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 14 | -6.7% |
| 2014 | 11 | -21.4% |
| 2015 | 11 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 11 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 11 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 4 | -63.6% |
Bangladesh compared with similar countries
- Bangladesh's 4 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 15, 27% of the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Bangladesh's 4 is below the median for South Asia, which is 17, 24% of the median. (5 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 8.12 | 3 | 18 | 8 |
| 1980s | 4.4 | 3 | 6 | 10 |
| 1990s | 14.9 | 5 | 16 | 10 |
| 2000s | 13.5 | 4 | 16 | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.89 | 4 | 15 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Bangladesh
More social development data for Bangladesh
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1.18 million (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 31,862 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 5 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 5 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0002 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 31,862 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0067 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 distribution of democracy index in Bangladesh?
- Distribution of democracy index in Bangladesh was 4 in 2018, according to Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest distribution of democracy index recorded in Bangladesh?
- The highest recorded value was 18 in 1972.
- What is the lowest distribution of democracy index recorded in Bangladesh?
- The lowest recorded value was 3 in 1975.
- How does Bangladesh rank for distribution of democracy index?
- Bangladesh ranks 147th out of 168 countries with data for 2018.
- Is distribution of democracy index rising or falling in Bangladesh?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Bangladesh data come from?
- The figures come from Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Distribution of Democracy Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 47 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 0 to 20 (fully democratic).