Distribution of Democracy Index in Burundi
Burundi: Distribution of Democracy Index was 9 in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Distribution of Democracy Index in Burundi, 1962–2018
Source: Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Burundi recorded 9 for distribution of democracy index in 2018.
The figure is down 43.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, distribution of democracy index in Burundi peaked at 16 in 2005 and was at its lowest, 3, in 1966.
That places Burundi 124th 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.
Distribution of Democracy Index in Burundi, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 6 | — |
| 1963 | 15 | +150.0% |
| 1964 | 15 | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 15 | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 3 | -80.0% |
| 1967 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 4 | +33.3% |
| 1988 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 7 | +75.0% |
| 1993 | 10 | +42.9% |
| 1994 | 10 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 10 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 5 | -50.0% |
| 1997 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 9 | +80.0% |
| 1999 | 9 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 9 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 10 | +11.1% |
| 2002 | 12 | +20.0% |
| 2003 | 13 | +8.3% |
| 2004 | 15 | +15.4% |
| 2005 | 16 | +6.7% |
| 2006 | 16 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 16 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 16 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 16 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 16 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 16 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 16 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 16 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 16 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 9 | -43.8% |
| 2016 | 9 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 9 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 9 | +0.0% |
Burundi compared with similar countries
- Burundi's 9 is below the median for low income countries, which is 11, 82% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Burundi's 9 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 14.5, 62% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 7.88 | 3 | 15 | 8 |
| 1970s | 3 | 3 | 3 | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.3 | 3 | 4 | 10 |
| 1990s | 7.3 | 4 | 10 | 10 |
| 2000s | 13.9 | 9 | 16 | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.89 | 9 | 16 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Burundi
More social development data for Burundi
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 110,800 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 318,291 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 7 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 7 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0221 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 318,291 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0077 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 Burundi?
- Distribution of democracy index in Burundi was 9 in 2018, according to Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest distribution of democracy index recorded in Burundi?
- The highest recorded value was 16 in 2005.
- What is the lowest distribution of democracy index recorded in Burundi?
- The lowest recorded value was 3 in 1966.
- How does Burundi rank for distribution of democracy index?
- Burundi ranks 124th out of 168 countries with data for 2018.
- Is distribution of democracy index rising or falling in Burundi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 43.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Burundi 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 — 57 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).