Distribution of Democracy Index in Canada
Canada: Distribution of Democracy Index was 20 in 2018. ▲ Rising
Latest (2018)
20
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
1st
of 168 countries
All-time high
20
in 1921
All-time low
14
in 1867
Years of data
152
1867–2018
Distribution of Democracy Index in Canada, 1867–2018
Source: Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2018, distribution of democracy index in Canada stood at 20. That is the highest value across all 152 years on record.
That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, distribution of democracy index in Canada peaked at 20 in 1921 and was at its lowest, 14, in 1867.
Canada ranks 1st of 168 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 152 years of available data.
Distribution of Democracy Index in Canada, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1867 | 14 | — |
| 1868 | 14 | +0.0% |
| 1869 | 14 | +0.0% |
| 1870 | 14 | +0.0% |
| 1871 | 14 | +0.0% |
| 1872 | 14 | +0.0% |
| 1873 | 14 | +0.0% |
| 1874 | 14 | +0.0% |
| 1875 | 14 | +0.0% |
| 1876 | 14 | +0.0% |
| 1877 | 14 | +0.0% |
| 1878 | 14 | +0.0% |
| 1879 | 14 | +0.0% |
| 1880 | 14 | +0.0% |
| 1881 | 14 | +0.0% |
| 1882 | 14 | +0.0% |
| 1883 | 14 | +0.0% |
| 1884 | 14 | +0.0% |
| 1885 | 14 | +0.0% |
| 1886 | 14 | +0.0% |
| 1887 | 14 | +0.0% |
| 1888 | 19 | +35.7% |
| 1889 | 19 | +0.0% |
| 1890 | 19 | +0.0% |
| 1891 | 19 | +0.0% |
| 1892 | 19 | +0.0% |
| 1893 | 19 | +0.0% |
| 1894 | 19 | +0.0% |
| 1895 | 19 | +0.0% |
| 1896 | 19 | +0.0% |
| 1897 | 19 | +0.0% |
| 1898 | 19 | +0.0% |
| 1899 | 19 | +0.0% |
| 1900 | 19 | +0.0% |
| 1901 | 19 | +0.0% |
| 1902 | 19 | +0.0% |
| 1903 | 19 | +0.0% |
| 1904 | 19 | +0.0% |
| 1905 | 19 | +0.0% |
| 1906 | 19 | +0.0% |
| 1907 | 19 | +0.0% |
| 1908 | 19 | +0.0% |
| 1909 | 19 | +0.0% |
| 1910 | 19 | +0.0% |
| 1911 | 19 | +0.0% |
| 1912 | 19 | +0.0% |
| 1913 | 19 | +0.0% |
| 1914 | 19 | +0.0% |
| 1915 | 19 | +0.0% |
| 1916 | 19 | +0.0% |
| 1917 | 19 | +0.0% |
| 1918 | 19 | +0.0% |
| 1919 | 19 | +0.0% |
| 1920 | 19 | +0.0% |
| 1921 | 20 | +5.3% |
| 1922 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1923 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1924 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1925 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1926 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1927 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1928 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1929 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1930 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1931 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1932 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1933 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1934 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1935 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1936 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1937 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1938 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1939 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1940 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1941 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1942 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1943 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1944 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1945 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1946 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1947 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1948 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1949 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1950 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1951 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1952 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1953 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1954 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1955 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1956 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1957 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1958 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1959 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1960 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1961 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 20 | +0.0% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 20 is above the median for high income countries, which is 20, 1.0× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1860s | 14 | 14 | 14 | 3 |
| 1870s | 14 | 14 | 14 | 10 |
| 1880s | 15 | 14 | 19 | 10 |
| 1890s | 19 | 19 | 19 | 10 |
| 1900s | 19 | 19 | 19 | 10 |
| 1910s | 19 | 19 | 19 | 10 |
| 1920s | 19.9 | 19 | 20 | 10 |
| 1930s | 20 | 20 | 20 | 10 |
| 1940s | 20 | 20 | 20 | 10 |
| 1950s | 20 | 20 | 20 | 10 |
| 1960s | 20 | 20 | 20 | 10 |
| 1970s | 20 | 20 | 20 | 10 |
| 1980s | 20 | 20 | 20 | 10 |
| 1990s | 20 | 20 | 20 | 10 |
| 2000s | 20 | 20 | 20 | 10 |
| 2010s | 20 | 20 | 20 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Canada
- 1 Australia 20 compare
- 1 Austria 20 compare
- 1 Cape Verde 20 compare
- 1 Chile 20 compare
- 1 Costa Rica 20 compare
- 1 Cyprus 20 compare
- 1 Denmark 20 compare
- 1 Finland 20 compare
- 1 France 20 compare
- 1 Germany 20 compare
- 1 Greece 20 compare
- 1 Hungary 20 compare
- 1 Ireland 20 compare
- 1 Italy 20 compare
- 1 Japan 20 compare
- 1 Lithuania 20 compare
- 1 Luxembourg 20 compare
- 1 Mauritius 20 compare
- 1 Mongolia 20 compare
- 1 Netherlands 20 compare
- 1 New Zealand 20 compare
- 1 Norway 20 compare
- 1 Poland 20 compare
- 1 Portugal 20 compare
- 1 Slovakia 20 compare
- 1 Slovenia 20 compare
- 1 Spain 20 compare
- 1 Sweden 20 compare
- 1 Switzerland 20 compare
- 1 Taiwan 20 compare
- 1 Uruguay 20 compare
More social development data for Canada
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 416,028 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 360 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 1 (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 360 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.01 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 Canada?
- Distribution of democracy index in Canada was 20 in 2018, according to Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest distribution of democracy index recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 20 in 1921.
- What is the lowest distribution of democracy index recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 14 in 1867.
- How does Canada rank for distribution of democracy index?
- Canada ranks 1st out of 168 countries with data for 2018.
- Is distribution of democracy index rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Canada 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 — 152 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).