Distribution of Democracy Index in El Salvador
El Salvador: Distribution of Democracy Index was 18 in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Distribution of Democracy Index in El Salvador, 1841–2018
Source: Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
El Salvador recorded 18 for distribution of democracy index in 2018. That is the highest value across all 175 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, distribution of democracy index in El Salvador peaked at 18 in 2009 and was at its lowest, 1, in 1931.
That places El Salvador 52nd out of 167 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1840s | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| 1850s | 9 | 9 | 9 | 7 |
| 1860s | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 |
| 1870s | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 |
| 1880s | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 |
| 1890s | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 |
| 1900s | 5.5 | 4 | 9 | 10 |
| 1910s | 4 | 4 | 4 | 10 |
| 1920s | 4 | 4 | 4 | 10 |
| 1930s | 1.3 | 1 | 4 | 10 |
| 1940s | 1.8 | 1 | 3 | 10 |
| 1950s | 4 | 4 | 4 | 10 |
| 1960s | 7.3 | 7 | 10 | 10 |
| 1970s | 6.7 | 4 | 10 | 10 |
| 1980s | 13.6 | 10 | 16 | 10 |
| 1990s | 16.6 | 16 | 17 | 10 |
| 2000s | 17.1 | 17 | 18 | 10 |
| 2010s | 18 | 18 | 18 | 9 |
Countries ranked near El Salvador
- 52 Belgium 18 compare
- 52 Botswana 18 compare
- 52 Brazil 18 compare
- 52 East Timor 18 compare
- 52 Ghana 18 compare
- 52 Guatemala 18 compare
- 52 Kyrgyzstan 18 compare
- 52 Latvia 18 compare
- 52 Lesotho 18 compare
- 52 Mexico 18 compare
- 52 Myanmar 18 compare
- 52 Philippines 18 compare
- 52 Serbia 18 compare
- 52 Solomon Islands 18 compare
- 52 South Korea 18 compare
- 52 United Kingdom 18 compare
- 52 United States 18 compare
More social development data for El Salvador
- Political Rights Rating 5 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 182 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 68,182 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Key features of democracy 0.321 (2025)
- Freedom of Expression Index 0.356 (2025)
- Freedom of Association Index 0.646 (2025)
- Electoral Democracy Index 0.321 (2025)
- Participatory Democracy Index 0.159 (2025)
- Liberal Democracy Index 0.09 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is distribution of democracy index in El Salvador?
- Distribution of democracy index in El Salvador was 18 in 2018, according to Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest distribution of democracy index recorded in El Salvador?
- The highest recorded value was 18 in 2009.
- What is the lowest distribution of democracy index recorded in El Salvador?
- The lowest recorded value was 1 in 1931.
- How does El Salvador rank for distribution of democracy index?
- El Salvador ranks 52nd out of 167 countries with data for 2018.
- Is distribution of democracy index rising or falling in El Salvador?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this El Salvador 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 — 175 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).