Distribution of Democracy Index in Gambia
Gambia: Distribution of Democracy Index was 14 in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Distribution of Democracy Index in Gambia, 1965–2018
Source: Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2018, distribution of democracy index in Gambia stood at 14.
The figure is up 180.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, distribution of democracy index in Gambia peaked at 18 in 1965 and was at its lowest, 3, in 1994.
That places Gambia 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.
Distribution of Democracy Index in Gambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 18 | — |
| 1966 | 18 | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 18 | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 18 | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 18 | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 18 | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 18 | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 18 | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 18 | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 18 | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 18 | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 18 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 18 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 18 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 18 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 18 | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 17 | -5.6% |
| 1982 | 17 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 17 | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 17 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 17 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 17 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 17 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 17 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 17 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 18 | +5.9% |
| 1991 | 18 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 18 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 18 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 3 | -83.3% |
| 1995 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 4 | +33.3% |
| 1997 | 5 | +25.0% |
| 1998 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 14 | +180.0% |
| 2018 | 14 | +0.0% |
Gambia compared with similar countries
- Gambia's 14 is above the median for low income countries, which is 11, 1.3× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Gambia's 14 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 14.5, 97% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 18 | 18 | 18 | 5 |
| 1970s | 18 | 18 | 18 | 10 |
| 1980s | 17.1 | 17 | 18 | 10 |
| 1990s | 9.7 | 3 | 18 | 10 |
| 2000s | 5 | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| 2010s | 7 | 5 | 14 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Gambia
More social development data for Gambia
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 4,108 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 6,728 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 4 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 4 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0024 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 6,728 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0015 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 Gambia?
- Distribution of democracy index in Gambia was 14 in 2018, according to Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest distribution of democracy index recorded in Gambia?
- The highest recorded value was 18 in 1965.
- What is the lowest distribution of democracy index recorded in Gambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 3 in 1994.
- How does Gambia rank for distribution of democracy index?
- Gambia ranks 107th out of 168 countries with data for 2018.
- Is distribution of democracy index rising or falling in Gambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 180.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Gambia 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 — 54 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).