Distribution of Democracy Index in Lesotho
Lesotho: Distribution of Democracy Index was 18 in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Distribution of Democracy Index in Lesotho, 1966–2018
Source: Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for distribution of democracy index in Lesotho is 18, measured in 2018. That is the highest value across all 53 years on record.
That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, distribution of democracy index in Lesotho peaked at 18 in 2002 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1986.
That places Lesotho 52nd 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 Lesotho, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1966 | 15 | — |
| 1967 | 15 | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 15 | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 15 | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 5 | -66.7% |
| 1971 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 3 | -40.0% |
| 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 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 1987 | 0 | — |
| 1988 | 0 | — |
| 1989 | 0 | — |
| 1990 | 3 | — |
| 1991 | 6 | +100.0% |
| 1992 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 15 | +150.0% |
| 1994 | 15 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 15 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 15 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 15 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 16 | +6.7% |
| 1999 | 16 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 16 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 16 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 18 | +12.5% |
| 2003 | 18 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 18 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 18 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 18 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 18 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 18 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 18 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 18 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 18 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 18 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 18 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 18 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 18 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 18 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 18 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 18 | +0.0% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 18 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 15, 1.2× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 18 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 14.5, 1.2× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 15 | 15 | 15 | 4 |
| 1970s | 3.6 | 3 | 5 | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.8 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| 1990s | 12.2 | 3 | 16 | 10 |
| 2000s | 17.6 | 16 | 18 | 10 |
| 2010s | 18 | 18 | 18 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 52 Belgium 18 compare
- 52 Botswana 18 compare
- 52 Brazil 18 compare
- 52 East Timor 18 compare
- 52 El Salvador 18 compare
- 52 Ghana 18 compare
- 52 Guatemala 18 compare
- 52 Kyrgyzstan 18 compare
- 52 Latvia 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 Lesotho
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 478 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 27 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 2 (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 27 (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 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is distribution of democracy index in Lesotho?
- Distribution of democracy index in Lesotho 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 Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 18 in 2002.
- What is the lowest distribution of democracy index recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1986.
- How does Lesotho rank for distribution of democracy index?
- Lesotho ranks 52nd out of 168 countries with data for 2018.
- Is distribution of democracy index rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Lesotho 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 — 53 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).