Distribution of Democracy Index in Rwanda
Rwanda: Distribution of Democracy Index was 7 in 2018. ▲ Rising
Distribution of Democracy Index in Rwanda, 1961–2018
Source: Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2018, distribution of democracy index in Rwanda stood at 7. That is the highest value across all 58 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, distribution of democracy index in Rwanda peaked at 7 in 2003 and was at its lowest, 3, in 1973.
That places Rwanda 132nd out of 168 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 58 years of available data.
Distribution of Democracy Index in Rwanda, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 5 | — |
| 1962 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 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 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 4 | +33.3% |
| 1995 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 6 | +50.0% |
| 2001 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 7 | +16.7% |
| 2004 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 6 | -14.3% |
| 2011 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 7 | +16.7% |
| 2014 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 7 | +0.0% |
Rwanda compared with similar countries
- Rwanda's 7 is below the median for low income countries, which is 11, 64% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Rwanda's 7 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 14.5, 48% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5 | 5 | 5 | 9 |
| 1970s | 3.6 | 3 | 5 | 10 |
| 1980s | 3 | 3 | 3 | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.6 | 3 | 4 | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.7 | 6 | 7 | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.67 | 6 | 7 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Rwanda
More social development data for Rwanda
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 115,794 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 244,415 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 6 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 6 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0168 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 244,415 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0079 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 Rwanda?
- Distribution of democracy index in Rwanda was 7 in 2018, according to Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest distribution of democracy index recorded in Rwanda?
- The highest recorded value was 7 in 2003.
- What is the lowest distribution of democracy index recorded in Rwanda?
- The lowest recorded value was 3 in 1973.
- How does Rwanda rank for distribution of democracy index?
- Rwanda ranks 132nd out of 168 countries with data for 2018.
- Is distribution of democracy index rising or falling in Rwanda?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Rwanda 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 — 58 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).