Distribution of Democracy Index in Syria
Syria: Distribution of Democracy Index was 1 in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Distribution of Democracy Index in Syria, 1944–2018
Source: Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2018, distribution of democracy index in Syria stood at 1. That is the lowest value across all 72 years on record.
That represents a change of down 75.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, distribution of democracy index in Syria peaked at 17 in 1955 and was at its lowest, 1, in 1970.
Syria ranks 162nd of 168 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Distribution of Democracy Index in Syria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1944 | 15 | — |
| 1945 | 15 | +0.0% |
| 1946 | 14 | -6.7% |
| 1947 | 14 | +0.0% |
| 1948 | 14 | +0.0% |
| 1949 | 11 | -21.4% |
| 1950 | 7 | -36.4% |
| 1951 | 4 | -42.9% |
| 1952 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1953 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1954 | 14 | +250.0% |
| 1955 | 17 | +21.4% |
| 1956 | 17 | +0.0% |
| 1957 | 17 | +0.0% |
| 1961 | 12 | -29.4% |
| 1962 | 7 | -41.7% |
| 1963 | 2 | -71.4% |
| 1964 | 2 | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 2 | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 2 | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 2 | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 2 | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 2 | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 1 | -50.0% |
| 1971 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 4 | +300.0% |
| 2001 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 1 | -75.0% |
| 2013 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 1 | +0.0% |
Syria compared with similar countries
- Syria's 1 is below the median for low income countries, which is 11, 9% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Syria's 1 is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 7, 14% of the median. (21 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 13.83 | 11 | 15 | 6 |
| 1950s | 10.5 | 4 | 17 | 8 |
| 1960s | 3.67 | 2 | 12 | 9 |
| 1970s | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| 1980s | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| 1990s | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| 2000s | 4 | 4 | 4 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.67 | 1 | 4 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Syria
- 159 Oman 2 compare
- 159 Turkmenistan 2 compare
- 159 United Arab Emirates 2 compare
- 162 Uzbekistan 1 compare
- 162 Vatican 1
- 165 Bahrain 0 compare
- 165 North Korea 0 compare
- 165 Qatar 0
- 165 Saudi Arabia 0
More social development data for Syria
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 9,885 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 4.87 million (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 7 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 7 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.1899 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 4.87 million (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0004 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is distribution of democracy index in Syria?
- Distribution of democracy index in Syria was 1 in 2018, according to Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest distribution of democracy index recorded in Syria?
- The highest recorded value was 17 in 1955.
- What is the lowest distribution of democracy index recorded in Syria?
- The lowest recorded value was 1 in 1970.
- How does Syria rank for distribution of democracy index?
- Syria ranks 162nd out of 168 countries with data for 2018.
- Is distribution of democracy index rising or falling in Syria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 75.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Syria 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 — 72 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).