What is distribution of democracy index in Taiwan?

Distribution of democracy index in Taiwan was 20 in 2018, according to Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest distribution of democracy index recorded in Taiwan?

The highest recorded value was 20 in 2004.

What is the lowest distribution of democracy index recorded in Taiwan?

The lowest recorded value was 2 in 1949.

How does Taiwan rank for distribution of democracy index?

Taiwan ranks 1st out of 167 countries with data for 2018.

Is distribution of democracy index rising or falling in Taiwan?

Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this Taiwan 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.

Distribution of Democracy Index in Taiwan

Name: Distribution of Democracy Index in Taiwan
Creator: Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Taiwan: Distribution of Democracy Index was 20 in 2018. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2018)

Change on year

unchanged

World rank

1st

of 167 countries

All-time high

in 2004

All-time low

in 1949

Years of data

1949–2018

Distribution of Democracy Index in Taiwan, 1949–2018

Source: Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

Taiwan recorded 20 for distribution of democracy index in 2018. That is the highest value across all 70 years on record.

That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.

Over the whole period, distribution of democracy index in Taiwan peaked at 20 in 2004 and was at its lowest, 2, in 1949.

Taiwan ranks 1st of 167 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1940s	2	2	2	1
1950s	2	2	2	10
1960s	2	2	2	10
1970s	2.5	2	3	10
1980s	4.8	3	9	10
1990s	16.1	9	19	10
2000s	19.6	19	20	10
2010s	20	20	20	9

Countries ranked near Taiwan

See the full ranking of 168 places →

More social development data for Taiwan

Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
Key features of democracy 0.801 (2025)
Freedom of Expression Index 0.838 (2025)
Freedom of Association Index 0.892 (2025)
Electoral Democracy Index 0.801 (2025)
Participatory Democracy Index 0.652 (2025)
Liberal Democracy Index 0.704 (2025)
Varieties of democracy 0.801 (2025)
Liberal democracy 3 (2025)

All data for Taiwan →

Frequently asked questions

What is distribution of democracy index in Taiwan?: Distribution of democracy index in Taiwan was 20 in 2018, according to Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest distribution of democracy index recorded in Taiwan?: The highest recorded value was 20 in 2004.
What is the lowest distribution of democracy index recorded in Taiwan?: The lowest recorded value was 2 in 1949.
How does Taiwan rank for distribution of democracy index?: Taiwan ranks 1st out of 167 countries with data for 2018.
Is distribution of democracy index rising or falling in Taiwan?: Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Taiwan 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 — 70 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator: Distribution of Democracy Index
Source: Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 168 places, 18,366 data points, 1800–2018
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

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).