Distribution of Democracy Index in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Distribution of Democracy Index was 14 in 2018. ▲ Rising
Distribution of Democracy Index in Zimbabwe, 1980–2018
Source: Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for distribution of democracy index in Zimbabwe is 14, measured in 2018. That is the highest value across all 39 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 133.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, distribution of democracy index in Zimbabwe peaked at 14 in 1980 and was at its lowest, 4, in 1987.
Zimbabwe ranks 107th of 168 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 39 years of available data.
Distribution of Democracy Index in Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 14 | — |
| 1981 | 14 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 14 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 11 | -21.4% |
| 1984 | 11 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 11 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 11 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 4 | -63.6% |
| 1988 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 7 | +75.0% |
| 2000 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 6 | -14.3% |
| 2002 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 11 | +83.3% |
| 2010 | 11 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 11 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 11 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 14 | +27.3% |
| 2014 | 14 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 14 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 14 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 14 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 14 | +0.0% |
Zimbabwe compared with similar countries
- Zimbabwe's 14 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 15, 93% of the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Zimbabwe'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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 9.8 | 4 | 14 | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.3 | 4 | 7 | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.6 | 6 | 11 | 10 |
| 2010s | 13 | 11 | 14 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
More social development data for Zimbabwe
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 8,570 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 6,632 (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 0.0004 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 6,632 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0005 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 Zimbabwe?
- Distribution of democracy index in Zimbabwe 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 Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 14 in 1980.
- What is the lowest distribution of democracy index recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 4 in 1987.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for distribution of democracy index?
- Zimbabwe ranks 107th out of 168 countries with data for 2018.
- Is distribution of democracy index rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 133.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zimbabwe 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 — 39 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).