Key features of liberal democracy in Eswatini
Eswatini: Key features of liberal democracy was 0.097 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Key features of liberal democracy in Eswatini, 1900–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, key features of liberal democracy in Eswatini stood at 0.097.
That represents a change of down 4.0% on the previous year and unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, key features of liberal democracy in Eswatini peaked at 0.136 in 1969 and was at its lowest, 0.066, in 1900.
That places Eswatini 145th out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 126 years of available data.
Key features of liberal democracy in Eswatini, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 0.066 | — |
| 1901 | 0.066 | +0.0% |
| 1902 | 0.067 | +1.5% |
| 1903 | 0.067 | +0.0% |
| 1904 | 0.067 | +0.0% |
| 1905 | 0.067 | +0.0% |
| 1906 | 0.067 | +0.0% |
| 1907 | 0.067 | +0.0% |
| 1908 | 0.067 | +0.0% |
| 1909 | 0.068 | +1.5% |
| 1910 | 0.068 | +0.0% |
| 1911 | 0.068 | +0.0% |
| 1912 | 0.068 | +0.0% |
| 1913 | 0.068 | +0.0% |
| 1914 | 0.068 | +0.0% |
| 1915 | 0.068 | +0.0% |
| 1916 | 0.068 | +0.0% |
| 1917 | 0.068 | +0.0% |
| 1918 | 0.068 | +0.0% |
| 1919 | 0.068 | +0.0% |
| 1920 | 0.069 | +1.5% |
| 1921 | 0.07 | +1.4% |
| 1922 | 0.07 | +0.0% |
| 1923 | 0.07 | +0.0% |
| 1924 | 0.07 | +0.0% |
| 1925 | 0.07 | +0.0% |
| 1926 | 0.07 | +0.0% |
| 1927 | 0.07 | +0.0% |
| 1928 | 0.07 | +0.0% |
| 1929 | 0.07 | +0.0% |
| 1930 | 0.07 | +0.0% |
| 1931 | 0.07 | +0.0% |
| 1932 | 0.07 | +0.0% |
| 1933 | 0.07 | +0.0% |
| 1934 | 0.07 | +0.0% |
| 1935 | 0.07 | +0.0% |
| 1936 | 0.07 | +0.0% |
| 1937 | 0.07 | +0.0% |
| 1938 | 0.07 | +0.0% |
| 1939 | 0.07 | +0.0% |
| 1940 | 0.07 | +0.0% |
| 1941 | 0.07 | +0.0% |
| 1942 | 0.07 | +0.0% |
| 1943 | 0.07 | +0.0% |
| 1944 | 0.07 | +0.0% |
| 1945 | 0.07 | +0.0% |
| 1946 | 0.07 | +0.0% |
| 1947 | 0.07 | +0.0% |
| 1948 | 0.07 | +0.0% |
| 1949 | 0.07 | +0.0% |
| 1950 | 0.073 | +4.3% |
| 1951 | 0.073 | +0.0% |
| 1952 | 0.073 | +0.0% |
| 1953 | 0.073 | +0.0% |
| 1954 | 0.073 | +0.0% |
| 1955 | 0.073 | +0.0% |
| 1956 | 0.073 | +0.0% |
| 1957 | 0.073 | +0.0% |
| 1958 | 0.073 | +0.0% |
| 1959 | 0.073 | +0.0% |
| 1960 | 0.073 | +0.0% |
| 1961 | 0.073 | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 0.073 | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 0.074 | +1.4% |
| 1964 | 0.096 | +29.7% |
| 1965 | 0.116 | +20.8% |
| 1966 | 0.118 | +1.7% |
| 1967 | 0.127 | +7.6% |
| 1968 | 0.134 | +5.5% |
| 1969 | 0.136 | +1.5% |
| 1970 | 0.136 | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 0.133 | -2.2% |
| 1972 | 0.132 | -0.8% |
| 1973 | 0.097 | -26.5% |
| 1974 | 0.08 | -17.5% |
| 1975 | 0.08 | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 0.081 | +1.3% |
| 1977 | 0.081 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 0.087 | +7.4% |
| 1979 | 0.108 | +24.1% |
| 1980 | 0.109 | +0.9% |
| 1981 | 0.109 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 0.109 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 0.109 | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 0.106 | -2.8% |
| 1985 | 0.106 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 0.106 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 0.106 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 0.105 | -0.9% |
| 1989 | 0.105 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 0.104 | -1.0% |
| 1991 | 0.104 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 0.104 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 0.104 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 0.099 | -4.8% |
| 1995 | 0.099 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 0.098 | -1.0% |
| 1997 | 0.098 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 0.095 | -3.1% |
| 1999 | 0.096 | +1.1% |
| 2000 | 0.097 | +1.0% |
| 2001 | 0.097 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.097 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 0.097 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 0.096 | -1.0% |
| 2005 | 0.096 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 0.096 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 0.095 | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 0.097 | +2.1% |
| 2009 | 0.097 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 0.094 | -3.1% |
| 2011 | 0.093 | -1.1% |
| 2012 | 0.093 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 0.097 | +4.3% |
| 2014 | 0.097 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 0.097 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 0.097 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 0.099 | +2.1% |
| 2018 | 0.115 | +16.2% |
| 2019 | 0.114 | -0.9% |
| 2020 | 0.115 | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 0.095 | -17.4% |
| 2022 | 0.097 | +2.1% |
| 2023 | 0.099 | +2.1% |
| 2024 | 0.101 | +2.0% |
| 2025 | 0.097 | -4.0% |
Eswatini compared with similar countries
- Eswatini's 0.097 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.203, 48% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Eswatini's 0.097 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.17, 57% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0.0669 | 0.066 | 0.068 | 10 |
| 1910s | 0.068 | 0.068 | 0.068 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.0699 | 0.069 | 0.07 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.07 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.07 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.073 | 0.073 | 0.073 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.102 | 0.073 | 0.136 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.1015 | 0.08 | 0.136 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.107 | 0.105 | 0.109 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.1001 | 0.095 | 0.104 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.0965 | 0.095 | 0.097 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0996 | 0.093 | 0.115 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1007 | 0.095 | 0.115 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Eswatini
More social development data for Eswatini
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1,414 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 220 (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 0.0002 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 220 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0011 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 key features of liberal democracy in Eswatini?
- Key features of liberal democracy in Eswatini was 0.097 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest key features of liberal democracy recorded in Eswatini?
- The highest recorded value was 0.136 in 1969.
- What is the lowest key features of liberal democracy recorded in Eswatini?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.066 in 1900.
- How does Eswatini rank for key features of liberal democracy?
- Eswatini ranks 145th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
- Is key features of liberal democracy rising or falling in Eswatini?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Eswatini data come from?
- The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Key features of liberal democracy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 126 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Central estimate of the extent of suffrage, the freedom and fairness of elections, freedoms of association and expression, individual and minority rights, equality before the law, and executive constraints.