What is varieties of democracy in Ethiopia?

Varieties of democracy in Ethiopia was 0.257 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest varieties of democracy recorded in Ethiopia?

The highest recorded value was 0.329 in 2019.

What is the lowest varieties of democracy recorded in Ethiopia?

The lowest recorded value was 0.01 in 1789.

How does Ethiopia rank for varieties of democracy?

Ethiopia ranks 127th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is varieties of democracy rising or falling in Ethiopia?

Over the last ten years it is up 12.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this Ethiopia data come from?

The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Varieties of democracy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Varieties of democracy in Ethiopia

Name: Varieties of democracy in Ethiopia
Creator: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Ethiopia: Varieties of democracy was 0.257 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)

0.257

Change on year

down 1.2%

World rank

127th

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.329

in 2019

All-time low

0.01

in 1789

Years of data

237

1789–2025

Varieties of democracy in Ethiopia, 1789–2025

Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

Ethiopia recorded 0.257 for varieties of democracy in 2025.

That represents a change of down 1.2% on the previous year and up 12.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, varieties of democracy in Ethiopia peaked at 0.329 in 2019 and was at its lowest, 0.01, in 1789.

Ethiopia ranks 127th of 176 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

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

Varieties of democracy in Ethiopia, year by year

Annual values for Varieties of democracy in Ethiopia, 1789 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1789	0.01	—
1790	0.01	+0.0%
1791	0.01	+0.0%
1792	0.01	+0.0%
1793	0.01	+0.0%
1794	0.01	+0.0%
1795	0.01	+0.0%
1796	0.01	+0.0%
1797	0.01	+0.0%
1798	0.01	+0.0%
1799	0.01	+0.0%
1800	0.01	+0.0%
1801	0.01	+0.0%
1802	0.01	+0.0%
1803	0.01	+0.0%
1804	0.01	+0.0%
1805	0.01	+0.0%
1806	0.01	+0.0%
1807	0.01	+0.0%
1808	0.01	+0.0%
1809	0.01	+0.0%
1810	0.01	+0.0%
1811	0.01	+0.0%
1812	0.01	+0.0%
1813	0.01	+0.0%
1814	0.01	+0.0%
1815	0.01	+0.0%
1816	0.01	+0.0%
1817	0.01	+0.0%
1818	0.01	+0.0%
1819	0.01	+0.0%
1820	0.01	+0.0%
1821	0.01	+0.0%
1822	0.01	+0.0%
1823	0.01	+0.0%
1824	0.01	+0.0%
1825	0.01	+0.0%
1826	0.01	+0.0%
1827	0.01	+0.0%
1828	0.01	+0.0%
1829	0.01	+0.0%
1830	0.01	+0.0%
1831	0.01	+0.0%
1832	0.01	+0.0%
1833	0.01	+0.0%
1834	0.01	+0.0%
1835	0.01	+0.0%
1836	0.01	+0.0%
1837	0.01	+0.0%
1838	0.01	+0.0%
1839	0.01	+0.0%
1840	0.01	+0.0%
1841	0.01	+0.0%
1842	0.01	+0.0%
1843	0.01	+0.0%
1844	0.01	+0.0%
1845	0.01	+0.0%
1846	0.01	+0.0%
1847	0.01	+0.0%
1848	0.01	+0.0%
1849	0.01	+0.0%
1850	0.01	+0.0%
1851	0.01	+0.0%
1852	0.01	+0.0%
1853	0.01	+0.0%
1854	0.01	+0.0%
1855	0.01	+0.0%
1856	0.01	+0.0%
1857	0.01	+0.0%
1858	0.01	+0.0%
1859	0.01	+0.0%
1860	0.01	+0.0%
1861	0.01	+0.0%
1862	0.01	+0.0%
1863	0.01	+0.0%
1864	0.01	+0.0%
1865	0.01	+0.0%
1866	0.01	+0.0%
1867	0.01	+0.0%
1868	0.01	+0.0%
1869	0.01	+0.0%
1870	0.01	+0.0%
1871	0.01	+0.0%
1872	0.01	+0.0%
1873	0.01	+0.0%
1874	0.01	+0.0%
1875	0.01	+0.0%
1876	0.01	+0.0%
1877	0.01	+0.0%
1878	0.01	+0.0%
1879	0.01	+0.0%
1880	0.01	+0.0%
1881	0.01	+0.0%
1882	0.01	+0.0%
1883	0.01	+0.0%
1884	0.01	+0.0%
1885	0.01	+0.0%
1886	0.01	+0.0%
1887	0.01	+0.0%
1888	0.01	+0.0%
1889	0.01	+0.0%
1890	0.01	+0.0%
1891	0.01	+0.0%
1892	0.01	+0.0%
1893	0.01	+0.0%
1894	0.01	+0.0%
1895	0.01	+0.0%
1896	0.01	+0.0%
1897	0.01	+0.0%
1898	0.01	+0.0%
1899	0.01	+0.0%
1900	0.011	+10.0%
1901	0.011	+0.0%
1902	0.011	+0.0%
1903	0.011	+0.0%
1904	0.011	+0.0%
1905	0.011	+0.0%
1906	0.011	+0.0%
1907	0.011	+0.0%
1908	0.011	+0.0%
1909	0.011	+0.0%
1910	0.011	+0.0%
1911	0.011	+0.0%
1912	0.011	+0.0%
1913	0.011	+0.0%
1914	0.011	+0.0%
1915	0.011	+0.0%
1916	0.011	+0.0%
1917	0.011	+0.0%
1918	0.011	+0.0%
1919	0.011	+0.0%
1920	0.011	+0.0%
1921	0.011	+0.0%
1922	0.011	+0.0%
1923	0.011	+0.0%
1924	0.011	+0.0%
1925	0.011	+0.0%
1926	0.011	+0.0%
1927	0.011	+0.0%
1928	0.011	+0.0%
1929	0.011	+0.0%
1930	0.011	+0.0%
1931	0.011	+0.0%
1932	0.011	+0.0%
1933	0.011	+0.0%
1934	0.011	+0.0%
1935	0.011	+0.0%
1936	0.01	-9.1%
1937	0.01	+0.0%
1938	0.01	+0.0%
1939	0.01	+0.0%
1940	0.011	+10.0%
1941	0.011	+0.0%
1942	0.012	+9.1%
1943	0.012	+0.0%
1944	0.012	+0.0%
1945	0.014	+16.7%
1946	0.014	+0.0%
1947	0.014	+0.0%
1948	0.014	+0.0%
1949	0.014	+0.0%
1950	0.014	+0.0%
1951	0.014	+0.0%
1952	0.014	+0.0%
1953	0.014	+0.0%
1954	0.014	+0.0%
1955	0.03	+114.3%
1956	0.093	+210.0%
1957	0.093	+0.0%
1958	0.093	+0.0%
1959	0.093	+0.0%
1960	0.093	+0.0%
1961	0.093	+0.0%
1962	0.093	+0.0%
1963	0.093	+0.0%
1964	0.093	+0.0%
1965	0.093	+0.0%
1966	0.093	+0.0%
1967	0.093	+0.0%
1968	0.094	+1.1%
1969	0.094	+0.0%
1970	0.094	+0.0%
1971	0.094	+0.0%
1972	0.095	+1.1%
1973	0.095	+0.0%
1974	0.086	-9.5%
1975	0.077	-10.5%
1976	0.072	-6.5%
1977	0.072	+0.0%
1978	0.072	+0.0%
1979	0.072	+0.0%
1980	0.072	+0.0%
1981	0.072	+0.0%
1982	0.072	+0.0%
1983	0.072	+0.0%
1984	0.072	+0.0%
1985	0.072	+0.0%
1986	0.072	+0.0%
1987	0.099	+37.5%
1988	0.149	+50.5%
1989	0.149	+0.0%
1990	0.15	+0.7%
1991	0.203	+35.3%
1992	0.23	+13.3%
1993	0.23	+0.0%
1994	0.195	-15.2%
1995	0.223	+14.4%
1996	0.245	+9.9%
1997	0.245	+0.0%
1998	0.245	+0.0%
1999	0.245	+0.0%
2000	0.241	-1.6%
2001	0.241	+0.0%
2002	0.242	+0.4%
2003	0.242	+0.0%
2004	0.241	-0.4%
2005	0.256	+6.2%
2006	0.241	-5.9%
2007	0.244	+1.2%
2008	0.244	+0.0%
2009	0.244	+0.0%
2010	0.229	-6.1%
2011	0.223	-2.6%
2012	0.225	+0.9%
2013	0.223	-0.9%
2014	0.227	+1.8%
2015	0.228	+0.4%
2016	0.226	-0.9%
2017	0.228	+0.9%
2018	0.271	+18.9%
2019	0.329	+21.4%
2020	0.32	-2.7%
2021	0.29	-9.4%
2022	0.3	+3.4%
2023	0.279	-7.0%
2024	0.26	-6.8%
2025	0.257	-1.2%

Ethiopia compared with similar countries

Ethiopia's 0.257 is above the median for low income countries, which is 0.227, 1.1× the median. (25 countries reporting)
Ethiopia's 0.257 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.317, 81% of the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1780s	0.01	0.01	0.01	1
1790s	0.01	0.01	0.01	10
1800s	0.01	0.01	0.01	10
1810s	0.01	0.01	0.01	10
1820s	0.01	0.01	0.01	10
1830s	0.01	0.01	0.01	10
1840s	0.01	0.01	0.01	10
1850s	0.01	0.01	0.01	10
1860s	0.01	0.01	0.01	10
1870s	0.01	0.01	0.01	10
1880s	0.01	0.01	0.01	10
1890s	0.01	0.01	0.01	10
1900s	0.011	0.011	0.011	10
1910s	0.011	0.011	0.011	10
1920s	0.011	0.011	0.011	10
1930s	0.0106	0.01	0.011	10
1940s	0.0128	0.011	0.014	10
1950s	0.0472	0.014	0.093	10
1960s	0.0932	0.093	0.094	10
1970s	0.0829	0.072	0.095	10
1980s	0.0901	0.072	0.149	10
1990s	0.2211	0.15	0.245	10
2000s	0.2436	0.241	0.256	10
2010s	0.2409	0.223	0.329	10
2020s	0.2843	0.257	0.32	6

Countries ranked near Ethiopia

124 Cameroon 0.26 compare
125 Kazakhstan 0.259 compare
125 Morocco 0.259 compare
128 Uganda 0.253 compare
129 Guinea-Bissau 0.252 compare
130 Djibouti 0.25 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for Ethiopia

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1.01 million (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 164,215 (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 0.0012 units per person (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 164,215 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0075 units per person (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)

All data for Ethiopia →

Frequently asked questions

What is varieties of democracy in Ethiopia?: Varieties of democracy in Ethiopia was 0.257 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest varieties of democracy recorded in Ethiopia?: The highest recorded value was 0.329 in 2019.
What is the lowest varieties of democracy recorded in Ethiopia?: The lowest recorded value was 0.01 in 1789.
How does Ethiopia rank for varieties of democracy?: Ethiopia ranks 127th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is varieties of democracy rising or falling in Ethiopia?: Over the last ten years it is up 12.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Ethiopia data come from?: The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Varieties of democracy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 237 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Varieties of democracy in Ethiopia. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/varieties-democracy-vdem/ethiopia/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/varieties-democracy-vdem/ethiopia/">Varieties of democracy in Ethiopia</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator: Varieties of democracy
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 29,649 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 18 September 2026

Central estimate of the extent to which political leaders are elected under comprehensive suffrage in free and fair elections, and freedoms of association and expression are guaranteed.