Costa Rica vs El Salvador: Elected Political Leaders Index
Costa Rica
1
in 2025
El Salvador
1
in 2025
Costa Rica rank
1st
El Salvador rank
1st
Elected Political Leaders Index over time
- Costa Rica
- El Salvador
How they compare
Costa Rica currently reports 1 against 1 in El Salvador, a difference of 0.
The two have swapped places 20 times across 188 shared years of data; in 1838 it was El Salvador ahead.
Costa Rica ranks 1st and El Salvador ranks 1st of 176 countries.
Across the 20 decades both report, Costa Rica averaged higher in 6 and El Salvador in 7.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Costa Rica | El Salvador | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1830s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1840s | 0.25 | 0.95 | 0.7 | El Salvador |
| 1850s | 0.675 | 1 | 0.325 | El Salvador |
| 1860s | 0.675 | 0.7 | 0.025 | El Salvador |
| 1870s | 0.675 | 0.8 | 0.125 | El Salvador |
| 1880s | 0.675 | 0.7 | 0.025 | El Salvador |
| 1890s | 0.75 | 0.7 | 0.05 | Costa Rica |
| 1900s | 0.5 | 1 | 0.5 | El Salvador |
| 1910s | 0.65 | 1 | 0.35 | El Salvador |
| 1920s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1930s | 1 | 0.9 | 0.1 | Costa Rica |
| 1940s | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.2 | Costa Rica |
| 1950s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1960s | 1 | 0.85 | 0.15 | Costa Rica |
| 1970s | 1 | 0.9 | 0.1 | Costa Rica |
| 1980s | 1 | 0.65 | 0.35 | Costa Rica |
| 1990s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2000s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2010s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2020s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher elected political leaders index, Costa Rica or El Salvador?
- Costa Rica, at 1 against 1 in El Salvador as of 2025.
- What is the difference in elected political leaders index between Costa Rica and El Salvador?
- 0, with Costa Rica ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and El Salvador?
- 188 years are reported by both, from 1838 to 2025.
- How do Costa Rica and El Salvador rank globally for elected political leaders index?
- Costa Rica ranks 1st and El Salvador ranks 1st of 176 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Elected Political Leaders Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Measures the extent to which the legislature is chosen through broad elections, and the chief executive is elected directly or indirectly (appointed by a popularly elected legislature).