Which has higher democracy, Botswana or Iraq?

Botswana, at 2 against 2 in Iraq as of 2018.

How many years of comparable data are there for Botswana and Iraq?

46 years are reported by both, from 1966 to 2018.

Where does this data come from?

Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Democracy. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Botswana vs Iraq: Democracy

Botswana

in 2018

Iraq

in 2018

Botswana rank

1st

Iraq rank

1st

Democracy over time

Botswana
Iraq

How they compare

Botswana currently reports 2 against 2 in Iraq, a difference of 0.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 46 shared years of data; in 1966 it was Botswana ahead.

Botswana ranks 1st and Iraq ranks 1st of 168 countries.

Botswana has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Botswana	Iraq	Difference	Ahead
1960s	2	0.5	1.5	Botswana
1970s	2	0	2	Botswana
1980s	2	0	2	Botswana
1990s	2	0	2	Botswana
2000s	2	0	2	Botswana
2010s	2	1.56	0.4444	Botswana

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher democracy, Botswana or Iraq?: Botswana, at 2 against 2 in Iraq as of 2018.
What is the difference in democracy between Botswana and Iraq?: 0, with Botswana ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Botswana and Iraq?: 46 years are reported by both, from 1966 to 2018.
How do Botswana and Iraq rank globally for democracy?: Botswana ranks 1st and Iraq ranks 1st of 168 countries.
Where does this data come from?: Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Democracy. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Botswana vs Iraq: Democracy. Statizoid, drawing on Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/political-regime-polity/botswana/iraq/

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About this data

Indicator: Democracy
Source: Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 168 places, 18,392 data points, 1776–2020
Last refreshed: 18 September 2026

Identifies the political regime of a country using the Polity 5 data by the Center for Systemic Peace. It distinguishes between autocracies (score 0), anocracies (score 1), and democracies (score 2).