Combined polity score in Kenya
Kenya: Combined polity score was 8 in 2011. ◆ Volatile
Combined polity score in Kenya, 1963–2011
Source: Center for Systemic Peace, www.systemicpeace.org/polity/polity4.htm.
Analysis
In 2011, combined polity score in Kenya stood at 8. That is the highest value across all 49 years on record.
The figure is up 500.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, combined polity score in Kenya peaked at 8 in 2002 and was at its lowest, -7, in 1969.
Kenya ranks 5th of 51 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -0.1429 | -7 | 2 | 7 |
| 1970s | -6.9 | -7 | -6 | 10 |
| 1980s | -6.8 | -7 | -6 | 10 |
| 1990s | -4.3 | -7 | -2 | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.7 | -2 | 8 | 10 |
| 2010s | 8 | 8 | 8 | 2 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More reference data data for Kenya
- Spring temperature anomalies -1.09 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.7428 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.7503 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.5834 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 1.22 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 267.82 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is combined polity score in Kenya?
- Combined polity score in Kenya was 8 in 2011, according to Center for Systemic Peace, www.systemicpeace.org/polity/polity4.htm.
- What is the highest combined polity score recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 8 in 2002.
- What is the lowest combined polity score recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was -7 in 1969.
- How does Kenya rank for combined polity score?
- Kenya ranks 5th out of 51 countries with data for 2011.
- Is combined polity score rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 500.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from Center for Systemic Peace, www.systemicpeace.org/polity/polity4.htm, published as part of Combined polity score. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 49 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
The Combined Polity score is computed by subtracting the AUTOCRACY score (UPP.INS.AUTO.XQ) from the DEMOCRACY score (UPP.INS.DEMO.XQ); the resulting unified polity scale ranges from +10 (strongly democratic) to -10 (strongly autocratic). Note: The POLITY score was added to the Polity IV data series in recognition of its common usage by users in quantitative research and in the overriding interest of maintaining uniformity among users in this application. The simple combination of the original DEMOC and AUTOC index values in a unitary POLITY scale, in many ways, runs contrary to the original theory stated by Eckstein and Gurr in Patterns of Authority Polity IV Project: Dataset Users’ Manual 17 (1975) and, so, should be treated and interpreted with due caution. Its primary utility is in investigative research which should be augmented by more detailed analysis. The original theory posits that autocratic and democratic authority are distinct patterns of authority, elements of which may co-exist in any particular regime context. The inclusion of this variable in the data series should not be seen as an acceptance of the counter-proposal that autocracy and democracy are alternatives or opposites in a unified authority spectrum, even though elements of this perspective may be implied in the original theory. The POLITY variable provides a convenient avenue for examining general regime effects in analyses but researchers should note that the middle of the implied POLITY “spectrum” is somewhat muddled in terms of the original theory, masking various combinations of DEMOC and AUTOC scores with the same POLITY score. Investigations involving hypotheses of varying effects of democracy and/or autocracy should employ the original Polity scheme and test DEMOC and AUTOC separately.