Democratic change in Iraq
Iraq: Democratic change was 1 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
1
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
23rd
of 175 countries
All-time high
2
in 2003
All-time low
0
in 1958
Years of data
106
1920–2025
Democratic change in Iraq, 1920–2025
Source: Episodes of Regime Transformation (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, democratic change in Iraq stood at 1.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, democratic change in Iraq peaked at 2 in 2003 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1958.
That places Iraq 23rd out of 175 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 106 years of available data.
Democratic change in Iraq, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 1 | — |
| 1921 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1922 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1923 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1924 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1925 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1926 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1927 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1928 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1929 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1930 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1931 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1932 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1933 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1934 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1935 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1936 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1937 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1938 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1939 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1940 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1941 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1942 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1943 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1944 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1945 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1946 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1947 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1948 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1949 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1950 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1951 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1952 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1953 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1954 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1955 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1956 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1957 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1958 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 1959 | 0 | — |
| 1960 | 0 | — |
| 1961 | 0 | — |
| 1962 | 0 | — |
| 1963 | 0 | — |
| 1964 | 0 | — |
| 1965 | 0 | — |
| 1966 | 0 | — |
| 1967 | 0 | — |
| 1968 | 0 | — |
| 1969 | 1 | — |
| 1970 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 2 | +100.0% |
| 2004 | 2 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 2 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 2 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 2 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 1 | -50.0% |
| 2009 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 1 | +0.0% |
Iraq compared with similar countries
- Iraq's 1 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
- Iraq's 1 is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 1, 1.0× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| 1930s | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| 1940s | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.8 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.1 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| 1970s | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| 1980s | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| 1990s | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.5 | 1 | 2 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| 2020s | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iraq
- 23 Albania 1 compare
- 23 Algeria 1 compare
- 23 Angola 1 compare
- 23 Australia 1 compare
- 23 Austria 1 compare
- 23 Azerbaijan 1 compare
- 23 Bahrain 1 compare
- 23 Bangladesh 1 compare
- 23 Barbados 1 compare
- 23 Belgium 1 compare
- 23 Bhutan 1 compare
- 23 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1 compare
- 23 Bulgaria 1 compare
- 23 Burundi 1 compare
- 23 Cameroon 1 compare
- 23 Canada 1 compare
- 23 Cape Verde 1 compare
- 23 Chad 1 compare
- 23 Chile 1 compare
- 23 China 1 compare
- 23 Colombia 1 compare
- 23 Comoros 1 compare
- 23 Congo 1 compare
- 23 Costa Rica 1 compare
- 23 Cuba 1 compare
- 23 Cyprus 1 compare
- 23 Czechia 1 compare
- 23 Democratic Republic of Congo 1 compare
- 23 Denmark 1 compare
- 23 Djibouti 1 compare
- 23 Ecuador 1 compare
- 23 Egypt 1 compare
- 23 Equatorial Guinea 1 compare
- 23 Eritrea 1 compare
- 23 Estonia 1 compare
- 23 Eswatini 1 compare
- 23 Ethiopia 1 compare
- 23 Finland 1 compare
- 23 France 1 compare
- 23 Gabon 1 compare
- 23 Germany 1 compare
- 23 Ghana 1 compare
- 23 Iceland 1 compare
- 23 Iran 1 compare
- 23 Ireland 1 compare
- 23 Israel 1 compare
- 23 Jamaica 1 compare
- 23 Japan 1 compare
- 23 Jordan 1 compare
- 23 Kazakhstan 1 compare
- 23 Kenya 1 compare
- 23 Laos 1 compare
- 23 Latvia 1 compare
- 23 Lebanon 1 compare
- 23 Liberia 1 compare
- 23 Lithuania 1 compare
- 23 Luxembourg 1 compare
- 23 Malawi 1 compare
- 23 Malaysia 1 compare
- 23 Malta 1 compare
- 23 Mongolia 1 compare
- 23 Morocco 1 compare
- 23 Namibia 1 compare
- 23 Netherlands 1 compare
- 23 New Zealand 1 compare
- 23 Nigeria 1 compare
- 23 North Korea 1 compare
- 23 North Macedonia 1 compare
- 23 Norway 1 compare
- 23 Oman 1 compare
- 23 Palestine 1 compare
- 23 Panama 1 compare
- 23 Papua New Guinea 1 compare
- 23 Paraguay 1 compare
- 23 Portugal 1 compare
- 23 Qatar 1 compare
- 23 Russia 1 compare
- 23 Rwanda 1 compare
- 23 Sao Tome and Principe 1 compare
- 23 Saudi Arabia 1 compare
- 23 Sierra Leone 1 compare
- 23 Singapore 1 compare
- 23 Somalia 1 compare
- 23 South Africa 1 compare
- 23 South Korea 1 compare
- 23 South Sudan 1 compare
- 23 Spain 1 compare
- 23 Sudan 1 compare
- 23 Suriname 1 compare
- 23 Sweden 1 compare
- 23 Switzerland 1 compare
- 23 Syria 1 compare
- 23 Taiwan 1 compare
- 23 Tajikistan 1 compare
- 23 Tanzania 1 compare
- 23 Trinidad and Tobago 1 compare
- 23 Turkey 1 compare
- 23 Turkmenistan 1 compare
- 23 Uganda 1 compare
- 23 United Arab Emirates 1 compare
- 23 Uruguay 1 compare
- 23 Uzbekistan 1 compare
- 23 Vanuatu 1 compare
- 23 Venezuela 1 compare
- 23 Vietnam 1 compare
- 23 Yemen 1 compare
- 23 Zimbabwe 1 compare
More reference data data for Iraq
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.2116 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 3.19 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 7.23 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.3911 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 7.23 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.7096 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.235 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 13.21 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 30.36 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.13 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is democratic change in Iraq?
- Democratic change in Iraq was 1 in 2025, according to Episodes of Regime Transformation (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest democratic change recorded in Iraq?
- The highest recorded value was 2 in 2003.
- What is the lowest democratic change recorded in Iraq?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1958.
- How does Iraq rank for democratic change?
- Iraq ranks 23rd out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
- Is democratic change rising or falling in Iraq?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iraq data come from?
- The figures come from Episodes of Regime Transformation (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Democratic change. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 106 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Data by Episodes of Regime Transformation and V-Dem.