What is democracy in El Salvador?

Democracy in El Salvador was 2 in 2018, according to Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest democracy recorded in El Salvador?

The highest recorded value was 2 in 1984.

What is the lowest democracy recorded in El Salvador?

The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1903.

How does El Salvador rank for democracy?

El Salvador ranks 1st out of 167 countries with data for 2018.

Is democracy rising or falling in El Salvador?

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

Where does this El Salvador data come from?

The figures come from Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Democracy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Democracy in El Salvador

Name: Democracy in El Salvador
Creator: Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

El Salvador: Democracy was 2 in 2018. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2018)

Change on year

unchanged

World rank

1st

of 167 countries

All-time high

in 1984

All-time low

in 1903

Years of data

175

1841–2018

Democracy in El Salvador, 1841–2018

Source: Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2018, democracy in El Salvador stood at 2. That is the highest value across all 175 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.

Over the whole period, democracy in El Salvador peaked at 2 in 1984 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1903.

El Salvador ranks 1st of 167 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
1840s	1	1	1	9
1850s	1	1	1	7
1860s	1	1	1	10
1870s	1	1	1	10
1880s	1	1	1	10
1890s	1	1	1	10
1900s	0.3	0	1	10
1910s	0	0	0	10
1920s	0	0	0	10
1930s	0	0	0	10
1940s	0	0	0	10
1950s	0	0	0	10
1960s	1	1	1	10
1970s	0.8	0	1	10
1980s	1.6	1	2	10
1990s	2	2	2	10
2000s	2	2	2	10
2010s	2	2	2	9

Countries ranked near El Salvador

See the full ranking of 168 places →

More reference data data for El Salvador

Spring temperature anomalies 0.9422 °C (2026)
Summer temperature anomalies 1.37 °C (2026)
Temperature anomalies by month 0.2746 °C (2026)
Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
Autumn temperature anomalies 1.03 °C (2025)
Winter temperature anomalies 1.22 °C (2025)
Consumer price index 129.31 2010 = 100 (2025)
Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
Competitive elections 0 (2025)
Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)

All data for El Salvador →

Frequently asked questions

What is democracy in El Salvador?: Democracy in El Salvador was 2 in 2018, according to Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest democracy recorded in El Salvador?: The highest recorded value was 2 in 1984.
What is the lowest democracy recorded in El Salvador?: The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1903.
How does El Salvador rank for democracy?: El Salvador ranks 1st out of 167 countries with data for 2018.
Is democracy rising or falling in El Salvador?: Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this El Salvador data come from?: The figures come from Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Democracy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 175 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

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: 07 August 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).