What is democracy in Malawi?

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

What is the highest democracy recorded in Malawi?

The highest recorded value was 2 in 1994.

What is the lowest democracy recorded in Malawi?

The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1964.

How does Malawi rank for democracy?

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

Is democracy rising or falling in Malawi?

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

Where does this Malawi 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 Malawi

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

Malawi: Democracy was 2 in 2018. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2018)

Change on year

unchanged

World rank

1st

of 167 countries

All-time high

in 1994

All-time low

in 1964

Years of data

1964–2018

Democracy in Malawi, 1964–2018

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

Analysis

Malawi recorded 2 for democracy in 2018. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.

That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.

Over the whole period, democracy in Malawi peaked at 2 in 1994 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1964.

That places Malawi 1st out of 167 countries with data for 2018, putting it 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	0	0	6
1970s	0	0	0	10
1980s	0	0	0	10
1990s	1.2	0	2	10
2000s	1.7	1	2	10
2010s	2	2	2	9

Countries ranked near Malawi

See the full ranking of 168 places →

More reference data data for Malawi

Spring temperature anomalies -0.0372 °C (2026)
Summer temperature anomalies 0.606 °C (2026)
Temperature anomalies by month 0.3659 °C (2026)
Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
Autumn temperature anomalies 0.9529 °C (2025)
Winter temperature anomalies -0.5269 °C (2025)
Consumer price index 1,313 2010 = 100 (2025)
Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
Competitive elections 1 (2025)
Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)

All data for Malawi →

Frequently asked questions

What is democracy in Malawi?: Democracy in Malawi was 2 in 2018, according to Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest democracy recorded in Malawi?: The highest recorded value was 2 in 1994.
What is the lowest democracy recorded in Malawi?: The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1964.
How does Malawi rank for democracy?: Malawi ranks 1st out of 167 countries with data for 2018.
Is democracy rising or falling in Malawi?: Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Malawi 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 — 55 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).