What is democracy in Uruguay?

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

What is the highest democracy recorded in Uruguay?

The highest recorded value was 2 in 1952.

What is the lowest democracy recorded in Uruguay?

The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1973.

How does Uruguay rank for democracy?

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

Is democracy rising or falling in Uruguay?

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

Where does this Uruguay 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 Uruguay

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

Uruguay: Democracy was 2 in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)

Change on year

unchanged

World rank

1st

of 167 countries

All-time high

in 1952

All-time low

in 1973

Years of data

189

1830–2018

Democracy in Uruguay, 1830–2018

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

Analysis

In 2018, democracy in Uruguay stood at 2. That is the highest value across all 189 years on record.

The figure is unchanged over ten years.

Over the whole period, democracy in Uruguay peaked at 2 in 1952 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1973.

That places Uruguay 1st out of 167 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 189 years of available data.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1830s	1	1	1	10
1840s	1	1	1	10
1850s	1	1	1	10
1860s	1	1	1	10
1870s	1	1	1	10
1880s	1	1	1	10
1890s	1	1	1	10
1900s	1	1	1	10
1910s	1	1	1	10
1920s	1	1	1	10
1930s	1	1	1	10
1940s	1	1	1	10
1950s	1.8	1	2	10
1960s	2	2	2	10
1970s	0.4	0	2	10
1980s	1	0	2	10
1990s	2	2	2	10
2000s	2	2	2	10
2010s	2	2	2	9

Countries ranked near Uruguay

See the full ranking of 168 places →

More reference data data for Uruguay

Spring temperature anomalies 0.4369 °C (2026)
Summer temperature anomalies -1.57 °C (2026)
Temperature anomalies by month -0.8785 °C (2026)
Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
Autumn temperature anomalies 0.1951 °C (2025)
Winter temperature anomalies 1.51 °C (2025)
Consumer price index 304.15 2010 = 100 (2025)
Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
Competitive elections 1 (2025)
Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)

All data for Uruguay →

Frequently asked questions

What is democracy in Uruguay?: Democracy in Uruguay was 2 in 2018, according to Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest democracy recorded in Uruguay?: The highest recorded value was 2 in 1952.
What is the lowest democracy recorded in Uruguay?: The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1973.
How does Uruguay rank for democracy?: Uruguay ranks 1st out of 167 countries with data for 2018.
Is democracy rising or falling in Uruguay?: Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Uruguay 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 — 189 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).