Electoral Democracies in Sub-Saharan Africa
Freedom House's criteria for designation as an Electoral Democracy
1. A competitive, multiparty
political system.
2. Universal adult suffrage
for all citizens (with exceptions for restrictions that states may legitimately place on citizens as sanctions for criminal
offenses).
3. Regularly contested
elections conducted in conditions of ballot secrecy, reasonable ballot security, and the absence of massive voter fraud that
yields results that are unrepresentative of the public will.
4. Significant public
access of major political parties to the electorate through the media and through generally open political campaigning.
Additional Note:
The presence of certain irregularities during the electoral process does not automatically disqualify a country from being
designated an electoral democracy. A country cannot be an electoral democracy if significant authority for national decisions
resides in the hands of an unelected power, whether a monarch or a foreign or international authority. A country is removed
from the ranks of electoral democracies if its last national elections were not sufficiently free or fair, or if changes in
law significantly eroded the public's opportunity for electoral choice.
Year-by-Year Summary
|
1989-1990 |
Number of Electoral Democracies: 3 Countries
"Free" Electoral Democracies: 3 Countries
Botswana, The Gambia, and Mauritius.
"Partly Free" Electoral Democracies: None |
|
1990-1991 |
Number of Electoral Democracies: 4 Countries (+1 from
the previous year)
Additions: Namibia
Removals: None
"Free" Electoral Democracies: 4 Countries (+1 from the previous year)
Botswana, The Gambia, Mauritius, and Namibia.
"Partly Free" Electoral Democracies: None |
|
1991-1992 |
|
Number of Electoral Democracies:
8 Countries (+4 from the previous year)
Additions: Benin, Cape Verde,
São Tomé & Príncipe, and Zambia
Removals: None
"Free" Electoral Democracies: 8 Countries
(+4 from the previous year)
Benin, Botswana, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Mauritius, Namibia,
São Tomé & Príncipe, and Zambia.
"Partly Free" Electoral Democracies: None |
|
1992-1993 |
|
Number of Electoral Democracies: 10 Countries (+2
from the previous year)
Additions: Congo-Brazzaville and Mali
Removals: None
"Free" Electoral
Democracies: 9 Countries (+1 from the previous year)
Benin, Botswana, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Mali, Mauritius, Namibia,
São Tomé & Príncipe, and Zambia.
"Partly Free"
Electoral Democracies: 1 Country (+1 from the previous year)
Congo-Brazzaville
|
|
1993-1994 |
|
Number of Electoral Democracies: 15 (+5 from
the previous year)
Additions: Central African Republic, Lesotho,
Madagascar, Niger, and Seychelles
Removals: None
"Free" Electoral Democracies: 8 Countries (-1 from the
previous year)
Benin, Botswana, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Mali, Mauritius, Namibia,
and São Tomé & Príncipe.
"Partly Free" Electoral Democracies: 7 Countries (+6
from the previous year)
Central African Republic, Congo-Brazzaville, Lesotho, Madagascar,
Niger, Seychelles, and Zambia. |
|
1994-1995 |
|
Number of Electoral Democracies: 18 Countries (+3 from the previous year)
Additions: Guinea-Bissau, Malawi, Mozambique, and South Africa
Removals: The Gambia
"Free" Electoral Democracies: 8 Countries
(unchanged from the previous year)
Benin, Botswana, Cape Verde, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia,
São Tomé & Príncipe, and South Africa.
"Partly Free" Electoral Democracies: 10
Countries (+3 from the previous year)
Central African Republic, Congo-Brazzaville, Guinea-Bissau,
Lesotho, Madagascar, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Seychelles, and Zambia. |
|
1995-1996 |
Number
of Electoral Democracies: 18 Countries (unchanged from the previous year)
Additions: None
Removals: None
"Free" Electoral Democracies: 9 Countries (+1 from the previous year)
Benin, Botswana, Cape
Verde, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Namibia, São Tomé & Príncipe, and South Africa.
Partly Free Democracies: 9 Countries (-1 from the previous year)
Central African Republic,
Congo-Brazzaville, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mozambique, Niger, Seychelles, and Zambia. |
|
1996-1997 |
Number of Electoral Democracies:
18 Countries (unchanged from the previous year)
Additions: Ghana and Sierra Leone
Removals: Niger and Zambia
"Free" Electoral Democracies: 9 Countries (unchanged
from the previous year)
Benin, Botswana, Cape Verde, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius,
Namibia, São Tomé & Príncipe, and South Africa.
"Partly Free" Electoral Democracies: 9 Countries
(unchanged from the previous year)
Central African Republic, Congo-Brazzaville, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau,
Lesotho, Madagascar, Mozambique, Seychelles, and Sierra Leone. |
|
1997-1998 |
Number of Electoral Democracies:
17 Countries (-1 from the previous year)
Additions: Liberia
Removals: Congo-Brazzaville and Sierra
Leone
"Free" Electoral Democracies: 9 Countries (unchanged
from the previous year)
Benin, Botswana, Cape Verde, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius,
Namibia, São Tomé & Príncipe, and South Africa.
"Partly Free" Electoral Democracies: 8
Countries (-1 from the previous year)
Central African Republic, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Mozambique, and Seychelles. |
|
1998-1999 |
Number
of Electoral Democracies: 17 Countries (unchanged from the previous year)
Additions:
Sierra Leone
Removals: Lesotho
"Free" Electoral Democracies: 9 Countries (unchanged from the previous
year)
Benin, Botswana, Cape
Verde, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Namibia, São Tomé & Príncipe, and South Africa.
"Partly Free" Electoral Democracies: 8 Countries (unchanged from the previous year)
Central African Republic, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Madagascar,
Mozambique, Seychelles, and Sierra Leone. |
|
1999-2000 |
Number of Electoral Democracies:
20 Countries (+3 from the previous year)
Additions: Djibouti, Niger, and Nigeria
Removals: None
"Free" Electoral Democracies: 8 Countries (-1
from the previous year)
Benin, Botswana, Cape Verde, Mali, Mauritius, Namibia,
São Tomé & Príncipe, and South Africa.
"Partly Free" Electoral Democracies: 12
Countries (+4 from the previous year)
Central African Republic, Djibouti, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Niger,
Nigeria, Seychelles, and Sierra Leone. |
|
2000-2001 |
Number of Electoral Democracies:
21 Countries (+1 from the previous year)
Additions: Senegal
Removals: None
"Free" Electoral Democracies: 9 Countries (+1
from the previous year)
Benin, Botswana, Cape Verde, Ghana, Mali, Mauritius,
Namibia, São Tomé & Príncipe, and South Africa.
"Partly Free" Electoral Democracies: 12
Countries (unchanged from the previous year)
Central African Republic, Djibouti, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi,
Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Seychelles, and Sierra Leone. |
|
2001-2002 |
Number
of Electoral Democracies: 20 Countries (-1 from the previous year)
Additions:
The Gambia
Removals:
Central African Republic and Liberia
"Free" Electoral Democracies: 9 Countries (unchanged from the previous
year)
Benin, Botswana, Cape
Verde, Ghana, Mali, Mauritius, Namibia, São Tomé & Príncipe, and South Africa.
"Partly Free" Electoral Democracies: 11 Countries (-1 from the previous year)
Djibouti, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar,
Malawi, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Seychelles, and Sierra Leone. |
|
2002-2003 |
Number of Electoral Democracies:
20 Countries (unchanged from the previous year)
Additions: Kenya and Lesotho
Removals: Djibouti and The Gambia
"Free" Electoral Democracies: 11 Countries (+2
from the previous year)
Benin, Botswana, Cape Verde, Ghana, Lesotho, Mali, Mauritius,
Namibia, São Tomé & Príncipe, Senegal, and South Africa.
"Partly Free" Electoral Democracies: 9 Countries
(-2 from the previous year)
Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Seychelles,
and Sierra Leone. |
|
2003-2004 |
Number of Electoral Democracies:
19 Countries (-1 from the previous year)
Additions: None
Removals: Guinea-Bissau
"Free" Electoral Democracies: 11 Countries (unchanged
from the previous year)
Benin, Botswana, Cape Verde, Ghana, Lesotho, Mali, Mauritius,
Namibia, São Tomé & Príncipe, Senegal, and South Africa.
"Partly Free" Electoral Democracies: 8 Countries
(-1 from the previous year)
Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Seychelles, and Sierra Leone. |
|
2004-2005 |
Number
of Electoral Democracies: 20 Countries (+1 from the previous year)
Additions:
Comoros
Removals:
None
"Free"
Electoral Democracies: 11 Countries (unchanged from the previous year)
Benin, Botswana, Cape
Verde, Ghana, Lesotho, Mali, Mauritius, Namibia, São Tomé & Príncipe, Senegal, and South Africa.
"Partly Free" Electoral Democracies: 9 Countries (+1 from the previous year)
Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique,
Niger, Nigeria, Seychelles, and Sierra Leone. |
|
2005-2006 |
Number of Electoral Democracies:
24 Countries (+4 from the previous year)
Additions: Burundi, Central African
Republic, Guinea-Bissau, and Liberia
Removals: None
"Free" Electoral Democracies: 11 Countries (unchanged
from the previous year)
Benin, Botswana, Cape Verde, Ghana, Lesotho, Mali, Mauritius,
Namibia, São Tomé & Príncipe, Senegal, and South Africa.
"Partly Free" Electoral Democracies: 13
Countries (+4 from the previous year)
Burundi, Central African Republic, Comoros, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar,
Malawi, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Seychelles, and Sierra Leone. |
|
2006-2007 |
Number of Electoral Democracies:
24 Countries (unchanged from the previous year)
Additions: Zambia
Removals: Nigeria
"Free" Electoral Democracies: 11 Countries (unchanged
from the previous year)
Benin, Botswana, Cape Verde, Ghana, Lesotho, Mali, Mauritius,
Namibia, São Tomé & Príncipe, Senegal, and South Africa.
"Partly Free" Electoral Democracies: 13
Countries (unchanged from the previous year)
Burundi, Central African Republic, Comoros, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar,
Malawi, Mozambique, Niger, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, and Zambia. |
|
2007-2008 |
Number
of Electoral Democracies: 24 Countries (unchanged from the previous year)
Additions:
Mauritania
Removals:
Kenya
"Free" Electoral Democracies: 11 Countries (unchanged from the previous year)
Benin, Botswana, Cape
Verde, Ghana, Lesotho, Mali, Mauritius, Namibia, São Tomé & Príncipe, Senegal, and South Africa.
"Partly Free" Electoral Democracies: 13 Countries (unchanged from the previous year)
Burundi, Central African Republic, Comoros, Guinea-Bissau,
Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, and Zambia. |
|
2008-2009 |
Number of Electoral Democracies:
22 Countries (-2 from the previous year)
Additions: None
Removals: Central African Republic and
Mauritania
"Free" Electoral Democracies: 10 Countries (-1
from the previous year)
Benin, Botswana, Cape Verde, Ghana, Lesotho, Mali, Mauritius,
Namibia, São Tomé & Príncipe, and South Africa.
"Partly Free" Electoral Democracies: 12
Countries (-1 from the previous year)
Burundi, Comoros, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Niger,
Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, and Zambia. |
|
2009-2010 |
Number of Electoral Democracies:
19 Countries (-3 from the previous year)
Additions: None
Removals: Madagascar, Mozambique, and
Niger
"Free" Electoral Democracies: 9 Countries (-1
from the previous year)
Benin, Botswana, Cape Verde, Ghana, Mali, Mauritius,
Namibia, São Tomé & Príncipe, and South Africa.
"Partly Free" Electoral Democracies: 10
Countries (-2 from the previous year)
Burundi, Comoros, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Senegal, Seychelles,
Sierra Leone, and Zambia. |
|
2010-2011 |
Number
of Electoral Democracies: 18 Countries (-1 from the previous year)
Additions:
Tanzania
Removals:
Burundi and Guinea-Bissau
"Free" Electoral Democracies: 9 Countries (unchanged from the previous year)
Benin, Botswana, Cape
Verde, Ghana, Mali, Mauritius, Namibia, São Tomé & Príncipe, and South Africa.
"Partly Free" Electoral Democracies: 9 Countries (-1 from the previous
year)
Comoros, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Senegal, Seychelles,
Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and Zambia. |
|
2011-2012 |
Number of Electoral Democracies:
19 Countries (+1 from the previous year)
Additions: Niger
Removals: None
"Free" Electoral Democracies: 9 Countries
(unchanged from the previous year)
Benin, Botswana, Cape Verde, Ghana, Mali, Mauritius, Namibia, São Tomé & Príncipe,
and South Africa.
"Partly Free" Electoral Democracies: 10
Countries (+1 from the previous year)
Comoros, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Niger, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Tanzania,
and Zambia. |
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Freedom in Africa |
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Electoral Democracies (1989-present) |
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