Political stability

Societies with political stability experience a decreased probability of encountering major political upheavals, civil unrest, or sudden changes in leadership. Political stability is essential for a nation's development, economic growth, and social unity. It enables long-term planning, investment, and prosperity, as businesses and citizens can rely on consistent governance and policies.

Measurement

The World Bank measures political stability within its Worldwide Governance Indicators developed by economist Daniel Kaufmann. The indicator also includes measurement of the absence of violence or terrorism.

This aims to capture perceptions of the likelihood that the government will be destabilized or overthrown by unconstitutional or violent means, including political violence or terrorism. This combines metrics from surveys and expert assessments from the World Bank and other institutions, such as NGOs, to produce a score by country and year. It does not measure the instability democracies may face with frequent elections or changes of government.