Which has higher freedom of expression index, Belgium or Switzerland?

Belgium, at 0.969 against 0.967 in Switzerland as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for Belgium and Switzerland?

228 years are reported by both, from 1798 to 2025.

Where does this data come from?

V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Freedom of Expression Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Belgium vs Switzerland: Freedom of Expression Index

Belgium

0.969

in 2025

Switzerland

0.967

in 2025

Belgium rank

3rd

Switzerland rank

5th

Freedom of Expression Index over time

Belgium
Switzerland

How they compare

Belgium currently reports 0.969 against 0.967 in Switzerland, a difference of 0.002.

The two have swapped places 6 times across 228 shared years of data; in 1798 it was Belgium ahead.

Belgium ranks 3rd and Switzerland ranks 5th of 176 countries.

Across the 24 decades both report, Belgium averaged higher in 1 and Switzerland in 23.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Belgium	Switzerland	Difference	Ahead
1790s	0.6795	0.602	0.0775	Belgium
1800s	0.169	0.602	0.433	Switzerland
1810s	0.3041	0.602	0.2979	Switzerland
1820s	0.464	0.602	0.138	Switzerland
1830s	0.7844	0.7919	0.0075	Switzerland
1840s	0.82	0.8242	0.0042	Switzerland
1850s	0.82	0.925	0.105	Switzerland
1860s	0.82	0.925	0.105	Switzerland
1870s	0.82	0.925	0.105	Switzerland
1880s	0.8084	0.925	0.1166	Switzerland
1890s	0.8132	0.925	0.1118	Switzerland
1900s	0.852	0.928	0.076	Switzerland
1910s	0.6778	0.923	0.2452	Switzerland
1920s	0.843	0.917	0.074	Switzerland
1930s	0.843	0.916	0.073	Switzerland
1940s	0.6428	0.9195	0.2767	Switzerland
1950s	0.931	0.936	0.005	Switzerland
1960s	0.924	0.946	0.022	Switzerland
1970s	0.9374	0.95	0.0126	Switzerland
1980s	0.944	0.9505	0.0065	Switzerland
1990s	0.9705	0.9776	0.0071	Switzerland
2000s	0.9739	0.978	0.0041	Switzerland
2010s	0.9761	0.978	0.0019	Switzerland
2020s	0.9677	0.9713	0.0037	Switzerland

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher freedom of expression index, Belgium or Switzerland?: Belgium, at 0.969 against 0.967 in Switzerland as of 2025.
What is the difference in freedom of expression index between Belgium and Switzerland?: 0.002, with Belgium ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Belgium and Switzerland?: 228 years are reported by both, from 1798 to 2025.
How do Belgium and Switzerland rank globally for freedom of expression index?: Belgium ranks 3rd and Switzerland ranks 5th of 176 countries.
Where does this data come from?: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Freedom of Expression Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Belgium vs Switzerland: Freedom of Expression Index. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 07 November 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/compare/freedom-of-expression-index/belgium/switzerland/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://social-development.statizoid.com/compare/freedom-of-expression-index/belgium/switzerland/">Belgium vs Switzerland: Freedom of Expression Index</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator: Freedom of Expression Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 30,035 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 30 October 2026

Central estimate of the extent to which people can discuss political matters at home and in the public sphere, the press, and media are free and can present different political perspectives, and the freedom of academic and cultural expression.