Which has higher liberal democracy index, Australia or Belgium?

Belgium, at 0.794 against 0.793 in Australia as of 2025.

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

235 years are reported by both, from 1789 to 2025.

Where does this data come from?

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

Australia vs Belgium: Liberal Democracy Index

Australia

0.793

in 2025

Belgium

0.794

in 2025

Australia rank

12th

Belgium rank

10th

Liberal Democracy Index over time

Australia
Belgium

How they compare

Belgium currently reports 0.794 against 0.793 in Australia, a difference of 0.001.

The two have swapped places 6 times across 235 shared years of data; in 1789 it was Belgium ahead.

Australia ranks 12th and Belgium ranks 10th of 176 countries.

Across the 25 decades both report, Australia averaged higher in 16 and Belgium in 9.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Australia	Belgium	Difference	Ahead
1780s	0.087	0.101	0.014	Belgium
1790s	0.0865	0.1489	0.0624	Belgium
1800s	0.087	0.1028	0.0158	Belgium
1810s	0.09	0.1267	0.0367	Belgium
1820s	0.1546	0.158	0.0034	Belgium
1830s	0.199	0.2775	0.0785	Belgium
1840s	0.2596	0.3277	0.0681	Belgium
1850s	0.3549	0.3345	0.0204	Australia
1860s	0.5086	0.3348	0.1738	Australia
1870s	0.5085	0.3401	0.1684	Australia
1880s	0.5085	0.3472	0.1613	Australia
1890s	0.5067	0.3985	0.1082	Australia
1900s	0.6856	0.4427	0.2429	Australia
1910s	0.6788	0.2864	0.3924	Australia
1920s	0.7198	0.4375	0.2823	Australia
1930s	0.7189	0.4443	0.2746	Australia
1940s	0.7072	0.3131	0.3941	Australia
1950s	0.7639	0.6442	0.1197	Australia
1960s	0.7835	0.7585	0.025	Australia
1970s	0.8122	0.7706	0.0416	Australia
1980s	0.8395	0.7813	0.0582	Australia
1990s	0.8471	0.8084	0.0387	Australia
2000s	0.8418	0.8199	0.0219	Australia
2010s	0.8289	0.8364	0.0075	Belgium
2020s	0.7923	0.817	0.0247	Belgium

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher liberal democracy index, Australia or Belgium?: Belgium, at 0.794 against 0.793 in Australia as of 2025.
What is the difference in liberal democracy index between Australia and Belgium?: 0.001, with Belgium ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and Belgium?: 235 years are reported by both, from 1789 to 2025.
How do Australia and Belgium rank globally for liberal democracy index?: Australia ranks 12th and Belgium ranks 10th of 176 countries.
Where does this data come from?: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Liberal Democracy Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator: Liberal Democracy Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 28,671 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

Central estimate of the extent of suffrage, the freedom and fairness of elections, freedoms of association and expression, individual and minority rights, equality before the law, and executive constraints.