Which has higher liberal democracy index, Netherlands or Spain?

Netherlands, at 0.774 against 0.741 in Spain as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for Netherlands and Spain?

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.

Netherlands vs Spain: Liberal Democracy Index

Netherlands

0.774

in 2025

Spain

0.741

in 2025

Netherlands rank

18th

Spain rank

21st

Liberal Democracy Index over time

Netherlands
Spain

How they compare

Netherlands currently reports 0.774 against 0.741 in Spain, a difference of 0.033.

The two have swapped places 8 times across 235 shared years of data; in 1789 it was Netherlands ahead.

Netherlands ranks 18th and Spain ranks 21st of 176 countries.

Across the 25 decades both report, Netherlands averaged higher in 24 and Spain in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Netherlands	Spain	Difference	Ahead
1780s	0.072	0.07	0.002	Netherlands
1790s	0.074	0.07	0.004	Netherlands
1800s	0.0793	0.0704	0.0089	Netherlands
1810s	0.1206	0.0948	0.0258	Netherlands
1820s	0.158	0.109	0.049	Netherlands
1830s	0.1596	0.1165	0.0431	Netherlands
1840s	0.1983	0.1339	0.0644	Netherlands
1850s	0.3678	0.1343	0.2335	Netherlands
1860s	0.3695	0.1401	0.2294	Netherlands
1870s	0.3703	0.1687	0.2016	Netherlands
1880s	0.3758	0.1525	0.2233	Netherlands
1890s	0.4026	0.1636	0.239	Netherlands
1900s	0.4206	0.1638	0.2568	Netherlands
1910s	0.44	0.1624	0.2776	Netherlands
1920s	0.6477	0.1093	0.5384	Netherlands
1930s	0.6496	0.2732	0.3764	Netherlands
1940s	0.3388	0.055	0.2838	Netherlands
1950s	0.7146	0.061	0.6536	Netherlands
1960s	0.7486	0.0673	0.6813	Netherlands
1970s	0.7915	0.228	0.5635	Netherlands
1980s	0.8125	0.8014	0.0111	Netherlands
1990s	0.8114	0.8167	0.0053	Spain
2000s	0.8144	0.8126	0.0018	Netherlands
2010s	0.8285	0.7859	0.0426	Netherlands
2020s	0.7923	0.7643	0.028	Netherlands

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher liberal democracy index, Netherlands or Spain?: Netherlands, at 0.774 against 0.741 in Spain as of 2025.
What is the difference in liberal democracy index between Netherlands and Spain?: 0.033, with Netherlands ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Netherlands and Spain?: 235 years are reported by both, from 1789 to 2025.
How do Netherlands and Spain rank globally for liberal democracy index?: Netherlands ranks 18th and Spain ranks 21st 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.

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Netherlands vs Spain: Liberal Democracy Index. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 08 November 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/compare/liberal-democracy-index/netherlands/spain/

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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: 30 October 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.