Which has higher participatory democracy index, Costa Rica or France?

Costa Rica, at 0.606 against 0.597 in France as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and France?

188 years are reported by both, from 1838 to 2025.

Where does this data come from?

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

Costa Rica vs France: Participatory Democracy Index

Costa Rica

0.606

in 2025

France

0.597

in 2025

Costa Rica rank

11th

France rank

12th

Participatory Democracy Index over time

Costa Rica
France

How they compare

Costa Rica currently reports 0.606 against 0.597 in France, a difference of 0.009.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 188 shared years of data; in 1838 it was France ahead.

Costa Rica ranks 11th and France ranks 12th of 176 countries.

Across the 20 decades both report, Costa Rica averaged higher in 3 and France in 17.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Costa Rica	France	Difference	Ahead
1830s	0.085	0.135	0.05	France
1840s	0.0893	0.1584	0.0691	France
1850s	0.0826	0.1404	0.0578	France
1860s	0.0829	0.1273	0.0444	France
1870s	0.1022	0.2582	0.156	France
1880s	0.1152	0.3127	0.1975	France
1890s	0.1309	0.3264	0.1955	France
1900s	0.1339	0.3421	0.2082	France
1910s	0.1382	0.3317	0.1935	France
1920s	0.1534	0.3475	0.1941	France
1930s	0.1563	0.3426	0.1863	France
1940s	0.1555	0.226	0.0705	France
1950s	0.4344	0.4979	0.0635	France
1960s	0.4707	0.5667	0.096	France
1970s	0.511	0.6142	0.1032	France
1980s	0.5925	0.6223	0.0298	France
1990s	0.6275	0.6477	0.0202	France
2000s	0.6609	0.6538	0.0071	Costa Rica
2010s	0.6804	0.6344	0.046	Costa Rica
2020s	0.626	0.6047	0.0213	Costa Rica

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher participatory democracy index, Costa Rica or France?: Costa Rica, at 0.606 against 0.597 in France as of 2025.
What is the difference in participatory democracy index between Costa Rica and France?: 0.009, with Costa Rica ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and France?: 188 years are reported by both, from 1838 to 2025.
How do Costa Rica and France rank globally for participatory democracy index?: Costa Rica ranks 11th and France ranks 12th of 176 countries.
Where does this data come from?: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Participatory Democracy Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Costa Rica vs France: Participatory 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/participatory-democracy-index/costa-rica/france/

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About this data

Indicator: Participatory Democracy Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 29,363 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, as well as the extent to which citizens can engage in regional and local government, civil society organizations, and direct democracy.