Which has higher participatory democracy index, France or Germany?

France, at 0.597 against 0.593 in Germany as of 2025.

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

191 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 Participatory Democracy Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

France vs Germany: Participatory Democracy Index

France

0.597

in 2025

Germany

0.593

in 2025

France rank

12th

Germany rank

15th

Participatory Democracy Index over time

France
Germany

How they compare

France currently reports 0.597 against 0.593 in Germany, a difference of 0.004.

The two have swapped places 14 times across 191 shared years of data; in 1789 it was France ahead.

France ranks 12th and Germany ranks 15th of 176 countries.

Across the 21 decades both report, France averaged higher in 18 and Germany in 3.

Head to head by decade

Decade	France	Germany	Difference	Ahead
1780s	0.094	0.03	0.064	France
1790s	0.1115	0.03	0.0815	France
1800s	0.0569	0.0314	0.0255	France
1810s	0.0566	0.04	0.0166	France
1820s	0.0565	0.04	0.0165	France
1830s	0.1257	0.04	0.0857	France
1840s	0.1584	0.0474	0.111	France
1850s	0.1404	0.075	0.0654	France
1860s	0.1273	0.0949	0.0324	France
1870s	0.2582	0.1442	0.114	France
1880s	0.3127	0.146	0.1667	France
1890s	0.3264	0.1588	0.1676	France
1900s	0.3421	0.1669	0.1752	France
1910s	0.3317	0.1863	0.1454	France
1920s	0.3475	0.4243	0.0768	Germany
1930s	0.3426	0.1574	0.1852	France
1940s	0.0778	0.0344	0.0434	France
1990s	0.6477	0.6474	0.0002	France
2000s	0.6538	0.6527	0.0011	France
2010s	0.6344	0.6444	0.01	Germany
2020s	0.6047	0.611	0.0063	Germany

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher participatory democracy index, France or Germany?: France, at 0.597 against 0.593 in Germany as of 2025.
What is the difference in participatory democracy index between France and Germany?: 0.004, with France ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for France and Germany?: 191 years are reported by both, from 1789 to 2025.
How do France and Germany rank globally for participatory democracy index?: France ranks 12th and Germany ranks 15th 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.

Individual pages

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: 07 August 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.