Age of democracy in Belgium
Belgium: Age of democracy was 75 years in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2018)
75 years
Change on year
up 1.4%
World rank
9th
of 110 countries
All-time high
75 years
in 2018
All-time low
1 years
in 1908
Years of data
106
1908–2018
Age of democracy in Belgium, 1908–2018
Source: Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for age of democracy in Belgium is 75 years, measured in 2018. That is the highest value across all 106 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.4% on the previous year and up 15.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age of democracy in Belgium peaked at 75 years in 2018 and was at its lowest, 1 years, in 1908.
Belgium ranks 9th of 110 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Age of democracy in Belgium, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1908 | 1 years | — |
| 1909 | 2 years | +100.0% |
| 1910 | 3 years | +50.0% |
| 1911 | 4 years | +33.3% |
| 1912 | 5 years | +25.0% |
| 1913 | 6 years | +20.0% |
| 1915 | 1 years | -83.3% |
| 1916 | 2 years | +100.0% |
| 1917 | 3 years | +50.0% |
| 1918 | 4 years | +33.3% |
| 1919 | 5 years | +25.0% |
| 1920 | 6 years | +20.0% |
| 1921 | 7 years | +16.7% |
| 1922 | 8 years | +14.3% |
| 1923 | 9 years | +12.5% |
| 1924 | 10 years | +11.1% |
| 1925 | 11 years | +10.0% |
| 1926 | 12 years | +9.1% |
| 1927 | 13 years | +8.3% |
| 1928 | 14 years | +7.7% |
| 1929 | 15 years | +7.1% |
| 1930 | 16 years | +6.7% |
| 1931 | 17 years | +6.2% |
| 1932 | 18 years | +5.9% |
| 1933 | 19 years | +5.6% |
| 1934 | 20 years | +5.3% |
| 1935 | 21 years | +5.0% |
| 1936 | 22 years | +4.8% |
| 1937 | 23 years | +4.5% |
| 1938 | 24 years | +4.3% |
| 1939 | 25 years | +4.2% |
| 1944 | 1 years | -96.0% |
| 1945 | 2 years | +100.0% |
| 1946 | 3 years | +50.0% |
| 1947 | 4 years | +33.3% |
| 1948 | 5 years | +25.0% |
| 1949 | 6 years | +20.0% |
| 1950 | 7 years | +16.7% |
| 1951 | 8 years | +14.3% |
| 1952 | 9 years | +12.5% |
| 1953 | 10 years | +11.1% |
| 1954 | 11 years | +10.0% |
| 1955 | 12 years | +9.1% |
| 1956 | 13 years | +8.3% |
| 1957 | 14 years | +7.7% |
| 1958 | 15 years | +7.1% |
| 1959 | 16 years | +6.7% |
| 1960 | 17 years | +6.2% |
| 1961 | 18 years | +5.9% |
| 1962 | 19 years | +5.6% |
| 1963 | 20 years | +5.3% |
| 1964 | 21 years | +5.0% |
| 1965 | 22 years | +4.8% |
| 1966 | 23 years | +4.5% |
| 1967 | 24 years | +4.3% |
| 1968 | 25 years | +4.2% |
| 1969 | 26 years | +4.0% |
| 1970 | 27 years | +3.8% |
| 1971 | 28 years | +3.7% |
| 1972 | 29 years | +3.6% |
| 1973 | 30 years | +3.4% |
| 1974 | 31 years | +3.3% |
| 1975 | 32 years | +3.2% |
| 1976 | 33 years | +3.1% |
| 1977 | 34 years | +3.0% |
| 1978 | 35 years | +2.9% |
| 1979 | 36 years | +2.9% |
| 1980 | 37 years | +2.8% |
| 1981 | 38 years | +2.7% |
| 1982 | 39 years | +2.6% |
| 1983 | 40 years | +2.6% |
| 1984 | 41 years | +2.5% |
| 1985 | 42 years | +2.4% |
| 1986 | 43 years | +2.4% |
| 1987 | 44 years | +2.3% |
| 1988 | 45 years | +2.3% |
| 1989 | 46 years | +2.2% |
| 1990 | 47 years | +2.2% |
| 1991 | 48 years | +2.1% |
| 1992 | 49 years | +2.1% |
| 1993 | 50 years | +2.0% |
| 1994 | 51 years | +2.0% |
| 1995 | 52 years | +2.0% |
| 1996 | 53 years | +1.9% |
| 1997 | 54 years | +1.9% |
| 1998 | 55 years | +1.9% |
| 1999 | 56 years | +1.8% |
| 2000 | 57 years | +1.8% |
| 2001 | 58 years | +1.8% |
| 2002 | 59 years | +1.7% |
| 2003 | 60 years | +1.7% |
| 2004 | 61 years | +1.7% |
| 2005 | 62 years | +1.6% |
| 2006 | 63 years | +1.6% |
| 2007 | 64 years | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 65 years | +1.6% |
| 2009 | 66 years | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 67 years | +1.5% |
| 2011 | 68 years | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 69 years | +1.5% |
| 2013 | 70 years | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 71 years | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 72 years | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 73 years | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 74 years | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 75 years | +1.4% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 75 years is above the median for high income countries, which is 44 years, 1.7× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 75 years is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 29 years, 2.6× the median. (40 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Age of democracy in Belgium changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1944 | -96.0% | 25 years | 1 years |
| 1909 | +100.0% | 1 years | 2 years |
| 1916 | +100.0% | 1 years | 2 years |
| 1945 | +100.0% | 1 years | 2 years |
| 1915 | -83.3% | 6 years | 1 years |
| 1910 | +50.0% | 2 years | 3 years |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 1.5 years | 1 years | 2 years | 2 |
| 1910s | 3.67 years | 1 years | 6 years | 9 |
| 1920s | 10.5 years | 6 years | 15 years | 10 |
| 1930s | 20.5 years | 16 years | 25 years | 10 |
| 1940s | 3.5 years | 1 years | 6 years | 6 |
| 1950s | 11.5 years | 7 years | 16 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 21.5 years | 17 years | 26 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 31.5 years | 27 years | 36 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 41.5 years | 37 years | 46 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 51.5 years | 47 years | 56 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 61.5 years | 57 years | 66 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 71 years | 67 years | 75 years | 9 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
More social development data for Belgium
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 186,393 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 113 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 1 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 113 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0156 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age of democracy in Belgium?
- Age of democracy in Belgium was 75 years in 2018, according to Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest age of democracy recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 75 years in 2018.
- What is the lowest age of democracy recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 1 years in 1908.
- How does Belgium rank for age of democracy?
- Belgium ranks 9th out of 110 countries with data for 2018.
- Is age of democracy rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Age of democracy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 106 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of consecutive years in a democracy.