Age of liberal democracy in Belgium
Belgium: Age of liberal democracy was 80 years in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
80 years
Change on year
up 1.3%
World rank
8th
of 47 countries
All-time high
80 years
in 2025
All-time low
1 years
in 1900
Years of data
113
1900–2025
Age of liberal democracy in Belgium, 1900–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2025, age of liberal democracy in Belgium stood at 80 years. That is the highest value across all 113 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.3% on the previous year and up 14.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age of liberal democracy in Belgium peaked at 80 years in 2025 and was at its lowest, 1 years, in 1900.
Belgium ranks 8th of 47 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Age of liberal democracy in Belgium, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 1 years | — |
| 1901 | 2 years | +100.0% |
| 1902 | 3 years | +50.0% |
| 1903 | 4 years | +33.3% |
| 1904 | 5 years | +25.0% |
| 1905 | 6 years | +20.0% |
| 1906 | 7 years | +16.7% |
| 1907 | 8 years | +14.3% |
| 1908 | 9 years | +12.5% |
| 1909 | 10 years | +11.1% |
| 1910 | 11 years | +10.0% |
| 1911 | 12 years | +9.1% |
| 1912 | 13 years | +8.3% |
| 1913 | 14 years | +7.7% |
| 1921 | 1 years | -92.9% |
| 1922 | 2 years | +100.0% |
| 1923 | 3 years | +50.0% |
| 1924 | 4 years | +33.3% |
| 1925 | 5 years | +25.0% |
| 1926 | 6 years | +20.0% |
| 1927 | 7 years | +16.7% |
| 1928 | 8 years | +14.3% |
| 1929 | 9 years | +12.5% |
| 1930 | 10 years | +11.1% |
| 1931 | 11 years | +10.0% |
| 1932 | 12 years | +9.1% |
| 1933 | 13 years | +8.3% |
| 1934 | 14 years | +7.7% |
| 1935 | 15 years | +7.1% |
| 1936 | 16 years | +6.7% |
| 1937 | 17 years | +6.2% |
| 1938 | 18 years | +5.9% |
| 1939 | 19 years | +5.6% |
| 1946 | 1 years | -94.7% |
| 1947 | 2 years | +100.0% |
| 1948 | 3 years | +50.0% |
| 1949 | 4 years | +33.3% |
| 1950 | 5 years | +25.0% |
| 1951 | 6 years | +20.0% |
| 1952 | 7 years | +16.7% |
| 1953 | 8 years | +14.3% |
| 1954 | 9 years | +12.5% |
| 1955 | 10 years | +11.1% |
| 1956 | 11 years | +10.0% |
| 1957 | 12 years | +9.1% |
| 1958 | 13 years | +8.3% |
| 1959 | 14 years | +7.7% |
| 1960 | 15 years | +7.1% |
| 1961 | 16 years | +6.7% |
| 1962 | 17 years | +6.2% |
| 1963 | 18 years | +5.9% |
| 1964 | 19 years | +5.6% |
| 1965 | 20 years | +5.3% |
| 1966 | 21 years | +5.0% |
| 1967 | 22 years | +4.8% |
| 1968 | 23 years | +4.5% |
| 1969 | 24 years | +4.3% |
| 1970 | 25 years | +4.2% |
| 1971 | 26 years | +4.0% |
| 1972 | 27 years | +3.8% |
| 1973 | 28 years | +3.7% |
| 1974 | 29 years | +3.6% |
| 1975 | 30 years | +3.4% |
| 1976 | 31 years | +3.3% |
| 1977 | 32 years | +3.2% |
| 1978 | 33 years | +3.1% |
| 1979 | 34 years | +3.0% |
| 1980 | 35 years | +2.9% |
| 1981 | 36 years | +2.9% |
| 1982 | 37 years | +2.8% |
| 1983 | 38 years | +2.7% |
| 1984 | 39 years | +2.6% |
| 1985 | 40 years | +2.6% |
| 1986 | 41 years | +2.5% |
| 1987 | 42 years | +2.4% |
| 1988 | 43 years | +2.4% |
| 1989 | 44 years | +2.3% |
| 1990 | 45 years | +2.3% |
| 1991 | 46 years | +2.2% |
| 1992 | 47 years | +2.2% |
| 1993 | 48 years | +2.1% |
| 1994 | 49 years | +2.1% |
| 1995 | 50 years | +2.0% |
| 1996 | 51 years | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 52 years | +2.0% |
| 1998 | 53 years | +1.9% |
| 1999 | 54 years | +1.9% |
| 2000 | 55 years | +1.9% |
| 2001 | 56 years | +1.8% |
| 2002 | 57 years | +1.8% |
| 2003 | 58 years | +1.8% |
| 2004 | 59 years | +1.7% |
| 2005 | 60 years | +1.7% |
| 2006 | 61 years | +1.7% |
| 2007 | 62 years | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 63 years | +1.6% |
| 2009 | 64 years | +1.6% |
| 2010 | 65 years | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 66 years | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 67 years | +1.5% |
| 2013 | 68 years | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 69 years | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 70 years | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 71 years | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 72 years | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 73 years | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 74 years | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 75 years | +1.4% |
| 2021 | 76 years | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 77 years | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 78 years | +1.3% |
| 2024 | 79 years | +1.3% |
| 2025 | 80 years | +1.3% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 80 years is above the median for high income countries, which is 45 years, 1.8× the median. (40 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 80 years is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 51 years, 1.6× the median. (28 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Age of liberal 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | -94.7% | 19 years | 1 years |
| 1921 | -92.9% | 14 years | 1 years |
| 1901 | +100.0% | 1 years | 2 years |
| 1922 | +100.0% | 1 years | 2 years |
| 1947 | +100.0% | 1 years | 2 years |
| 1902 | +50.0% | 2 years | 3 years |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 5.5 years | 1 years | 10 years | 10 |
| 1910s | 12.5 years | 11 years | 14 years | 4 |
| 1920s | 5 years | 1 years | 9 years | 9 |
| 1930s | 14.5 years | 10 years | 19 years | 10 |
| 1940s | 2.5 years | 1 years | 4 years | 4 |
| 1950s | 9.5 years | 5 years | 14 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 19.5 years | 15 years | 24 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 29.5 years | 25 years | 34 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 39.5 years | 35 years | 44 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 49.5 years | 45 years | 54 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 59.5 years | 55 years | 64 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 69.5 years | 65 years | 74 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 77.5 years | 75 years | 80 years | 6 |
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 liberal democracy in Belgium?
- Age of liberal democracy in Belgium was 80 years in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest age of liberal democracy recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 80 years in 2025.
- What is the lowest age of liberal democracy recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 1 years in 1900.
- How does Belgium rank for age of liberal democracy?
- Belgium ranks 8th out of 47 countries with data for 2025.
- Is age of liberal democracy rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Age of liberal democracy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 113 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of consecutive years in electoral democracy.