Statizoid

Democracy Index in Belgium

Belgium: Democracy Index was 8 in 2018. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2018)
8
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
52nd
of 168 countries
All-time high
10
in 1970
All-time low
-5
in 1830
Years of data
184
1830–2018

Democracy Index in Belgium, 1830–2018

-50510183019242018

Source: Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

Belgium recorded 8 for democracy index in 2018.

That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.

Over the whole period, democracy index in Belgium peaked at 10 in 1970 and was at its lowest, -5, in 1830.

That places Belgium 52nd out of 168 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Democracy Index in Belgium, year by year

Year Value Change
1830 -5 —
1831 -4 -20.0%
1832 -4 -0.0%
1833 -4 -0.0%
1834 -4 -0.0%
1835 -4 -0.0%
1836 -4 -0.0%
1837 -4 -0.0%
1838 -4 -0.0%
1839 -4 -0.0%
1840 -4 -0.0%
1841 -4 -0.0%
1842 -4 -0.0%
1843 -4 -0.0%
1844 -4 -0.0%
1845 -4 -0.0%
1846 -4 -0.0%
1847 4 -200.0%
1848 4 +0.0%
1849 4 +0.0%
1850 4 +0.0%
1851 4 +0.0%
1852 4 +0.0%
1853 4 +0.0%
1854 4 +0.0%
1855 4 +0.0%
1856 4 +0.0%
1857 4 +0.0%
1858 4 +0.0%
1859 4 +0.0%
1860 4 +0.0%
1861 4 +0.0%
1862 4 +0.0%
1863 4 +0.0%
1864 4 +0.0%
1865 4 +0.0%
1866 4 +0.0%
1867 4 +0.0%
1868 4 +0.0%
1869 4 +0.0%
1870 4 +0.0%
1871 4 +0.0%
1872 4 +0.0%
1873 4 +0.0%
1874 4 +0.0%
1875 4 +0.0%
1876 4 +0.0%
1877 4 +0.0%
1878 4 +0.0%
1879 4 +0.0%
1880 4 +0.0%
1881 4 +0.0%
1882 4 +0.0%
1883 4 +0.0%
1884 4 +0.0%
1885 4 +0.0%
1886 4 +0.0%
1887 4 +0.0%
1888 4 +0.0%
1889 4 +0.0%
1890 4 +0.0%
1891 4 +0.0%
1892 4 +0.0%
1893 4 +0.0%
1894 4 +0.0%
1895 4 +0.0%
1896 4 +0.0%
1897 4 +0.0%
1898 4 +0.0%
1899 4 +0.0%
1900 4 +0.0%
1901 4 +0.0%
1902 4 +0.0%
1903 4 +0.0%
1904 4 +0.0%
1905 4 +0.0%
1906 4 +0.0%
1907 4 +0.0%
1908 6 +50.0%
1909 6 +0.0%
1910 6 +0.0%
1911 6 +0.0%
1912 6 +0.0%
1913 6 +0.0%
1915 6 +0.0%
1916 6 +0.0%
1917 6 +0.0%
1918 6 +0.0%
1919 6 +0.0%
1920 6 +0.0%
1921 6 +0.0%
1922 6 +0.0%
1923 6 +0.0%
1924 6 +0.0%
1925 6 +0.0%
1926 6 +0.0%
1927 6 +0.0%
1928 6 +0.0%
1929 6 +0.0%
1930 6 +0.0%
1931 6 +0.0%
1932 6 +0.0%
1933 6 +0.0%
1934 6 +0.0%
1935 6 +0.0%
1936 6 +0.0%
1937 6 +0.0%
1938 6 +0.0%
1939 6 +0.0%
1944 8 +33.3%
1945 8 +0.0%
1946 8 +0.0%
1947 8 +0.0%
1948 8 +0.0%
1949 8 +0.0%
1950 8 +0.0%
1951 9 +12.5%
1952 9 +0.0%
1953 9 +0.0%
1954 9 +0.0%
1955 9 +0.0%
1956 9 +0.0%
1957 9 +0.0%
1958 9 +0.0%
1959 9 +0.0%
1960 9 +0.0%
1961 9 +0.0%
1962 9 +0.0%
1963 9 +0.0%
1964 9 +0.0%
1965 9 +0.0%
1966 9 +0.0%
1967 9 +0.0%
1968 9 +0.0%
1969 9 +0.0%
1970 10 +11.1%
1971 10 +0.0%
1972 10 +0.0%
1973 10 +0.0%
1974 10 +0.0%
1975 10 +0.0%
1976 10 +0.0%
1977 10 +0.0%
1978 10 +0.0%
1979 10 +0.0%
1980 10 +0.0%
1981 10 +0.0%
1982 10 +0.0%
1983 10 +0.0%
1984 10 +0.0%
1985 10 +0.0%
1986 10 +0.0%
1987 10 +0.0%
1988 10 +0.0%
1989 10 +0.0%
1990 10 +0.0%
1991 10 +0.0%
1992 10 +0.0%
1993 10 +0.0%
1994 10 +0.0%
1995 10 +0.0%
1996 10 +0.0%
1997 10 +0.0%
1998 10 +0.0%
1999 10 +0.0%
2000 10 +0.0%
2001 10 +0.0%
2002 10 +0.0%
2003 10 +0.0%
2004 10 +0.0%
2005 10 +0.0%
2006 10 +0.0%
2007 8 -20.0%
2008 8 +0.0%
2009 8 +0.0%
2010 8 +0.0%
2011 8 +0.0%
2012 8 +0.0%
2013 8 +0.0%
2014 8 +0.0%
2015 8 +0.0%
2016 8 +0.0%
2017 8 +0.0%
2018 8 +0.0%

Belgium compared with similar countries

  • Belgium's 8 is below the median for high income countries, which is 10, 80% of the median. (50 countries reporting)
  • Belgium's 8 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 9, 89% of the median. (47 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1830s -4.1 -5 -4 10
1840s -1.6 -4 4 10
1850s 4 4 4 10
1860s 4 4 4 10
1870s 4 4 4 10
1880s 4 4 4 10
1890s 4 4 4 10
1900s 4.4 4 6 10
1910s 6 6 6 9
1920s 6 6 6 10
1930s 6 6 6 10
1940s 8 8 8 6
1950s 8.9 8 9 10
1960s 9 9 9 10
1970s 10 10 10 10
1980s 10 10 10 10
1990s 10 10 10 10
2000s 9.4 8 10 10
2010s 8 8 8 9

Countries ranked near Belgium

  1. 52 Botswana 8 compare
  2. 52 Brazil 8 compare
  3. 52 East Timor 8 compare
  4. 52 El Salvador 8 compare
  5. 52 Ghana 8 compare
  6. 52 Guatemala 8 compare
  7. 52 Kyrgyzstan 8 compare
  8. 52 Latvia 8 compare
  9. 52 Lesotho 8 compare
  10. 52 Mexico 8 compare
  11. 52 Myanmar 8 compare
  12. 52 Philippines 8 compare
  13. 52 Serbia 8 compare
  14. 52 Solomon Islands 8 compare
  15. 52 South Korea 8 compare
  16. 52 United Kingdom 8 compare

See the full ranking of 168 places →

More social development data for Belgium

All data for Belgium →

Frequently asked questions

What is democracy index in Belgium?
Democracy index in Belgium was 8 in 2018, according to Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest democracy index recorded in Belgium?
The highest recorded value was 10 in 1970.
What is the lowest democracy index recorded in Belgium?
The lowest recorded value was -5 in 1830.
How does Belgium rank for democracy index?
Belgium ranks 52nd out of 168 countries with data for 2018.
Is democracy index rising or falling in Belgium?
Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Belgium data come from?
The figures come from Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Democracy Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Democracy Index in Belgium. Statizoid, drawing on Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/democracy-index-polity/belgium/

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About this data

Indicator
Democracy Index
Source
Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
168 places, 18,392 data points, 1776–2020
Last refreshed

It combines information on the extent to which open, multi-party, and competitive elections choose a chief executive who faces comprehensive institutional constraints, and political participation is competitive. It ranges from -10 to 10 (fully democratic).