Democracy Index in Netherlands
Netherlands: Democracy Index was 10 in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Democracy Index in Netherlands, 1815–2018
Source: Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Netherlands recorded 10 for democracy index in 2018. That is the highest value across all 199 years on record.
That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, democracy index in Netherlands peaked at 10 in 1917 and was at its lowest, -7, in 1840.
That places Netherlands 1st out of 167 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1810s | -6 | -6 | -6 | 5 |
| 1820s | -6 | -6 | -6 | 10 |
| 1830s | -6 | -6 | -6 | 10 |
| 1840s | -6.3 | -7 | -3 | 10 |
| 1850s | -3 | -3 | -3 | 10 |
| 1860s | -3 | -3 | -3 | 10 |
| 1870s | -3 | -3 | -3 | 10 |
| 1880s | -2.9 | -3 | -2 | 10 |
| 1890s | -2 | -2 | -2 | 10 |
| 1900s | -2 | -2 | -2 | 10 |
| 1910s | 1.6 | -2 | 10 | 10 |
| 1920s | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| 1930s | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| 1940s | 10 | 10 | 10 | 5 |
| 1950s | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| 1960s | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| 1970s | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| 1980s | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| 1990s | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| 2000s | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| 2010s | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Netherlands
- 1 Australia 10 compare
- 1 Austria 10 compare
- 1 Canada 10 compare
- 1 Cape Verde 10 compare
- 1 Chile 10 compare
- 1 Costa Rica 10 compare
- 1 Cyprus 10 compare
- 1 Denmark 10 compare
- 1 Finland 10 compare
- 1 France 10 compare
- 1 Germany 10 compare
- 1 Greece 10 compare
- 1 Hungary 10 compare
- 1 Italy 10 compare
- 1 Japan 10 compare
- 1 Lithuania 10 compare
- 1 Mauritius 10 compare
- 1 Mongolia 10 compare
- 1 New Zealand 10 compare
- 1 Norway 10 compare
- 1 Poland 10 compare
- 1 Portugal 10 compare
- 1 Slovakia 10 compare
- 1 Slovenia 10 compare
- 1 Spain 10 compare
- 1 Sweden 10 compare
- 1 Switzerland 10 compare
- 1 Taiwan 10 compare
- 1 Uruguay 10 compare
More social development data for Netherlands
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 283,935 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 159 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
- Key features of liberal democracy 0.774 (2025)
- Varieties of democracy 0.832 (2025)
- Freedom of Expression Index 0.91 (2025)
- Freedom of Association Index 0.868 (2025)
- Electoral Democracy Index 0.832 (2025)
- Liberal democracy 3 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is democracy index in Netherlands?
- Democracy index in Netherlands was 10 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 Netherlands?
- The highest recorded value was 10 in 1917.
- What is the lowest democracy index recorded in Netherlands?
- The lowest recorded value was -7 in 1840.
- How does Netherlands rank for democracy index?
- Netherlands ranks 1st out of 167 countries with data for 2018.
- Is democracy index rising or falling in Netherlands?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Netherlands 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 199 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
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).