Direct Democracy Index in France
France: Direct Democracy Index was 0.033 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
0.033
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
86th
of 175 countries
All-time high
0.331
in 1961
All-time low
0
in 1900
Years of data
126
1900–2025
Direct Democracy Index in France, 1900–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, direct democracy index in France stood at 0.033.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 54.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, direct democracy index in France peaked at 0.331 in 1961 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1900.
France ranks 86th of 175 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Direct Democracy Index in France, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 0 | — |
| 1901 | 0 | — |
| 1902 | 0 | — |
| 1903 | 0 | — |
| 1904 | 0 | — |
| 1905 | 0 | — |
| 1906 | 0 | — |
| 1907 | 0 | — |
| 1908 | 0 | — |
| 1909 | 0 | — |
| 1910 | 0 | — |
| 1911 | 0 | — |
| 1912 | 0 | — |
| 1913 | 0 | — |
| 1914 | 0 | — |
| 1915 | 0 | — |
| 1916 | 0 | — |
| 1917 | 0 | — |
| 1918 | 0 | — |
| 1919 | 0 | — |
| 1920 | 0 | — |
| 1921 | 0 | — |
| 1922 | 0 | — |
| 1923 | 0 | — |
| 1924 | 0 | — |
| 1925 | 0 | — |
| 1926 | 0 | — |
| 1927 | 0 | — |
| 1928 | 0 | — |
| 1929 | 0 | — |
| 1930 | 0 | — |
| 1931 | 0 | — |
| 1932 | 0 | — |
| 1933 | 0 | — |
| 1934 | 0 | — |
| 1935 | 0 | — |
| 1936 | 0 | — |
| 1937 | 0 | — |
| 1938 | 0 | — |
| 1939 | 0 | — |
| 1940 | 0 | — |
| 1941 | 0 | — |
| 1942 | 0 | — |
| 1943 | 0 | — |
| 1944 | 0 | — |
| 1945 | 0.1 | — |
| 1946 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 1947 | 0 | — |
| 1948 | 0 | — |
| 1949 | 0 | — |
| 1950 | 0 | — |
| 1951 | 0 | — |
| 1952 | 0 | — |
| 1953 | 0 | — |
| 1954 | 0 | — |
| 1955 | 0 | — |
| 1956 | 0 | — |
| 1957 | 0 | — |
| 1958 | 0.151 | — |
| 1959 | 0.151 | +0.0% |
| 1960 | 0.151 | +0.0% |
| 1961 | 0.331 | +119.2% |
| 1962 | 0.331 | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 0.323 | -2.4% |
| 1964 | 0.316 | -2.2% |
| 1965 | 0.308 | -2.5% |
| 1966 | 0.3 | -2.6% |
| 1967 | 0.28 | -6.7% |
| 1968 | 0.26 | -7.1% |
| 1969 | 0.276 | +6.2% |
| 1970 | 0.268 | -2.9% |
| 1971 | 0.26 | -3.0% |
| 1972 | 0.252 | -3.1% |
| 1973 | 0.245 | -2.8% |
| 1974 | 0.237 | -3.3% |
| 1975 | 0.229 | -3.4% |
| 1976 | 0.221 | -3.5% |
| 1977 | 0.201 | -9.0% |
| 1978 | 0.189 | -6.0% |
| 1979 | 0.177 | -6.3% |
| 1980 | 0.165 | -6.8% |
| 1981 | 0.153 | -7.3% |
| 1982 | 0.141 | -7.8% |
| 1983 | 0.129 | -8.5% |
| 1984 | 0.117 | -9.3% |
| 1985 | 0.105 | -10.3% |
| 1986 | 0.093 | -11.4% |
| 1987 | 0.081 | -12.9% |
| 1988 | 0.213 | +163.0% |
| 1989 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 0.201 | -5.6% |
| 1998 | 0.189 | -6.0% |
| 1999 | 0.177 | -6.3% |
| 2000 | 0.213 | +20.3% |
| 2001 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 0.213 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 0.193 | -9.4% |
| 2006 | 0.193 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 0.193 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 0.193 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 0.193 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 0.173 | -10.4% |
| 2011 | 0.153 | -11.6% |
| 2012 | 0.133 | -13.1% |
| 2013 | 0.113 | -15.0% |
| 2014 | 0.093 | -17.7% |
| 2015 | 0.073 | -21.5% |
| 2016 | 0.053 | -27.4% |
| 2017 | 0.033 | -37.7% |
| 2018 | 0.033 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 0.033 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 0.033 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 0.033 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 0.033 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 0.033 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 0.033 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 0.033 | +0.0% |
France compared with similar countries
- France's 0.033 is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.033, 1.0× the median. (55 countries reporting)
- France's 0.033 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.1205, 27% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Direct Democracy Index in France 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | +163.0% | 0.081 | 0.213 |
| 1961 | +119.2% | 0.151 | 0.331 |
| 1946 | -100.0% | 0.1 | 0 |
| 2017 | -37.7% | 0.053 | 0.033 |
| 2016 | -27.4% | 0.073 | 0.053 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1910s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.01 | 0 | 0.1 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.0302 | 0 | 0.151 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.2876 | 0.151 | 0.331 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.2279 | 0.177 | 0.268 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.141 | 0.081 | 0.213 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.2058 | 0.177 | 0.213 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.203 | 0.193 | 0.213 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.089 | 0.033 | 0.173 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.033 | 0.033 | 0.033 | 6 |
Countries ranked near France
More social development data for France
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 788,419 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 166 (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 166 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0115 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 direct democracy index in France?
- Direct democracy index in France was 0.033 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest direct democracy index recorded in France?
- The highest recorded value was 0.331 in 1961.
- What is the lowest direct democracy index recorded in France?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1900.
- How does France rank for direct democracy index?
- France ranks 86th out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
- Is direct democracy index rising or falling in France?
- Over the last ten years it is down 54.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this France data come from?
- The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Direct Democracy Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 126 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measures the extent of how easy it is for citizens to vote on specific issues themselves in popular initiatives, referendums, and plebiscites.