What is electoral democracy index in Belgium?

Electoral democracy index in Belgium was 0.889 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest electoral democracy index recorded in Belgium?

The highest recorded value was 0.902 in 2013.

What is the lowest electoral democracy index recorded in Belgium?

The lowest recorded value was 0.035 in 1794.

How does Belgium rank for electoral democracy index?

Belgium ranks 3rd out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is electoral democracy index rising or falling in Belgium?

Over the last ten years it is down 1.3%. 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 Electoral Democracy Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Electoral Democracy Index in Belgium

Name: Electoral Democracy Index in Belgium
Creator: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Belgium: Electoral Democracy Index was 0.889 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)

0.889

Change on year

down 0.2%

World rank

3rd

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.902

in 2013

All-time low

0.035

in 1794

Years of data

237

1789–2025

Electoral Democracy Index in Belgium, 1789–2025

Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for electoral democracy index in Belgium is 0.889, measured in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 1.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, electoral democracy index in Belgium peaked at 0.902 in 2013 and was at its lowest, 0.035, in 1794.

That places Belgium 3rd out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.

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

Electoral Democracy Index in Belgium, year by year

Annual values for Electoral Democracy Index in Belgium, 1789 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1789	0.047	—
1790	0.047	+0.0%
1791	0.047	+0.0%
1792	0.047	+0.0%
1793	0.047	+0.0%
1794	0.035	-25.5%
1795	0.037	+5.7%
1796	0.269	+627.0%
1797	0.269	+0.0%
1798	0.269	+0.0%
1799	0.269	+0.0%
1800	0.118	-56.1%
1801	0.118	+0.0%
1802	0.118	+0.0%
1803	0.118	+0.0%
1804	0.118	+0.0%
1805	0.118	+0.0%
1806	0.118	+0.0%
1807	0.118	+0.0%
1808	0.118	+0.0%
1809	0.118	+0.0%
1810	0.118	+0.0%
1811	0.118	+0.0%
1812	0.118	+0.0%
1813	0.118	+0.0%
1814	0.043	-63.6%
1815	0.091	+111.6%
1816	0.098	+7.7%
1817	0.098	+0.0%
1818	0.098	+0.0%
1819	0.098	+0.0%
1820	0.098	+0.0%
1821	0.098	+0.0%
1822	0.098	+0.0%
1823	0.098	+0.0%
1824	0.098	+0.0%
1825	0.098	+0.0%
1826	0.098	+0.0%
1827	0.098	+0.0%
1828	0.098	+0.0%
1829	0.098	+0.0%
1830	0.188	+91.8%
1831	0.224	+19.1%
1832	0.272	+21.4%
1833	0.272	+0.0%
1834	0.272	+0.0%
1835	0.272	+0.0%
1836	0.272	+0.0%
1837	0.272	+0.0%
1838	0.272	+0.0%
1839	0.272	+0.0%
1840	0.314	+15.4%
1841	0.321	+2.2%
1842	0.321	+0.0%
1843	0.323	+0.6%
1844	0.323	+0.0%
1845	0.323	+0.0%
1846	0.323	+0.0%
1847	0.335	+3.7%
1848	0.337	+0.6%
1849	0.337	+0.0%
1850	0.338	+0.3%
1851	0.339	+0.3%
1852	0.338	-0.3%
1853	0.338	+0.0%
1854	0.338	+0.0%
1855	0.337	-0.3%
1856	0.338	+0.3%
1857	0.339	+0.3%
1858	0.338	-0.3%
1859	0.338	+0.0%
1860	0.338	+0.0%
1861	0.338	+0.0%
1862	0.338	+0.0%
1863	0.338	+0.0%
1864	0.339	+0.3%
1865	0.339	+0.0%
1866	0.338	-0.3%
1867	0.338	+0.0%
1868	0.341	+0.9%
1869	0.344	+0.9%
1870	0.346	+0.6%
1871	0.347	+0.3%
1872	0.345	-0.6%
1873	0.344	-0.3%
1874	0.345	+0.3%
1875	0.345	+0.0%
1876	0.345	+0.0%
1877	0.345	+0.0%
1878	0.356	+3.2%
1879	0.365	+2.5%
1880	0.366	+0.3%
1881	0.366	+0.0%
1882	0.365	-0.3%
1883	0.364	-0.3%
1884	0.365	+0.3%
1885	0.365	+0.0%
1886	0.355	-2.7%
1887	0.353	-0.6%
1888	0.352	-0.3%
1889	0.352	+0.0%
1890	0.351	-0.3%
1891	0.351	+0.0%
1892	0.353	+0.6%
1893	0.36	+2.0%
1894	0.498	+38.3%
1895	0.498	+0.0%
1896	0.497	-0.2%
1897	0.497	+0.0%
1898	0.495	-0.4%
1899	0.494	-0.2%
1900	0.505	+2.2%
1901	0.508	+0.6%
1902	0.509	+0.2%
1903	0.509	+0.0%
1904	0.507	-0.4%
1905	0.505	-0.4%
1906	0.508	+0.6%
1907	0.51	+0.4%
1908	0.509	-0.2%
1909	0.509	+0.0%
1910	0.509	+0.0%
1911	0.51	+0.2%
1912	0.511	+0.2%
1913	0.507	-0.8%
1914	0.303	-40.2%
1915	0.156	-48.5%
1916	0.156	+0.0%
1917	0.156	+0.0%
1918	0.181	+16.0%
1919	0.246	+35.9%
1920	0.364	+48.0%
1921	0.504	+38.5%
1922	0.51	+1.2%
1923	0.51	+0.0%
1924	0.51	+0.0%
1925	0.508	-0.4%
1926	0.507	-0.2%
1927	0.507	+0.0%
1928	0.507	+0.0%
1929	0.506	-0.2%
1930	0.504	-0.4%
1931	0.504	+0.0%
1932	0.504	+0.0%
1933	0.502	-0.4%
1934	0.502	+0.0%
1935	0.502	+0.0%
1936	0.502	+0.0%
1937	0.507	+1.0%
1938	0.507	+0.0%
1939	0.506	-0.2%
1940	0.234	-53.8%
1941	0.125	-46.6%
1942	0.122	-2.4%
1943	0.122	+0.0%
1944	0.139	+13.9%
1945	0.239	+71.9%
1946	0.504	+110.9%
1947	0.535	+6.2%
1948	0.535	+0.0%
1949	0.7	+30.8%
1950	0.72	+2.9%
1951	0.725	+0.7%
1952	0.725	+0.0%
1953	0.725	+0.0%
1954	0.731	+0.8%
1955	0.733	+0.3%
1956	0.733	+0.0%
1957	0.733	+0.0%
1958	0.731	-0.3%
1959	0.73	-0.1%
1960	0.836	+14.5%
1961	0.836	+0.0%
1962	0.842	+0.7%
1963	0.842	+0.0%
1964	0.842	+0.0%
1965	0.845	+0.4%
1966	0.846	+0.1%
1967	0.846	+0.0%
1968	0.844	-0.2%
1969	0.843	-0.1%
1970	0.846	+0.4%
1971	0.848	+0.2%
1972	0.854	+0.7%
1973	0.854	+0.0%
1974	0.85	-0.5%
1975	0.849	-0.1%
1976	0.85	+0.1%
1977	0.853	+0.4%
1978	0.854	+0.1%
1979	0.853	-0.1%
1980	0.866	+1.5%
1981	0.859	-0.8%
1982	0.86	+0.1%
1983	0.86	+0.0%
1984	0.86	+0.0%
1985	0.86	+0.0%
1986	0.859	-0.1%
1987	0.859	+0.0%
1988	0.854	-0.6%
1989	0.858	+0.5%
1990	0.869	+1.3%
1991	0.87	+0.1%
1992	0.879	+1.0%
1993	0.879	+0.0%
1994	0.879	+0.0%
1995	0.882	+0.3%
1996	0.882	+0.0%
1997	0.882	+0.0%
1998	0.882	+0.0%
1999	0.883	+0.1%
2000	0.885	+0.2%
2001	0.885	+0.0%
2002	0.885	+0.0%
2003	0.886	+0.1%
2004	0.864	-2.5%
2005	0.884	+2.3%
2006	0.885	+0.1%
2007	0.891	+0.7%
2008	0.899	+0.9%
2009	0.899	+0.0%
2010	0.9	+0.1%
2011	0.9	+0.0%
2012	0.9	+0.0%
2013	0.902	+0.2%
2014	0.902	+0.0%
2015	0.901	-0.1%
2016	0.901	+0.0%
2017	0.9	-0.1%
2018	0.9	+0.0%
2019	0.901	+0.1%
2020	0.897	-0.4%
2021	0.897	+0.0%
2022	0.895	-0.2%
2023	0.895	+0.0%
2024	0.891	-0.4%
2025	0.889	-0.2%

Belgium compared with similar countries

Belgium's 0.889 is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.786, 1.1× the median. (55 countries reporting)
Belgium's 0.889 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.737, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Electoral Democracy Index 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
1796	+627.0%	0.037	0.269
1815	+111.6%	0.043	0.091
1946	+110.9%	0.239	0.504
1830	+91.8%	0.098	0.188
1945	+71.9%	0.139	0.239
1814	-63.6%	0.118	0.043

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1780s	0.047	0.047	0.047	1
1790s	0.1336	0.035	0.269	10
1800s	0.118	0.118	0.118	10
1810s	0.0998	0.043	0.118	10
1820s	0.098	0.098	0.098	10
1830s	0.2588	0.188	0.272	10
1840s	0.3257	0.314	0.337	10
1850s	0.3381	0.337	0.339	10
1860s	0.3391	0.338	0.344	10
1870s	0.3483	0.344	0.365	10
1880s	0.3603	0.352	0.366	10
1890s	0.4394	0.351	0.498	10
1900s	0.5079	0.505	0.51	10
1910s	0.3235	0.156	0.511	10
1920s	0.4933	0.364	0.51	10
1930s	0.504	0.502	0.507	10
1940s	0.3255	0.122	0.7	10
1950s	0.7286	0.72	0.733	10
1960s	0.8422	0.836	0.846	10
1970s	0.8511	0.846	0.854	10
1980s	0.8595	0.854	0.866	10
1990s	0.8787	0.869	0.883	10
2000s	0.8863	0.864	0.899	10
2010s	0.9007	0.9	0.902	10
2020s	0.894	0.889	0.897	6

Countries ranked near Belgium

1 Denmark 0.913 compare
2 Norway 0.89 compare
3 Sweden 0.889 compare
5 Estonia 0.887 compare
5 Ireland 0.887 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

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)

All data for Belgium →

Frequently asked questions

What is electoral democracy index in Belgium?: Electoral democracy index in Belgium was 0.889 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest electoral democracy index recorded in Belgium?: The highest recorded value was 0.902 in 2013.
What is the lowest electoral democracy index recorded in Belgium?: The lowest recorded value was 0.035 in 1794.
How does Belgium rank for electoral democracy index?: Belgium ranks 3rd out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is electoral democracy index rising or falling in Belgium?: Over the last ten years it is down 1.3%. 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 Electoral Democracy Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Electoral Democracy Index in Belgium. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/electoral-democracy-index/belgium/

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About this data

Indicator: Electoral Democracy Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 29,649 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 18 September 2026

Central estimate of the extent to which political leaders are elected under comprehensive suffrage in free and fair elections, and freedoms of association and expression are guaranteed.