Electoral Democracy Index in France

France: Electoral Democracy Index was 0.865 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
0.865
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
9th
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.89
in 2012
All-time low
0.082
in 1941
Years of data
237
1789–2025

Electoral Democracy Index in France, 1789–2025

00.20.40.60.8178919072025

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for electoral democracy index in France is 0.865, measured in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and down 2.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, electoral democracy index in France peaked at 0.89 in 2012 and was at its lowest, 0.082, in 1941.

France ranks 9th of 176 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1780s 0.256 0.256 0.256 1
1790s 0.2636 0.233 0.275 10
1800s 0.118 0.118 0.118 10
1810s 0.1486 0.093 0.185 10
1820s 0.171 0.13 0.186 10
1830s 0.2058 0.205 0.206 10
1840s 0.2527 0.205 0.479 10
1850s 0.2159 0.161 0.479 10
1860s 0.199 0.175 0.203 10
1870s 0.4815 0.319 0.538 10
1880s 0.5463 0.545 0.548 10
1890s 0.5445 0.541 0.551 10
1900s 0.5598 0.555 0.562 10
1910s 0.5365 0.512 0.566 10
1920s 0.563 0.56 0.566 10
1930s 0.5548 0.534 0.561 10
1940s 0.3265 0.082 0.737 10
1950s 0.7444 0.722 0.754 10
1960s 0.7712 0.748 0.805 10
1970s 0.844 0.828 0.854 10
1980s 0.8661 0.854 0.875 10
1990s 0.8738 0.869 0.875 10
2000s 0.8763 0.873 0.885 10
2010s 0.8833 0.866 0.89 10
2020s 0.8682 0.864 0.875 6

Countries ranked near France

  1. 7 Switzerland 0.882 compare
  2. 10 Costa Rica 0.862 compare
  3. 10 Uruguay 0.862 compare
  4. 12 Finland 0.852 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for France

All data for France →

Frequently asked questions

What is electoral democracy index in France?
Electoral democracy index in France was 0.865 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest electoral democracy index recorded in France?
The highest recorded value was 0.89 in 2012.
What is the lowest electoral democracy index recorded in France?
The lowest recorded value was 0.082 in 1941.
How does France rank for electoral democracy index?
France ranks 9th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is electoral democracy index rising or falling in France?
Over the last ten years it is down 2.0%. 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 Electoral Democracy Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 237 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

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

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.