What is liberal democracy index in Belgium?

Liberal democracy index in Belgium was 0.794 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest liberal democracy index recorded in Belgium?

The highest recorded value was 0.839 in 2013.

What is the lowest liberal democracy index recorded in Belgium?

The lowest recorded value was 0.069 in 1814.

How does Belgium rank for liberal democracy index?

Belgium ranks 10th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is liberal democracy index rising or falling in Belgium?

Over the last ten years it is down 5.1%. 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 Liberal Democracy Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Liberal Democracy Index in Belgium

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

Belgium: Liberal Democracy Index was 0.794 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)

0.794

Change on year

down 2.0%

World rank

10th

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.839

in 2013

All-time low

0.069

in 1814

Years of data

237

1789–2025

Liberal Democracy Index in Belgium, 1789–2025

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

Analysis

Belgium recorded 0.794 for liberal democracy index in 2025.

That represents a change of down 2.0% on the previous year and down 5.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, liberal democracy index in Belgium peaked at 0.839 in 2013 and was at its lowest, 0.069, in 1814.

Belgium ranks 10th 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.

Liberal Democracy Index in Belgium, year by year

Annual values for Liberal Democracy Index in Belgium, 1789 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1789	0.101	—
1790	0.106	+5.0%
1791	0.105	-0.9%
1792	0.105	+0.0%
1793	0.105	+0.0%
1794	0.098	-6.7%
1795	0.096	-2.0%
1796	0.224	+133.3%
1797	0.224	+0.0%
1798	0.224	+0.0%
1799	0.202	-9.8%
1800	0.101	-50.0%
1801	0.103	+2.0%
1802	0.103	+0.0%
1803	0.103	+0.0%
1804	0.103	+0.0%
1805	0.103	+0.0%
1806	0.103	+0.0%
1807	0.103	+0.0%
1808	0.103	+0.0%
1809	0.103	+0.0%
1810	0.103	+0.0%
1811	0.103	+0.0%
1812	0.103	+0.0%
1813	0.103	+0.0%
1814	0.069	-33.0%
1815	0.154	+123.2%
1816	0.158	+2.6%
1817	0.158	+0.0%
1818	0.158	+0.0%
1819	0.158	+0.0%
1820	0.158	+0.0%
1821	0.158	+0.0%
1822	0.158	+0.0%
1823	0.158	+0.0%
1824	0.158	+0.0%
1825	0.158	+0.0%
1826	0.158	+0.0%
1827	0.158	+0.0%
1828	0.158	+0.0%
1829	0.158	+0.0%
1830	0.167	+5.7%
1831	0.251	+50.3%
1832	0.295	+17.5%
1833	0.295	+0.0%
1834	0.295	+0.0%
1835	0.294	-0.3%
1836	0.294	+0.0%
1837	0.295	+0.3%
1838	0.295	+0.0%
1839	0.294	-0.3%
1840	0.321	+9.2%
1841	0.325	+1.2%
1842	0.325	+0.0%
1843	0.327	+0.6%
1844	0.327	+0.0%
1845	0.326	-0.3%
1846	0.326	+0.0%
1847	0.332	+1.8%
1848	0.334	+0.6%
1849	0.334	+0.0%
1850	0.335	+0.3%
1851	0.335	+0.0%
1852	0.335	+0.0%
1853	0.334	-0.3%
1854	0.334	+0.0%
1855	0.334	+0.0%
1856	0.334	+0.0%
1857	0.335	+0.3%
1858	0.335	+0.0%
1859	0.334	-0.3%
1860	0.334	+0.0%
1861	0.334	+0.0%
1862	0.334	+0.0%
1863	0.334	+0.0%
1864	0.335	+0.3%
1865	0.335	+0.0%
1866	0.334	-0.3%
1867	0.334	+0.0%
1868	0.336	+0.6%
1869	0.338	+0.6%
1870	0.339	+0.3%
1871	0.339	+0.0%
1872	0.338	-0.3%
1873	0.338	+0.0%
1874	0.338	+0.0%
1875	0.337	-0.3%
1876	0.338	+0.3%
1877	0.339	+0.3%
1878	0.345	+1.8%
1879	0.35	+1.4%
1880	0.35	+0.0%
1881	0.35	+0.0%
1882	0.35	+0.0%
1883	0.35	+0.0%
1884	0.35	+0.0%
1885	0.35	+0.0%
1886	0.344	-1.7%
1887	0.343	-0.3%
1888	0.343	+0.0%
1889	0.342	-0.3%
1890	0.342	+0.0%
1891	0.341	-0.3%
1892	0.342	+0.3%
1893	0.347	+1.5%
1894	0.435	+25.4%
1895	0.436	+0.2%
1896	0.436	+0.0%
1897	0.436	+0.0%
1898	0.435	-0.2%
1899	0.435	+0.0%
1900	0.442	+1.6%
1901	0.443	+0.2%
1902	0.444	+0.2%
1903	0.444	+0.0%
1904	0.442	-0.5%
1905	0.441	-0.2%
1906	0.443	+0.5%
1907	0.445	+0.5%
1908	0.441	-0.9%
1909	0.441	+0.0%
1910	0.442	+0.2%
1911	0.443	+0.2%
1912	0.443	+0.0%
1913	0.441	-0.5%
1914	0.262	-40.6%
1915	0.149	-43.1%
1916	0.149	+0.0%
1917	0.149	+0.0%
1918	0.166	+11.4%
1919	0.22	+32.5%
1920	0.354	+60.9%
1921	0.444	+25.4%
1922	0.448	+0.9%
1923	0.448	+0.0%
1924	0.448	+0.0%
1925	0.447	-0.2%
1926	0.447	+0.0%
1927	0.447	+0.0%
1928	0.447	+0.0%
1929	0.445	-0.4%
1930	0.443	-0.4%
1931	0.443	+0.0%
1932	0.443	+0.0%
1933	0.444	+0.2%
1934	0.444	+0.0%
1935	0.444	+0.0%
1936	0.444	+0.0%
1937	0.446	+0.5%
1938	0.446	+0.0%
1939	0.446	+0.0%
1940	0.221	-50.4%
1941	0.142	-35.7%
1942	0.14	-1.4%
1943	0.14	+0.0%
1944	0.165	+17.9%
1945	0.281	+70.3%
1946	0.461	+64.1%
1947	0.481	+4.3%
1948	0.481	+0.0%
1949	0.619	+28.7%
1950	0.635	+2.6%
1951	0.64	+0.8%
1952	0.64	+0.0%
1953	0.64	+0.0%
1954	0.646	+0.9%
1955	0.648	+0.3%
1956	0.648	+0.0%
1957	0.649	+0.2%
1958	0.648	-0.2%
1959	0.648	+0.0%
1960	0.75	+15.7%
1961	0.748	-0.3%
1962	0.757	+1.2%
1963	0.759	+0.3%
1964	0.759	+0.0%
1965	0.762	+0.4%
1966	0.763	+0.1%
1967	0.763	+0.0%
1968	0.762	-0.1%
1969	0.762	+0.0%
1970	0.767	+0.7%
1971	0.767	+0.0%
1972	0.772	+0.7%
1973	0.772	+0.0%
1974	0.77	-0.3%
1975	0.769	-0.1%
1976	0.771	+0.3%
1977	0.773	+0.3%
1978	0.773	+0.0%
1979	0.772	-0.1%
1980	0.786	+1.8%
1981	0.782	-0.5%
1982	0.782	+0.0%
1983	0.782	+0.0%
1984	0.782	+0.0%
1985	0.782	+0.0%
1986	0.783	+0.1%
1987	0.78	-0.4%
1988	0.776	-0.5%
1989	0.778	+0.3%
1990	0.797	+2.4%
1991	0.798	+0.1%
1992	0.808	+1.3%
1993	0.808	+0.0%
1994	0.808	+0.0%
1995	0.812	+0.5%
1996	0.812	+0.0%
1997	0.812	+0.0%
1998	0.813	+0.1%
1999	0.816	+0.4%
2000	0.819	+0.4%
2001	0.819	+0.0%
2002	0.819	+0.0%
2003	0.819	+0.0%
2004	0.795	-2.9%
2005	0.816	+2.6%
2006	0.818	+0.2%
2007	0.828	+1.2%
2008	0.832	+0.5%
2009	0.834	+0.2%
2010	0.834	+0.0%
2011	0.835	+0.1%
2012	0.835	+0.0%
2013	0.839	+0.5%
2014	0.838	-0.1%
2015	0.837	-0.1%
2016	0.837	+0.0%
2017	0.836	-0.1%
2018	0.836	+0.0%
2019	0.837	+0.1%
2020	0.826	-1.3%
2021	0.827	+0.1%
2022	0.833	+0.7%
2023	0.812	-2.5%
2024	0.81	-0.2%
2025	0.794	-2.0%

Belgium compared with similar countries

Belgium's 0.794 is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.689, 1.2× the median. (55 countries reporting)
Belgium's 0.794 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.591, 1.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Liberal 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	+133.3%	0.096	0.224
1815	+123.2%	0.069	0.154
1945	+70.3%	0.165	0.281
1946	+64.1%	0.281	0.461
1920	+60.9%	0.22	0.354
1940	-50.4%	0.446	0.221

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1780s	0.101	0.101	0.101	1
1790s	0.1489	0.096	0.224	10
1800s	0.1028	0.101	0.103	10
1810s	0.1267	0.069	0.158	10
1820s	0.158	0.158	0.158	10
1830s	0.2775	0.167	0.295	10
1840s	0.3277	0.321	0.334	10
1850s	0.3345	0.334	0.335	10
1860s	0.3348	0.334	0.338	10
1870s	0.3401	0.337	0.35	10
1880s	0.3472	0.342	0.35	10
1890s	0.3985	0.341	0.436	10
1900s	0.4426	0.441	0.445	10
1910s	0.2864	0.149	0.443	10
1920s	0.4375	0.354	0.448	10
1930s	0.4443	0.443	0.446	10
1940s	0.3131	0.14	0.619	10
1950s	0.6442	0.635	0.649	10
1960s	0.7585	0.748	0.763	10
1970s	0.7706	0.767	0.773	10
1980s	0.7813	0.776	0.786	10
1990s	0.8084	0.797	0.816	10
2000s	0.8199	0.795	0.834	10
2010s	0.8364	0.834	0.839	10
2020s	0.817	0.794	0.833	6

Countries ranked near Belgium

7 Costa Rica 0.809 compare
8 Finland 0.808 compare
9 France 0.8 compare
10 Czechia 0.794 compare
12 Australia 0.793 compare
13 Uruguay 0.79 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 liberal democracy index in Belgium?: Liberal democracy index in Belgium was 0.794 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest liberal democracy index recorded in Belgium?: The highest recorded value was 0.839 in 2013.
What is the lowest liberal democracy index recorded in Belgium?: The lowest recorded value was 0.069 in 1814.
How does Belgium rank for liberal democracy index?: Belgium ranks 10th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is liberal democracy index rising or falling in Belgium?: Over the last ten years it is down 5.1%. 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 Liberal Democracy Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Liberal 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/liberal-democracy-index/belgium/

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About this data

Indicator: Liberal Democracy Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 28,671 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 18 September 2026

Central estimate of the extent of suffrage, the freedom and fairness of elections, freedoms of association and expression, individual and minority rights, equality before the law, and executive constraints.