Liberal Democracy Index in France

France: Liberal Democracy Index was 0.8 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
0.8
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
9th
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.822
in 2013
All-time low
0.059
in 1944
Years of data
237
1789–2025

Liberal Democracy Index in France, 1789–2025

00.20.40.60.8178919072025

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

Analysis

France recorded 0.8 for liberal democracy index in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, liberal democracy index in France peaked at 0.822 in 2013 and was at its lowest, 0.059, in 1944.

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 0.219 0.219 0.219 1
1790s 0.2049 0.163 0.225 10
1800s 0.1028 0.101 0.103 10
1810s 0.1349 0.099 0.169 10
1820s 0.162 0.154 0.165 10
1830s 0.195 0.195 0.195 10
1840s 0.2282 0.195 0.384 10
1850s 0.1754 0.145 0.384 10
1860s 0.1649 0.149 0.173 10
1870s 0.3718 0.242 0.44 10
1880s 0.4481 0.447 0.449 10
1890s 0.4477 0.444 0.454 10
1900s 0.4608 0.456 0.463 10
1910s 0.441 0.419 0.467 10
1920s 0.4635 0.462 0.465 10
1930s 0.4576 0.441 0.462 10
1940s 0.2644 0.059 0.621 10
1950s 0.6242 0.601 0.63 10
1960s 0.6629 0.633 0.719 10
1970s 0.7638 0.748 0.773 10
1980s 0.7914 0.773 0.802 10
1990s 0.8002 0.798 0.803 10
2000s 0.8044 0.798 0.816 10
2010s 0.8133 0.793 0.822 10
2020s 0.7987 0.789 0.807 6

Countries ranked near France

  1. 7 Costa Rica 0.809 compare
  2. 8 Finland 0.808 compare
  3. 10 Belgium 0.794 compare
  4. 10 Czechia 0.794 compare
  5. 12 Australia 0.793 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for France

All data for France →

Frequently asked questions

What is liberal democracy index in France?
Liberal democracy index in France was 0.8 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest liberal democracy index recorded in France?
The highest recorded value was 0.822 in 2013.
What is the lowest liberal democracy index recorded in France?
The lowest recorded value was 0.059 in 1944.
How does France rank for liberal democracy index?
France ranks 9th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is liberal democracy index rising or falling in France?
Over the last ten years it is down 1.5%. 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 Liberal 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
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

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.