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.

Liberal Democracy Index in France

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

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

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.

Liberal Democracy Index in France, year by year

Annual values for Liberal Democracy Index in France, 1789 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1789	0.219	—
1790	0.225	+2.7%
1791	0.208	-7.6%
1792	0.163	-21.6%
1793	0.176	+8.0%
1794	0.18	+2.3%
1795	0.223	+23.9%
1796	0.224	+0.4%
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	0.099	-3.9%
1815	0.163	+64.6%
1816	0.168	+3.1%
1817	0.169	+0.6%
1818	0.169	+0.0%
1819	0.169	+0.0%
1820	0.154	-8.9%
1821	0.165	+7.1%
1822	0.163	-1.2%
1823	0.163	+0.0%
1824	0.163	+0.0%
1825	0.163	+0.0%
1826	0.163	+0.0%
1827	0.162	-0.6%
1828	0.162	+0.0%
1829	0.162	+0.0%
1830	0.195	+20.4%
1831	0.195	+0.0%
1832	0.195	+0.0%
1833	0.195	+0.0%
1834	0.195	+0.0%
1835	0.195	+0.0%
1836	0.195	+0.0%
1837	0.195	+0.0%
1838	0.195	+0.0%
1839	0.195	+0.0%
1840	0.195	+0.0%
1841	0.195	+0.0%
1842	0.195	+0.0%
1843	0.195	+0.0%
1844	0.195	+0.0%
1845	0.195	+0.0%
1846	0.195	+0.0%
1847	0.195	+0.0%
1848	0.338	+73.3%
1849	0.384	+13.6%
1850	0.384	+0.0%
1851	0.186	-51.6%
1852	0.145	-22.0%
1853	0.148	+2.1%
1854	0.148	+0.0%
1855	0.148	+0.0%
1856	0.148	+0.0%
1857	0.149	+0.7%
1858	0.149	+0.0%
1859	0.149	+0.0%
1860	0.149	+0.0%
1861	0.165	+10.7%
1862	0.166	+0.6%
1863	0.166	+0.0%
1864	0.166	+0.0%
1865	0.166	+0.0%
1866	0.166	+0.0%
1867	0.166	+0.0%
1868	0.166	+0.0%
1869	0.173	+4.2%
1870	0.242	+39.9%
1871	0.308	+27.3%
1872	0.365	+18.5%
1873	0.365	+0.0%
1874	0.382	+4.7%
1875	0.394	+3.1%
1876	0.396	+0.5%
1877	0.396	+0.0%
1878	0.43	+8.6%
1879	0.44	+2.3%
1880	0.449	+2.0%
1881	0.448	-0.2%
1882	0.447	-0.2%
1883	0.447	+0.0%
1884	0.447	+0.0%
1885	0.448	+0.2%
1886	0.449	+0.2%
1887	0.449	+0.0%
1888	0.449	+0.0%
1889	0.448	-0.2%
1890	0.446	-0.4%
1891	0.446	+0.0%
1892	0.446	+0.0%
1893	0.444	-0.4%
1894	0.447	+0.7%
1895	0.447	+0.0%
1896	0.447	+0.0%
1897	0.447	+0.0%
1898	0.453	+1.3%
1899	0.454	+0.2%
1900	0.456	+0.4%
1901	0.46	+0.9%
1902	0.46	+0.0%
1903	0.46	+0.0%
1904	0.46	+0.0%
1905	0.463	+0.7%
1906	0.463	+0.0%
1907	0.462	-0.2%
1908	0.462	+0.0%
1909	0.462	+0.0%
1910	0.466	+0.9%
1911	0.467	+0.2%
1912	0.467	+0.0%
1913	0.467	+0.0%
1914	0.42	-10.1%
1915	0.42	+0.0%
1916	0.419	-0.2%
1917	0.419	+0.0%
1918	0.424	+1.2%
1919	0.441	+4.0%
1920	0.465	+5.4%
1921	0.465	+0.0%
1922	0.465	+0.0%
1923	0.465	+0.0%
1924	0.465	+0.0%
1925	0.462	-0.6%
1926	0.462	+0.0%
1927	0.462	+0.0%
1928	0.462	+0.0%
1929	0.462	+0.0%
1930	0.462	+0.0%
1931	0.462	+0.0%
1932	0.462	+0.0%
1933	0.461	-0.2%
1934	0.461	+0.0%
1935	0.459	-0.4%
1936	0.456	-0.7%
1937	0.456	+0.0%
1938	0.456	+0.0%
1939	0.441	-3.3%
1940	0.121	-72.6%
1941	0.06	-50.4%
1942	0.06	+0.0%
1943	0.06	+0.0%
1944	0.059	-1.7%
1945	0.179	+203.4%
1946	0.267	+49.2%
1947	0.596	+123.2%
1948	0.621	+4.2%
1949	0.621	+0.0%
1950	0.629	+1.3%
1951	0.63	+0.2%
1952	0.63	+0.0%
1953	0.63	+0.0%
1954	0.601	-4.6%
1955	0.614	+2.2%
1956	0.62	+1.0%
1957	0.628	+1.3%
1958	0.63	+0.3%
1959	0.63	+0.0%
1960	0.633	+0.5%
1961	0.633	+0.0%
1962	0.636	+0.5%
1963	0.666	+4.7%
1964	0.666	+0.0%
1965	0.666	+0.0%
1966	0.666	+0.0%
1967	0.672	+0.9%
1968	0.672	+0.0%
1969	0.719	+7.0%
1970	0.75	+4.3%
1971	0.755	+0.7%
1972	0.748	-0.9%
1973	0.76	+1.6%
1974	0.763	+0.4%
1975	0.772	+1.2%
1976	0.772	+0.0%
1977	0.772	+0.0%
1978	0.773	+0.1%
1979	0.773	+0.0%
1980	0.773	+0.0%
1981	0.788	+1.9%
1982	0.793	+0.6%
1983	0.793	+0.0%
1984	0.793	+0.0%
1985	0.793	+0.0%
1986	0.79	-0.4%
1987	0.789	-0.1%
1988	0.8	+1.4%
1989	0.802	+0.3%
1990	0.802	+0.0%
1991	0.802	+0.0%
1992	0.803	+0.1%
1993	0.798	-0.6%
1994	0.801	+0.4%
1995	0.798	-0.4%
1996	0.802	+0.5%
1997	0.8	-0.2%
1998	0.798	-0.3%
1999	0.798	+0.0%
2000	0.798	+0.0%
2001	0.798	+0.0%
2002	0.801	+0.4%
2003	0.802	+0.1%
2004	0.802	+0.0%
2005	0.802	+0.0%
2006	0.802	+0.0%
2007	0.807	+0.6%
2008	0.816	+1.1%
2009	0.816	+0.0%
2010	0.816	+0.0%
2011	0.818	+0.2%
2012	0.82	+0.2%
2013	0.822	+0.2%
2014	0.821	-0.1%
2015	0.812	-1.1%
2016	0.812	+0.0%
2017	0.817	+0.6%
2018	0.802	-1.8%
2019	0.793	-1.1%
2020	0.789	-0.5%
2021	0.789	+0.0%
2022	0.807	+2.3%
2023	0.807	+0.0%
2024	0.8	-0.9%
2025	0.8	+0.0%

France compared with similar countries

France's 0.8 is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.689, 1.2× the median. (55 countries reporting)
France's 0.8 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.591, 1.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	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

6 Ireland 0.822 compare
7 Costa Rica 0.809 compare
8 Finland 0.808 compare
10 Belgium 0.794 compare
10 Czechia 0.794 compare
12 Australia 0.793 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

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)

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.

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Liberal Democracy Index in France. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/liberal-democracy-index/france/

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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.