What is participatory democracy index in France?

Participatory democracy index in France was 0.597 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest participatory democracy index recorded in France?

The highest recorded value was 0.659 in 2008.

What is the lowest participatory democracy index recorded in France?

The lowest recorded value was 0.05 in 1820.

How does France rank for participatory democracy index?

France ranks 12th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is participatory democracy index rising or falling in France?

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

Participatory Democracy Index in France

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

France: Participatory Democracy Index was 0.597 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)

0.597

Change on year

down 1.5%

World rank

12th

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.659

in 2008

All-time low

0.05

in 1820

Years of data

237

1789–2025

Participatory Democracy Index in France, 1789–2025

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

Analysis

In 2025, participatory democracy index in France stood at 0.597.

The figure is down 1.5% on the previous year and down 5.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, participatory democracy index in France peaked at 0.659 in 2008 and was at its lowest, 0.05, in 1820.

That places France 12th 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.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1780s	0.094	0.094	0.094	1
1790s	0.1115	0.089	0.125	10
1800s	0.0569	0.055	0.074	10
1810s	0.0566	0.051	0.059	10
1820s	0.0565	0.05	0.059	10
1830s	0.1257	0.102	0.135	10
1840s	0.1584	0.134	0.282	10
1850s	0.1404	0.118	0.282	10
1860s	0.1273	0.121	0.129	10
1870s	0.2582	0.187	0.285	10
1880s	0.3127	0.289	0.328	10
1890s	0.3264	0.324	0.331	10
1900s	0.3421	0.332	0.344	10
1910s	0.3317	0.318	0.349	10
1920s	0.3475	0.345	0.35	10
1930s	0.3426	0.331	0.346	10
1940s	0.226	0.072	0.488	10
1950s	0.4979	0.475	0.53	10
1960s	0.5667	0.523	0.593	10
1970s	0.6142	0.607	0.621	10
1980s	0.6223	0.608	0.648	10
1990s	0.6477	0.643	0.652	10
2000s	0.6538	0.65	0.659	10
2010s	0.6344	0.605	0.657	10
2020s	0.6047	0.597	0.61	6

Countries ranked near France

9 Estonia 0.621 compare
11 Costa Rica 0.606 compare
12 Finland 0.597 compare
14 Latvia 0.595 compare
15 Germany 0.593 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 asy 788,419 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 166 (2025)
Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
Key features of liberal democracy 0.8 (2025)
Varieties of democracy 0.865 (2025)
Freedom of Expression Index 0.959 (2025)
Freedom of Association Index 0.889 (2025)
Electoral Democracy Index 0.865 (2025)
Liberal democracy 3 (2025)

All data for France →

Frequently asked questions

What is participatory democracy index in France?: Participatory democracy index in France was 0.597 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest participatory democracy index recorded in France?: The highest recorded value was 0.659 in 2008.
What is the lowest participatory democracy index recorded in France?: The lowest recorded value was 0.05 in 1820.
How does France rank for participatory democracy index?: France ranks 12th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is participatory democracy index rising or falling in France?: Over the last ten years it is down 5.1%. 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 Participatory 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: Participatory Democracy Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 29,363 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

Central estimate of the extent of suffrage, the freedom and fairness of elections, freedoms of association and expression, as well as the extent to which citizens can engage in regional and local government, civil society organizations, and direct democracy.