France vs United States: Civil liberties rating
France
2
in 2025
United States
2
in 2025
France rank
121st
United States rank
121st
Civil liberties rating over time
- France
- United States
How they compare
France currently reports 2 against 2 in United States, a difference of 0.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 53 shared years of data; in 1972 it was France ahead.
France ranks 121st and United States ranks 121st of 199 countries.
France has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | France | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.88 | 1 | 0.875 | France |
| 1980s | 2 | 1 | 1 | France |
| 1990s | 2 | 1 | 1 | France |
| 2000s | 1.2 | 1 | 0.2 | France |
| 2010s | 1.4 | 1 | 0.4 | France |
| 2020s | 2 | 2 | 0 | — |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher civil liberties rating, France or United States?
- France, at 2 against 2 in United States as of 2025.
- What is the difference in civil liberties rating between France and United States?
- 0, with France ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for France and United States?
- 53 years are reported by both, from 1972 to 2025.
- How do France and United States rank globally for civil liberties rating?
- France ranks 121st and United States ranks 121st of 199 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Civil liberties rating. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Identifies the extent of freedom of expression and association, the rule of law, and personal autonomy. Lower ratings indicate more liberties.