Belgium vs Netherlands: Rule of law index
Belgium
0.964
in 2025
Netherlands
0.969
in 2025
Belgium rank
16th
Netherlands rank
14th
Rule of law index over time
- Belgium
- Netherlands
How they compare
Netherlands currently reports 0.969 against 0.964 in Belgium, a difference of 0.005.
The two have swapped places 7 times across 237 shared years of data; in 1789 it was Belgium ahead.
Belgium ranks 16th and Netherlands ranks 14th of 173 countries.
Across the 25 decades both report, Belgium averaged higher in 9 and Netherlands in 15.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Belgium | Netherlands | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1780s | 0.795 | 0.431 | 0.364 | Belgium |
| 1790s | 0.77 | 0.354 | 0.416 | Belgium |
| 1800s | 0.699 | 0.3019 | 0.3971 | Belgium |
| 1810s | 0.6626 | 0.5862 | 0.0764 | Belgium |
| 1820s | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0 | — |
| 1830s | 0.9581 | 0.6688 | 0.2893 | Belgium |
| 1840s | 0.965 | 0.763 | 0.202 | Belgium |
| 1850s | 0.965 | 0.969 | 0.004 | Netherlands |
| 1860s | 0.965 | 0.969 | 0.004 | Netherlands |
| 1870s | 0.965 | 0.969 | 0.004 | Netherlands |
| 1880s | 0.965 | 0.969 | 0.004 | Netherlands |
| 1890s | 0.965 | 0.969 | 0.004 | Netherlands |
| 1900s | 0.965 | 0.969 | 0.004 | Netherlands |
| 1910s | 0.9508 | 0.969 | 0.0182 | Netherlands |
| 1920s | 0.97 | 0.969 | 0.001 | Belgium |
| 1930s | 0.97 | 0.969 | 0.001 | Belgium |
| 1940s | 0.9554 | 0.9407 | 0.0147 | Belgium |
| 1950s | 0.974 | 0.9828 | 0.0088 | Netherlands |
| 1960s | 0.9768 | 0.985 | 0.0082 | Netherlands |
| 1970s | 0.979 | 0.9848 | 0.0058 | Netherlands |
| 1980s | 0.9788 | 0.984 | 0.0052 | Netherlands |
| 1990s | 0.976 | 0.984 | 0.008 | Netherlands |
| 2000s | 0.979 | 0.9845 | 0.0055 | Netherlands |
| 2010s | 0.9783 | 0.9831 | 0.0048 | Netherlands |
| 2020s | 0.9723 | 0.9778 | 0.0055 | Netherlands |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher rule of law index, Belgium or Netherlands?
- Netherlands, at 0.969 against 0.964 in Belgium as of 2025.
- What is the difference in rule of law index between Belgium and Netherlands?
- 0.005, with Netherlands ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Belgium and Netherlands?
- 237 years are reported by both, from 1789 to 2025.
- How do Belgium and Netherlands rank globally for rule of law index?
- Belgium ranks 16th and Netherlands ranks 14th of 173 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Our World in Data, published as Rule of law index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.