Which has higher rule of law index, Belgium or Netherlands?

Netherlands, at 0.969 against 0.964 in Belgium as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for Belgium and Netherlands?

237 years are reported by both, from 1789 to 2025.

Where does this data come from?

V-Dem (2026) – processed by 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.

Belgium vs Netherlands: Rule of Law Index

Belgium

0.964

in 2025

Netherlands

0.969

in 2025

Belgium rank

18th

Netherlands rank

16th

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 18th and Netherlands ranks 16th of 176 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 18th and Netherlands ranks 16th of 176 countries.
Where does this data come from?: V-Dem (2026) – processed by 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.

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Belgium vs Netherlands: Rule of Law Index. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 28 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/rule-of-law-index/belgium/netherlands/

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About this data

Indicator: Rule of Law Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 30,303 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 18 September 2026

Central estimate of the extent to which the government complies with the law, courts are independent, laws transparent, justice accessible, corruption absent, and the bureaucracy is impartial.