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

Netherlands, at 0.969 against 0.967 in France as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for France 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.

France vs Netherlands: Rule of Law Index

France

0.967

in 2025

Netherlands

0.969

in 2025

France rank

17th

Netherlands rank

16th

Rule of Law Index over time

France
Netherlands

How they compare

Netherlands currently reports 0.969 against 0.967 in France, a difference of 0.002.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 237 shared years of data; in 1789 it was France ahead.

France ranks 17th and Netherlands ranks 16th of 176 countries.

Across the 25 decades both report, France averaged higher in 7 and Netherlands in 18.

Head to head by decade

Decade	France	Netherlands	Difference	Ahead
1780s	0.751	0.431	0.32	France
1790s	0.707	0.354	0.353	France
1800s	0.699	0.3019	0.3971	France
1810s	0.7265	0.5862	0.1403	France
1820s	0.754	0.7	0.054	France
1830s	0.753	0.6688	0.0842	France
1840s	0.7663	0.763	0.0033	France
1850s	0.7109	0.969	0.2581	Netherlands
1860s	0.7002	0.969	0.2688	Netherlands
1870s	0.8532	0.969	0.1158	Netherlands
1880s	0.863	0.969	0.106	Netherlands
1890s	0.863	0.969	0.106	Netherlands
1900s	0.8892	0.969	0.0798	Netherlands
1910s	0.8946	0.969	0.0744	Netherlands
1920s	0.896	0.969	0.073	Netherlands
1930s	0.8968	0.969	0.0722	Netherlands
1940s	0.7023	0.9407	0.2384	Netherlands
1950s	0.9246	0.9828	0.0582	Netherlands
1960s	0.9407	0.985	0.0443	Netherlands
1970s	0.9596	0.9848	0.0252	Netherlands
1980s	0.9637	0.984	0.0203	Netherlands
1990s	0.9644	0.984	0.0196	Netherlands
2000s	0.9662	0.9845	0.0183	Netherlands
2010s	0.967	0.9831	0.0161	Netherlands
2020s	0.9638	0.9778	0.014	Netherlands

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher rule of law index, France or Netherlands?: Netherlands, at 0.969 against 0.967 in France as of 2025.
What is the difference in rule of law index between France and Netherlands?: 0.002, with Netherlands ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for France and Netherlands?: 237 years are reported by both, from 1789 to 2025.
How do France and Netherlands rank globally for rule of law index?: France ranks 17th 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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France 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/france/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.