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Political Civil Liberties Index in Belgium

Belgium: Political Civil Liberties Index was 0.963 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
0.963
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
5th
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.97
in 2008
All-time low
0.116
in 1800
Years of data
237
1789–2025

Political Civil Liberties Index in Belgium, 1789–2025

0.20.40.60.81178919072025

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for political civil liberties index in Belgium is 0.963, measured in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, political civil liberties index in Belgium peaked at 0.97 in 2008 and was at its lowest, 0.116, in 1800.

That places Belgium 5th out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 237 years of available data.

Political Civil Liberties Index in Belgium, year by year

Year Value Change
1789 0.265 —
1790 0.265 +0.0%
1791 0.265 +0.0%
1792 0.265 +0.0%
1793 0.265 +0.0%
1794 0.233 -12.1%
1795 0.208 -10.7%
1796 0.435 +109.1%
1797 0.435 +0.0%
1798 0.435 +0.0%
1799 0.471 +8.3%
1800 0.116 -75.4%
1801 0.116 +0.0%
1802 0.116 +0.0%
1803 0.116 +0.0%
1804 0.116 +0.0%
1805 0.116 +0.0%
1806 0.116 +0.0%
1807 0.116 +0.0%
1808 0.116 +0.0%
1809 0.116 +0.0%
1810 0.116 +0.0%
1811 0.116 +0.0%
1812 0.116 +0.0%
1813 0.116 +0.0%
1814 0.144 +24.1%
1815 0.387 +168.8%
1816 0.438 +13.2%
1817 0.438 +0.0%
1818 0.438 +0.0%
1819 0.438 +0.0%
1820 0.438 +0.0%
1821 0.438 +0.0%
1822 0.438 +0.0%
1823 0.438 +0.0%
1824 0.438 +0.0%
1825 0.438 +0.0%
1826 0.438 +0.0%
1827 0.438 +0.0%
1828 0.438 +0.0%
1829 0.438 +0.0%
1830 0.608 +38.8%
1831 0.648 +6.6%
1832 0.648 +0.0%
1833 0.648 +0.0%
1834 0.648 +0.0%
1835 0.648 +0.0%
1836 0.648 +0.0%
1837 0.648 +0.0%
1838 0.648 +0.0%
1839 0.648 +0.0%
1840 0.811 +25.2%
1841 0.811 +0.0%
1842 0.811 +0.0%
1843 0.811 +0.0%
1844 0.811 +0.0%
1845 0.811 +0.0%
1846 0.811 +0.0%
1847 0.853 +5.2%
1848 0.853 +0.0%
1849 0.853 +0.0%
1850 0.853 +0.0%
1851 0.853 +0.0%
1852 0.853 +0.0%
1853 0.853 +0.0%
1854 0.853 +0.0%
1855 0.853 +0.0%
1856 0.853 +0.0%
1857 0.853 +0.0%
1858 0.853 +0.0%
1859 0.853 +0.0%
1860 0.853 +0.0%
1861 0.853 +0.0%
1862 0.853 +0.0%
1863 0.853 +0.0%
1864 0.853 +0.0%
1865 0.853 +0.0%
1866 0.853 +0.0%
1867 0.853 +0.0%
1868 0.853 +0.0%
1869 0.853 +0.0%
1870 0.853 +0.0%
1871 0.853 +0.0%
1872 0.853 +0.0%
1873 0.853 +0.0%
1874 0.853 +0.0%
1875 0.853 +0.0%
1876 0.853 +0.0%
1877 0.853 +0.0%
1878 0.853 +0.0%
1879 0.853 +0.0%
1880 0.853 +0.0%
1881 0.853 +0.0%
1882 0.853 +0.0%
1883 0.853 +0.0%
1884 0.853 +0.0%
1885 0.853 +0.0%
1886 0.834 -2.2%
1887 0.834 +0.0%
1888 0.834 +0.0%
1889 0.834 +0.0%
1890 0.834 +0.0%
1891 0.834 +0.0%
1892 0.834 +0.0%
1893 0.856 +2.6%
1894 0.886 +3.5%
1895 0.886 +0.0%
1896 0.886 +0.0%
1897 0.886 +0.0%
1898 0.886 +0.0%
1899 0.886 +0.0%
1900 0.899 +1.5%
1901 0.899 +0.0%
1902 0.899 +0.0%
1903 0.899 +0.0%
1904 0.899 +0.0%
1905 0.899 +0.0%
1906 0.899 +0.0%
1907 0.899 +0.0%
1908 0.899 +0.0%
1909 0.899 +0.0%
1910 0.899 +0.0%
1911 0.899 +0.0%
1912 0.899 +0.0%
1913 0.891 -0.9%
1914 0.53 -40.5%
1915 0.525 -0.9%
1916 0.525 +0.0%
1917 0.525 +0.0%
1918 0.627 +19.4%
1919 0.884 +41.0%
1920 0.892 +0.9%
1921 0.892 +0.0%
1922 0.892 +0.0%
1923 0.892 +0.0%
1924 0.892 +0.0%
1925 0.892 +0.0%
1926 0.892 +0.0%
1927 0.892 +0.0%
1928 0.892 +0.0%
1929 0.892 +0.0%
1930 0.886 -0.7%
1931 0.886 +0.0%
1932 0.886 +0.0%
1933 0.886 +0.0%
1934 0.886 +0.0%
1935 0.886 +0.0%
1936 0.886 +0.0%
1937 0.897 +1.2%
1938 0.897 +0.0%
1939 0.897 +0.0%
1940 0.482 -46.3%
1941 0.366 -24.1%
1942 0.361 -1.4%
1943 0.361 +0.0%
1944 0.364 +0.8%
1945 0.779 +114.0%
1946 0.928 +19.1%
1947 0.928 +0.0%
1948 0.928 +0.0%
1949 0.928 +0.0%
1950 0.94 +1.3%
1951 0.94 +0.0%
1952 0.94 +0.0%
1953 0.94 +0.0%
1954 0.94 +0.0%
1955 0.94 +0.0%
1956 0.94 +0.0%
1957 0.94 +0.0%
1958 0.94 +0.0%
1959 0.94 +0.0%
1960 0.94 +0.0%
1961 0.94 +0.0%
1962 0.943 +0.3%
1963 0.943 +0.0%
1964 0.943 +0.0%
1965 0.943 +0.0%
1966 0.943 +0.0%
1967 0.943 +0.0%
1968 0.943 +0.0%
1969 0.943 +0.0%
1970 0.943 +0.0%
1971 0.943 +0.0%
1972 0.943 +0.0%
1973 0.943 +0.0%
1974 0.943 +0.0%
1975 0.943 +0.0%
1976 0.943 +0.0%
1977 0.943 +0.0%
1978 0.943 +0.0%
1979 0.943 +0.0%
1980 0.956 +1.4%
1981 0.95 -0.6%
1982 0.95 +0.0%
1983 0.95 +0.0%
1984 0.95 +0.0%
1985 0.95 +0.0%
1986 0.95 +0.0%
1987 0.95 +0.0%
1988 0.95 +0.0%
1989 0.955 +0.5%
1990 0.964 +0.9%
1991 0.964 +0.0%
1992 0.964 +0.0%
1993 0.964 +0.0%
1994 0.964 +0.0%
1995 0.968 +0.4%
1996 0.968 +0.0%
1997 0.968 +0.0%
1998 0.968 +0.0%
1999 0.968 +0.0%
2000 0.968 +0.0%
2001 0.968 +0.0%
2002 0.968 +0.0%
2003 0.968 +0.0%
2004 0.962 -0.6%
2005 0.967 +0.5%
2006 0.967 +0.0%
2007 0.967 +0.0%
2008 0.97 +0.3%
2009 0.97 +0.0%
2010 0.97 +0.0%
2011 0.97 +0.0%
2012 0.97 +0.0%
2013 0.97 +0.0%
2014 0.97 +0.0%
2015 0.97 +0.0%
2016 0.97 +0.0%
2017 0.968 -0.2%
2018 0.968 +0.0%
2019 0.968 +0.0%
2020 0.963 -0.5%
2021 0.959 -0.4%
2022 0.964 +0.5%
2023 0.964 +0.0%
2024 0.963 -0.1%
2025 0.963 +0.0%

Belgium compared with similar countries

  • Belgium's 0.963 is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.893, 1.1× the median. (55 countries reporting)
  • Belgium's 0.963 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.8515, 1.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1780s 0.265 0.265 0.265 1
1790s 0.3277 0.208 0.471 10
1800s 0.116 0.116 0.116 10
1810s 0.2747 0.116 0.438 10
1820s 0.438 0.438 0.438 10
1830s 0.644 0.608 0.648 10
1840s 0.8236 0.811 0.853 10
1850s 0.853 0.853 0.853 10
1860s 0.853 0.853 0.853 10
1870s 0.853 0.853 0.853 10
1880s 0.8454 0.834 0.853 10
1890s 0.8674 0.834 0.886 10
1900s 0.899 0.899 0.899 10
1910s 0.7204 0.525 0.899 10
1920s 0.892 0.892 0.892 10
1930s 0.8893 0.886 0.897 10
1940s 0.6425 0.361 0.928 10
1950s 0.94 0.94 0.94 10
1960s 0.9424 0.94 0.943 10
1970s 0.943 0.943 0.943 10
1980s 0.9511 0.95 0.956 10
1990s 0.966 0.964 0.968 10
2000s 0.9675 0.962 0.97 10
2010s 0.9694 0.968 0.97 10
2020s 0.9627 0.959 0.964 6

Countries ranked near Belgium

  1. 2 Switzerland 0.969 compare
  2. 3 Ireland 0.967 compare
  3. 4 Estonia 0.966 compare
  4. 6 Sweden 0.96 compare
  5. 7 Luxembourg 0.956 compare
  6. 8 Norway 0.955 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More reference data data for Belgium

All data for Belgium →

Frequently asked questions

What is political civil liberties index in Belgium?
Political civil liberties index in Belgium was 0.963 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest political civil liberties index recorded in Belgium?
The highest recorded value was 0.97 in 2008.
What is the lowest political civil liberties index recorded in Belgium?
The lowest recorded value was 0.116 in 1800.
How does Belgium rank for political civil liberties index?
Belgium ranks 5th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is political civil liberties index rising or falling in Belgium?
Over the last ten years it is down 0.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Belgium data come from?
The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Political Civil Liberties Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Political Civil Liberties Index in Belgium. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 29 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/political-civil-liberties-index/belgium/

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About this data

Indicator
Political Civil Liberties Index
Source
V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
176 places, 30,211 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed

Central estimate of the extent to which people enjoy the freedoms of expression and association.