What is democracy in France?

Democracy in France was 2 in 2018, according to Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest democracy recorded in France?

The highest recorded value was 2 in 1848.

What is the lowest democracy recorded in France?

The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1800.

How does France rank for democracy?

France ranks 1st out of 167 countries with data for 2018.

Is democracy rising or falling in France?

Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.

Where does this France data come from?

The figures come from Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Democracy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Democracy in France

Name: Democracy in France
Creator: Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

France: Democracy was 2 in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)

Change on year

unchanged

World rank

1st

of 167 countries

All-time high

in 1848

All-time low

in 1800

Years of data

215

1800–2018

Democracy in France, 1800–2018

Source: Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2018, democracy in France stood at 2. That is the highest value across all 215 years on record.

The figure is unchanged over ten years.

Over the whole period, democracy in France peaked at 2 in 1848 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1800.

That places France 1st out of 167 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 215 years of available data.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1800s	0	0	0	10
1810s	0.6	0	1	10
1820s	1	1	1	10
1830s	1	1	1	10
1840s	1.2	1	2	10
1850s	0.3	0	2	10
1860s	0.1	0	1	10
1870s	1.4	1	2	10
1880s	2	2	2	10
1890s	2	2	2	10
1900s	2	2	2	10
1910s	2	2	2	10
1920s	2	2	2	10
1930s	2	2	2	10
1940s	2	2	2	6
1950s	1.8	1	2	10
1960s	1.5	1	2	10
1970s	2	2	2	10
1980s	2	2	2	10
1990s	2	2	2	10
2000s	2	2	2	10
2010s	2	2	2	9

Countries ranked near France

See the full ranking of 168 places →

More reference data data for France

Spring temperature anomalies 0.5862 °C (2026)
Summer temperature anomalies 3.31 °C (2026)
Temperature anomalies by month 0.1356 °C (2026)
Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
Autumn temperature anomalies -0.3048 °C (2025)
Winter temperature anomalies 1.2 °C (2025)
Consumer price index 127.7 2010 = 100 (2025)
Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
Competitive elections 1 (2025)
Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)

All data for France →

Frequently asked questions

What is democracy in France?: Democracy in France was 2 in 2018, according to Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest democracy recorded in France?: The highest recorded value was 2 in 1848.
What is the lowest democracy recorded in France?: The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1800.
How does France rank for democracy?: France ranks 1st out of 167 countries with data for 2018.
Is democracy rising or falling in France?: Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this France data come from?: The figures come from Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Democracy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 215 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator: Democracy
Source: Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 168 places, 18,392 data points, 1776–2020
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

Identifies the political regime of a country using the Polity 5 data by the Center for Systemic Peace. It distinguishes between autocracies (score 0), anocracies (score 1), and democracies (score 2).