Compliance
RGAA Compliance Rate: Formula, Interpretation, and Thresholds
The RGAA compliance rate is calculated by dividing the number of successfully met accessibility criteria by the number of criteria applicable to your website. Compliant means 100%, partially compliant at least 50%, and non-compliant below that. Since January 2026, the 80% threshold grants access to the SIG accreditation for public bodies.
The short answer
The RGAA compliance rate is a fraction: compliant criteria divided by applicable criteria, expressed as a percentage. A 100% rate = compliant. From 50% without reaching 100% = partially compliant, eligible for declaration. Below 50% = non-compliant. The rate does not indicate the actual severity of defects nor does it equate to the real accessibility perceived by users.
The official formula: what it truly measures
accessibilite.numerique.gouv.fr publishes the basic formula: rate = (compliant criteria / applicable criteria) × 100. This division is based on two filters.
Applicable criteria: the numerator of the formula
A criterion is only counted if it applies to your website. A criterion regarding audio does not exist if you have no audio. A criterion on videos does not exist if you do not offer any. This “non-applicability” excludes the criterion from the denominator. A website without audio or video can therefore achieve 100% even if it would fail that specific criterion, as the criterion does not apply to it.
Compliant criteria: the impact on your rate
A criterion is compliant if all associated automated and manual tests pass. A single failed criterion on one page causes the overall criterion to fail: RGAA criteria are assessed at the entire site level, not page by page. If the homepage fails the contrast test, the “sufficient contrast” criterion is non-compliant for the entire site, even if 99 other pages pass.
No average by page
Common misconception: the rate is not calculated page by page and then averaged. It is a single audit of the entire site. Two auditors may obtain different rates if one of the audited pages varies or if the interpretation of a criterion differs. Hence the importance of documenting exactly which pages were tested. This traceability also allows the audit to be reproduced, subsequent results to be compared, and the origin of any rate variation to be precisely identified.
Compliant (100%), partially compliant (from 50% without reaching 100%), and non-compliant (less than 50%)
The law at accessibilité.numerique.gouv.fr defines three legal statuses.
- Compliant: 100% of applicable criteria met. Mandatory declaration displaying “compliant”.
- Partially compliant: from 50% without reaching 100%. Mandatory declaration displaying “partially compliant” and listing unresolved deficiencies.
- Non-compliant: less than 50%. Mandatory declaration displaying “non-compliant”. The organisation must provide an alternative (accessible version, contact for assistance).
These legal thresholds do not indicate real ease of use. A website just above the partial compliance threshold may be completely inaccessible if the failed criteria relate to keyboard navigation (critical). A nearly compliant website may block certain users on a very specific point. The declaration must also list major deficiencies and provide an assistance channel.
The 80% threshold: change in January 2026
Since January 1, 2026, the 80% threshold determines eligibility for the “Geographical Intervention Sector” (SIG) accreditation for public bodies. Public websites that comply with at least 80% and display a complete accessibility statement may obtain accreditation, which streamlines subsequent compliance checks.
Note: 80% is not a new legal compliance threshold. A public website just below 80% remains legally required to declare itself “partially compliant,” publish its accessibility statement, and provide an accessible alternative. The 80% threshold is an administrative criterion for easing controls, not a reduction in the compliance obligation.
Why two audits can yield two different rates
The RGAA compliance rate may seem objective, but several factors create real discrepancies.
- Page selection: auditing the homepage, 5 content pages, and the contact form does not yield the same result as auditing 50 pages. Missing criteria are only discovered when tested.
- Interpretation of underlying WCAG criteria: for example, “sufficient contrast” requires interpreting borderline grey levels. Two auditors may reach different conclusions on a neutral grey.
- Manual criteria: a criterion on the relevance of heading tags cannot be automated. One auditor may see a logical structure where another finds it confusing.
- State of the site at the time of the audit: a JavaScript bug that hides a colour on the day of the audit may not recur the next day.
Compliance may vary slightly depending on the audit’s rigour and the site’s consistency.
What the RGAA compliance rate doesn’t tell you
An intermediate rate looks toward the abstract. It masks the real user experience.
- Severity of defects: does a defect block navigation or is it a missing image label? The rate treats both the same.
- Affected user groups: two sites with 80% compliance may disadvantage completely different populations, one may be inaccessible to visually impaired users, the other to deaf users.
- Perceived accessibility: a site may pass nearly all automated tests but remain confusing for a visually impaired user navigating by voice. Manual tests require real users in actual situations.
- Maintainability: a score measured one day is only valid if best practices continue. A CMS change can break compliance in a single update.
This is why it’s important to see the rate as a reference point, not a final guarantee. Inclaria offers a free scan that produces a rate AND details the failed criteria, prioritized by impact: this is more useful than a single percentage.
Accessibility statement and compliance rate: what you must publish
Article 54 of the French Disability Act requires a visible accessibility statement by 28 June 2025 for public websites, and by 28 June 2030 for sufficiently large private websites (turnover exceeding €250 million or workforce exceeding 250 employees). This statement must include:
- The overall RGAA compliance rate and its audit date.
- The status: compliant, partially compliant, or non-compliant.
- The list of non-compliant criteria and how to resolve them (for partially compliant or non-compliant websites).
- A means of contacting the organisation to report an accessibility issue.
- Information on recourse to the CNIL if your website is not accessible and you do not remedy it.
This statement is not a confidential form: it must be public and easy to find (often in the footer).
Frequently asked questions
How is the RGAA compliance rate calculated exactly?
Rate = (number of compliant criteria / number of criteria applicable to the site) × 100. Non-applicable criteria (e.g., audio if the site has none) are excluded from the denominator. A site without audio content can achieve 100% without passing the audio test. A single failed criterion on a single page renders the criterion globally non-compliant.
What changes with the 80% threshold in 2026?
Since January 1, 2026, public websites reaching 80% compliance and displaying a complete declaration can obtain SIG accreditation, which facilitates future inspections. However, 80% is not a new reduction of the legal obligation: a site just below 80% remains legally partially compliant and must declare its shortcomings.
Are two websites with the same compliance rate equally accessible?
No. Two websites with the same intermediate rate may have entirely different shortcomings: one inaccessible to keyboard users, the other to screen readers. The rate reflects criterion coverage, not their severity. Only an analysis of specific failures reveals what truly blocks users.
What should be done if the compliance rate is below 50%?
You are legally required to visibly declare the "non-compliant" status on your website, list major shortcomings, and provide an alternative (contact, plain text version, on-demand assistance). You are not automatically penalised, but if an affected party reports discrimination, the CNIL may intervene.
Can the compliance rate change without modifications to the website?
Yes. If a CMS update alters the HTML or CSS, the rate may drop. If two auditors interpret a manual criterion differently, the rate may vary slightly. A new audit testing more pages may uncover previously ignored issues. This is why the audit date must be included in the declaration.
Compliant, partially compliant, non-compliant: what is the legal difference?
Compliant (100%): fully meets the obligation, follows best practices. Partially compliant (from 50% up to but not reaching 100%): substantially meets the obligation, minor shortcomings legally accepted. Non-compliant (below 50%): fails to meet the obligation, requires an alternative and contact for assistance. All three statuses require a public declaration.
Related definitions
Read next
Start with a free scan
Get your accessibility score, your priority issues and the missing statement in seconds.
Scan my site