New Zealand vs Sweden: Age of liberal democracy
New Zealand
113 years
in 2025
Sweden
104 years
in 2025
New Zealand rank
2nd
Sweden rank
5th
Age of liberal democracy over time
- New Zealand
- Sweden
How they compare
New Zealand currently reports 113 years against 104 years in Sweden, a difference of 9 years.
That makes New Zealand's figure about 1.1 times Sweden's.
Across all 104 years both countries report, New Zealand has been ahead every year.
New Zealand ranks 2nd and Sweden ranks 5th of 47 countries.
New Zealand has averaged higher in every one of the 11 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | New Zealand | Sweden | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 13.5 years | 4.5 years | 9 years | New Zealand |
| 1930s | 22.5 years | 13.5 years | 9 years | New Zealand |
| 1940s | 32.5 years | 23.5 years | 9 years | New Zealand |
| 1950s | 42.5 years | 33.5 years | 9 years | New Zealand |
| 1960s | 52.5 years | 43.5 years | 9 years | New Zealand |
| 1970s | 62.5 years | 53.5 years | 9 years | New Zealand |
| 1980s | 72.5 years | 63.5 years | 9 years | New Zealand |
| 1990s | 82.5 years | 73.5 years | 9 years | New Zealand |
| 2000s | 92.5 years | 83.5 years | 9 years | New Zealand |
| 2010s | 102.5 years | 93.5 years | 9 years | New Zealand |
| 2020s | 110.5 years | 101.5 years | 9 years | New Zealand |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher age of liberal democracy, New Zealand or Sweden?
- New Zealand, at 113 years against 104 years in Sweden as of 2025.
- What is the difference in age of liberal democracy between New Zealand and Sweden?
- 9 years, with New Zealand ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for New Zealand and Sweden?
- 104 years are reported by both, from 1922 to 2025.
- How do New Zealand and Sweden rank globally for age of liberal democracy?
- New Zealand ranks 2nd and Sweden ranks 5th of 47 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Age of liberal democracy. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Number of consecutive years in electoral democracy.