Norway vs Sweden: Age of liberal democracy
Norway
80 years
in 2025
Sweden
104 years
in 2025
Norway rank
8th
Sweden rank
5th
Age of liberal democracy over time
- Norway
- Sweden
How they compare
Sweden currently reports 104 years against 80 years in Norway, a difference of 24 years.
That makes Sweden's figure about 1.3 times Norway's.
Across all 80 years both countries report, Sweden has been ahead every year.
Norway ranks 8th and Sweden ranks 5th of 47 countries.
Sweden has averaged higher in every one of the 9 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Norway | Sweden | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 2.5 years | 26.5 years | 24 years | Sweden |
| 1950s | 9.5 years | 33.5 years | 24 years | Sweden |
| 1960s | 19.5 years | 43.5 years | 24 years | Sweden |
| 1970s | 29.5 years | 53.5 years | 24 years | Sweden |
| 1980s | 39.5 years | 63.5 years | 24 years | Sweden |
| 1990s | 49.5 years | 73.5 years | 24 years | Sweden |
| 2000s | 59.5 years | 83.5 years | 24 years | Sweden |
| 2010s | 69.5 years | 93.5 years | 24 years | Sweden |
| 2020s | 77.5 years | 101.5 years | 24 years | Sweden |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher age of liberal democracy, Norway or Sweden?
- Sweden, at 104 years against 80 years in Norway as of 2025.
- What is the difference in age of liberal democracy between Norway and Sweden?
- 24 years, with Sweden ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Norway and Sweden?
- 80 years are reported by both, from 1946 to 2025.
- How do Norway and Sweden rank globally for age of liberal democracy?
- Norway ranks 8th 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.