Which has higher human rights index, Belgium or Sweden?

Sweden, at 0.96 against 0.955 in Belgium as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for Belgium and Sweden?

237 years are reported by both, from 1789 to 2025.

Where does this data come from?

V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Human Rights Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Belgium vs Sweden: Human Rights Index

Belgium

0.955

in 2025

Sweden

0.96

in 2025

Belgium rank

5th

Sweden rank

2nd

Human Rights Index over time

Belgium
Sweden

How they compare

Sweden currently reports 0.96 against 0.955 in Belgium, a difference of 0.005.

The two have swapped places 4 times across 237 shared years of data; in 1789 it was Sweden ahead.

Belgium ranks 5th and Sweden ranks 2nd of 176 countries.

Across the 25 decades both report, Belgium averaged higher in 6 and Sweden in 19.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Belgium	Sweden	Difference	Ahead
1780s	0.495	0.626	0.131	Sweden
1790s	0.4978	0.626	0.1282	Sweden
1800s	0.3921	0.6312	0.2391	Sweden
1810s	0.5257	0.696	0.1703	Sweden
1820s	0.667	0.696	0.029	Sweden
1830s	0.7091	0.696	0.0131	Belgium
1840s	0.8265	0.775	0.0515	Belgium
1850s	0.837	0.776	0.061	Belgium
1860s	0.837	0.825	0.012	Belgium
1870s	0.837	0.838	0.001	Sweden
1880s	0.8338	0.838	0.0042	Sweden
1890s	0.8406	0.838	0.0026	Belgium
1900s	0.8488	0.841	0.0078	Belgium
1910s	0.6823	0.8472	0.1649	Sweden
1920s	0.853	0.8921	0.0391	Sweden
1930s	0.8565	0.8969	0.0404	Sweden
1940s	0.6707	0.9071	0.2364	Sweden
1950s	0.9305	0.9461	0.0156	Sweden
1960s	0.945	0.9563	0.0113	Sweden
1970s	0.9524	0.9634	0.011	Sweden
1980s	0.9553	0.9718	0.0165	Sweden
1990s	0.9627	0.973	0.0103	Sweden
2000s	0.9645	0.9734	0.0089	Sweden
2010s	0.9634	0.9699	0.0065	Sweden
2020s	0.9547	0.9625	0.0078	Sweden

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher human rights index, Belgium or Sweden?: Sweden, at 0.96 against 0.955 in Belgium as of 2025.
What is the difference in human rights index between Belgium and Sweden?: 0.005, with Sweden ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Belgium and Sweden?: 237 years are reported by both, from 1789 to 2025.
How do Belgium and Sweden rank globally for human rights index?: Belgium ranks 5th and Sweden ranks 2nd of 176 countries.
Where does this data come from?: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Human Rights Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Belgium vs Sweden: Human Rights Index. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 08 November 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/compare/human-rights-index-vdem/belgium/sweden/

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About this data

Indicator: Human Rights Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 30,202 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 30 October 2026

Central estimate of the extent to which people are free from government torture, political killings, and forced labor, they have property rights, and enjoy the freedoms of movement, religion, expression, and association.