Which has higher human rights index, Denmark or Sweden?

Sweden, at 0.96 against 0.959 in Denmark as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for Denmark 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.

Denmark vs Sweden: Human Rights Index

Denmark

0.959

in 2025

Sweden

0.96

in 2025

Denmark rank

3rd

Sweden rank

2nd

Human Rights Index over time

Denmark
Sweden

How they compare

Sweden currently reports 0.96 against 0.959 in Denmark, a difference of 0.001.

The two have swapped places 8 times across 237 shared years of data; in 1789 it was Sweden ahead.

Denmark ranks 3rd and Sweden ranks 2nd of 176 countries.

Across the 25 decades both report, Denmark averaged higher in 12 and Sweden in 13.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Denmark	Sweden	Difference	Ahead
1780s	0.529	0.626	0.097	Sweden
1790s	0.5447	0.626	0.0813	Sweden
1800s	0.589	0.6312	0.0422	Sweden
1810s	0.589	0.696	0.107	Sweden
1820s	0.589	0.696	0.107	Sweden
1830s	0.6145	0.696	0.0815	Sweden
1840s	0.7336	0.775	0.0414	Sweden
1850s	0.907	0.776	0.131	Denmark
1860s	0.916	0.825	0.091	Denmark
1870s	0.9105	0.838	0.0725	Denmark
1880s	0.8953	0.838	0.0573	Denmark
1890s	0.901	0.838	0.063	Denmark
1900s	0.931	0.841	0.09	Denmark
1910s	0.9316	0.8472	0.0844	Denmark
1920s	0.9375	0.8921	0.0454	Denmark
1930s	0.9342	0.8969	0.0373	Denmark
1940s	0.7717	0.9071	0.1354	Sweden
1950s	0.9629	0.9461	0.0168	Denmark
1960s	0.968	0.9563	0.0117	Denmark
1970s	0.97	0.9634	0.0066	Denmark
1980s	0.97	0.9718	0.0018	Sweden
1990s	0.97	0.973	0.003	Sweden
2000s	0.97	0.9734	0.0034	Sweden
2010s	0.9657	0.9699	0.0042	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, Denmark or Sweden?: Sweden, at 0.96 against 0.959 in Denmark as of 2025.
What is the difference in human rights index between Denmark and Sweden?: 0.001, with Sweden ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Denmark and Sweden?: 237 years are reported by both, from 1789 to 2025.
How do Denmark and Sweden rank globally for human rights index?: Denmark ranks 3rd 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.

Individual pages

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: 07 August 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.