Denmark vs Sweden: Key features of liberal democracy
Denmark
0.884
in 2025
Sweden
0.853
in 2025
Denmark rank
1st
Sweden rank
2nd
Key features of liberal democracy over time
- Denmark
- Sweden
How they compare
Denmark currently reports 0.884 against 0.853 in Sweden, a difference of 0.031.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 237 shared years of data; in 1789 it was Sweden ahead.
Denmark ranks 1st and Sweden ranks 2nd of 176 countries.
Across the 25 decades both report, Denmark averaged higher in 17 and Sweden in 8.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Denmark | Sweden | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1780s | 0.148 | 0.207 | 0.059 | Sweden |
| 1790s | 0.1496 | 0.2245 | 0.0749 | Sweden |
| 1800s | 0.157 | 0.2296 | 0.0726 | Sweden |
| 1810s | 0.157 | 0.2802 | 0.1232 | Sweden |
| 1820s | 0.157 | 0.2845 | 0.1275 | Sweden |
| 1830s | 0.165 | 0.2874 | 0.1224 | Sweden |
| 1840s | 0.2053 | 0.3095 | 0.1042 | Sweden |
| 1850s | 0.3686 | 0.3174 | 0.0512 | Denmark |
| 1860s | 0.3706 | 0.3246 | 0.046 | Denmark |
| 1870s | 0.3687 | 0.3286 | 0.0401 | Denmark |
| 1880s | 0.361 | 0.3316 | 0.0294 | Denmark |
| 1890s | 0.3652 | 0.3333 | 0.0319 | Denmark |
| 1900s | 0.5305 | 0.3341 | 0.1964 | Denmark |
| 1910s | 0.6537 | 0.3747 | 0.279 | Denmark |
| 1920s | 0.8218 | 0.6102 | 0.2116 | Denmark |
| 1930s | 0.8077 | 0.6448 | 0.1629 | Denmark |
| 1940s | 0.5857 | 0.6589 | 0.0732 | Sweden |
| 1950s | 0.8685 | 0.7218 | 0.1467 | Denmark |
| 1960s | 0.8733 | 0.7275 | 0.1458 | Denmark |
| 1970s | 0.8792 | 0.8522 | 0.027 | Denmark |
| 1980s | 0.8795 | 0.8733 | 0.0062 | Denmark |
| 1990s | 0.8801 | 0.8779 | 0.0022 | Denmark |
| 2000s | 0.8874 | 0.8781 | 0.0093 | Denmark |
| 2010s | 0.8927 | 0.88 | 0.0127 | Denmark |
| 2020s | 0.884 | 0.8572 | 0.0268 | Denmark |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher key features of liberal democracy, Denmark or Sweden?
- Denmark, at 0.884 against 0.853 in Sweden as of 2025.
- What is the difference in key features of liberal democracy between Denmark and Sweden?
- 0.031, with Denmark 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 key features of liberal democracy?
- Denmark ranks 1st and Sweden ranks 2nd of 176 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Our World in Data, published as Key features of liberal democracy. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.