Norway vs Sweden: Key features of liberal democracy
Norway
0.847
in 2025
Sweden
0.853
in 2025
Norway rank
3rd
Sweden rank
2nd
Key features of liberal democracy over time
- Norway
- Sweden
How they compare
Sweden currently reports 0.853 against 0.847 in Norway, a difference of 0.006.
The two have swapped places 8 times across 218 shared years of data; in 1807 it was Sweden ahead.
Norway ranks 3rd and Sweden ranks 2nd of 176 countries.
Across the 23 decades both report, Norway averaged higher in 7 and Sweden in 16.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Norway | Sweden | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1800s | 0.095 | 0.2427 | 0.1477 | Sweden |
| 1810s | 0.1598 | 0.2804 | 0.1207 | Sweden |
| 1820s | 0.2102 | 0.2845 | 0.0743 | Sweden |
| 1830s | 0.221 | 0.2874 | 0.0664 | Sweden |
| 1840s | 0.2419 | 0.3095 | 0.0676 | Sweden |
| 1850s | 0.2638 | 0.3174 | 0.0536 | Sweden |
| 1860s | 0.276 | 0.3246 | 0.0486 | Sweden |
| 1870s | 0.2827 | 0.3286 | 0.0459 | Sweden |
| 1880s | 0.3381 | 0.3316 | 0.0065 | Norway |
| 1890s | 0.382 | 0.3333 | 0.0487 | Norway |
| 1900s | 0.4429 | 0.3341 | 0.1088 | Norway |
| 1910s | 0.5726 | 0.3747 | 0.1979 | Norway |
| 1920s | 0.635 | 0.6102 | 0.0248 | Norway |
| 1930s | 0.6415 | 0.6448 | 0.0033 | Sweden |
| 1940s | 0.3633 | 0.6589 | 0.2956 | Sweden |
| 1950s | 0.7289 | 0.7218 | 0.0071 | Norway |
| 1960s | 0.7803 | 0.7275 | 0.0528 | Norway |
| 1970s | 0.8044 | 0.8522 | 0.0478 | Sweden |
| 1980s | 0.8286 | 0.8733 | 0.0447 | Sweden |
| 1990s | 0.8465 | 0.8779 | 0.0314 | Sweden |
| 2000s | 0.8615 | 0.8781 | 0.0166 | Sweden |
| 2010s | 0.862 | 0.88 | 0.018 | Sweden |
| 2020s | 0.8433 | 0.8572 | 0.0138 | Sweden |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher key features of liberal democracy, Norway or Sweden?
- Sweden, at 0.853 against 0.847 in Norway as of 2025.
- What is the difference in key features of liberal democracy between Norway and Sweden?
- 0.006, with Sweden ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Norway and Sweden?
- 218 years are reported by both, from 1807 to 2025.
- How do Norway and Sweden rank globally for key features of liberal democracy?
- Norway ranks 3rd and Sweden ranks 2nd of 176 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- V-Dem (2026) β processed by 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.
Individual pages
About this data
Central estimate of the extent of suffrage, the freedom and fairness of elections, freedoms of association and expression, individual and minority rights, equality before the law, and executive constraints.