Which has higher liberal democracy index, Denmark or Sweden?

Denmark, at 0.884 against 0.853 in Sweden 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 Liberal Democracy Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Denmark vs Sweden: Liberal Democracy Index

Denmark

0.884

in 2025

Sweden

0.853

in 2025

Denmark rank

1st

Sweden rank

2nd

Liberal Democracy Index 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 liberal democracy index, Denmark or Sweden?: Denmark, at 0.884 against 0.853 in Sweden as of 2025.
What is the difference in liberal democracy index 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 liberal democracy index?: Denmark ranks 1st and Sweden ranks 2nd of 176 countries.
Where does this data come from?: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Liberal Democracy Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Denmark vs Sweden: Liberal Democracy Index. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/compare/liberal-democracy-index/denmark/sweden/

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About this data

Indicator: Liberal Democracy Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 28,671 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 18 September 2026

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.