Which has higher liberal democracy index, Norway or Sweden?

Sweden, at 0.853 against 0.847 in Norway as of 2025.

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

218 years are reported by both, from 1807 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.

Norway vs Sweden: Liberal Democracy Index

Norway

0.847

in 2025

Sweden

0.853

in 2025

Norway rank

3rd

Sweden rank

2nd

Liberal Democracy Index 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 liberal democracy index, Norway or Sweden?: Sweden, at 0.853 against 0.847 in Norway as of 2025.
What is the difference in liberal democracy index 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 liberal democracy index?: Norway 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 Liberal Democracy Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

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: 07 August 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.