Finland vs Sweden: Liberal democracy
Finland
3
in 2025
Sweden
3
in 2025
Finland rank
1st
Sweden rank
1st
Liberal democracy over time
- Finland
- Sweden
How they compare
Finland currently reports 3 against 3 in Sweden, a difference of 0.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 183 shared years of data; in 1789 it was Sweden ahead.
Finland ranks 1st and Sweden ranks 1st of 176 countries.
Across the 20 decades both report, Finland averaged higher in 1 and Sweden in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Finland | Sweden | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1780s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1790s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1800s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1860s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1870s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1880s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1890s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1900s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1910s | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.2 | Finland |
| 1920s | 2 | 2.6 | 0.6 | Sweden |
| 1930s | 2 | 3 | 1 | Sweden |
| 1940s | 1.8 | 3 | 1.2 | Sweden |
| 1950s | 3 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 1960s | 3 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 1970s | 3 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 1980s | 3 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 1990s | 3 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 2000s | 3 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 2010s | 3 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 2020s | 3 | 3 | 0 | — |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher liberal democracy, Finland or Sweden?
- Finland, at 3 against 3 in Sweden as of 2025.
- What is the difference in liberal democracy between Finland and Sweden?
- 0, with Finland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Finland and Sweden?
- 183 years are reported by both, from 1789 to 2025.
- How do Finland and Sweden rank globally for liberal democracy?
- Finland ranks 1st and Sweden ranks 1st of 176 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Liberal democracy. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Identifies the political regime of a country by distinguishing between closed autocracies, electoral autocracies, electoral democracies, and liberal democracies.