Netherlands vs Sweden: Liberal democracy
Netherlands
3
in 2025
Sweden
3
in 2025
Netherlands rank
1st
Sweden rank
1st
Liberal democracy over time
- Netherlands
- Sweden
How they compare
Netherlands currently reports 3 against 3 in Sweden, a difference of 0.
The two have swapped places 6 times across 237 shared years of data; in 1789 it was Sweden ahead.
Netherlands ranks 1st and Sweden ranks 1st of 176 countries.
Across the 25 decades both report, Netherlands averaged higher in 10 and Sweden in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Netherlands | Sweden | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1780s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1790s | 0.3 | 0 | 0.3 | Netherlands |
| 1800s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1810s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1820s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1830s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1840s | 0.2 | 0 | 0.2 | Netherlands |
| 1850s | 1 | 0 | 1 | Netherlands |
| 1860s | 1 | 0 | 1 | Netherlands |
| 1870s | 1 | 0 | 1 | Netherlands |
| 1880s | 1 | 0 | 1 | Netherlands |
| 1890s | 1 | 0 | 1 | Netherlands |
| 1900s | 1 | 0 | 1 | Netherlands |
| 1910s | 1.4 | 0.3 | 1.1 | Netherlands |
| 1920s | 3 | 2.6 | 0.4 | Netherlands |
| 1930s | 3 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 1940s | 1.2 | 3 | 1.8 | 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, Netherlands or Sweden?
- Netherlands, at 3 against 3 in Sweden as of 2025.
- What is the difference in liberal democracy between Netherlands and Sweden?
- 0, with Netherlands ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Netherlands and Sweden?
- 237 years are reported by both, from 1789 to 2025.
- How do Netherlands and Sweden rank globally for liberal democracy?
- Netherlands 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.