Which has higher participatory democracy index, Australia or Sweden?

Australia, at 0.648 against 0.635 in Sweden as of 2025.

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

234 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 Participatory Democracy Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Australia vs Sweden: Participatory Democracy Index

Australia

0.648

in 2025

Sweden

0.635

in 2025

Australia rank

5th

Sweden rank

7th

Participatory Democracy Index over time

Australia
Sweden

How they compare

Australia currently reports 0.648 against 0.635 in Sweden, a difference of 0.013.

The two have swapped places 9 times across 234 shared years of data; in 1789 it was Sweden ahead.

Australia ranks 5th and Sweden ranks 7th of 176 countries.

Across the 25 decades both report, Australia averaged higher in 14 and Sweden in 11.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Australia	Sweden	Difference	Ahead
1780s	0.028	0.049	0.021	Sweden
1790s	0.028	0.0494	0.0214	Sweden
1800s	0.028	0.0505	0.0225	Sweden
1810s	0.028	0.0641	0.0361	Sweden
1820s	0.0478	0.066	0.0182	Sweden
1830s	0.07	0.067	0.003	Australia
1840s	0.0925	0.113	0.0205	Sweden
1850s	0.2003	0.1217	0.0786	Australia
1860s	0.3835	0.1962	0.1873	Australia
1870s	0.3827	0.2234	0.1593	Australia
1880s	0.3835	0.2264	0.1571	Australia
1890s	0.38	0.227	0.153	Australia
1900s	0.5324	0.2344	0.298	Australia
1910s	0.5432	0.2644	0.2788	Australia
1920s	0.5708	0.4636	0.1072	Australia
1930s	0.5623	0.4862	0.0761	Australia
1940s	0.5547	0.5005	0.0542	Australia
1950s	0.5891	0.5599	0.0292	Australia
1960s	0.5924	0.57	0.0224	Australia
1970s	0.6486	0.6475	0.0011	Australia
1980s	0.6775	0.6891	0.0116	Sweden
1990s	0.6537	0.6827	0.029	Sweden
2000s	0.6371	0.6829	0.0458	Sweden
2010s	0.6165	0.6622	0.0457	Sweden
2020s	0.6197	0.6378	0.0182	Sweden

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher participatory democracy index, Australia or Sweden?: Australia, at 0.648 against 0.635 in Sweden as of 2025.
What is the difference in participatory democracy index between Australia and Sweden?: 0.013, with Australia ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and Sweden?: 234 years are reported by both, from 1789 to 2025.
How do Australia and Sweden rank globally for participatory democracy index?: Australia ranks 5th and Sweden ranks 7th of 176 countries.
Where does this data come from?: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Participatory Democracy Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator: Participatory Democracy Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 29,363 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, as well as the extent to which citizens can engage in regional and local government, civil society organizations, and direct democracy.