Which has higher participatory democracy index, Norway or Sweden?

Norway, at 0.638 against 0.635 in Sweden as of 2025.

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

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

Norway vs Sweden: Participatory Democracy Index

Norway

0.638

in 2025

Sweden

0.635

in 2025

Norway rank

6th

Sweden rank

7th

Participatory Democracy Index over time

Norway
Sweden

How they compare

Norway currently reports 0.638 against 0.635 in Sweden, a difference of 0.003.

The two have swapped places 9 times across 219 shared years of data; in 1807 it was Sweden ahead.

Norway ranks 6th and Sweden ranks 7th of 176 countries.

Across the 23 decades both report, Norway averaged higher in 6 and Sweden in 17.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Norway	Sweden	Difference	Ahead
1800s	0.024	0.054	0.03	Sweden
1810s	0.0318	0.0643	0.0325	Sweden
1820s	0.0387	0.066	0.0273	Sweden
1830s	0.0643	0.067	0.0027	Sweden
1840s	0.1323	0.113	0.0193	Norway
1850s	0.1502	0.1217	0.0285	Norway
1860s	0.1766	0.1962	0.0196	Sweden
1870s	0.174	0.2234	0.0494	Sweden
1880s	0.2176	0.2264	0.0088	Sweden
1890s	0.2481	0.227	0.0211	Norway
1900s	0.3014	0.2344	0.067	Norway
1910s	0.4007	0.2644	0.1363	Norway
1920s	0.4582	0.4636	0.0054	Sweden
1930s	0.4559	0.4862	0.0303	Sweden
1940s	0.2909	0.5005	0.2096	Sweden
1950s	0.5593	0.5599	0.0006	Sweden
1960s	0.5861	0.57	0.0161	Norway
1970s	0.6204	0.6475	0.0271	Sweden
1980s	0.6239	0.6891	0.0652	Sweden
1990s	0.6503	0.6827	0.0324	Sweden
2000s	0.6537	0.6829	0.0292	Sweden
2010s	0.6456	0.6622	0.0166	Sweden
2020s	0.6372	0.6378	0.0007	Sweden

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher participatory democracy index, Norway or Sweden?: Norway, at 0.638 against 0.635 in Sweden as of 2025.
What is the difference in participatory democracy index between Norway and Sweden?: 0.003, with Norway ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Norway and Sweden?: 219 years are reported by both, from 1807 to 2025.
How do Norway and Sweden rank globally for participatory democracy index?: Norway ranks 6th 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.

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Norway vs Sweden: Participatory Democracy Index. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 08 November 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/compare/participatory-democracy-index/norway/sweden/

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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: 30 October 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.