Which has higher varieties of democracy, Belgium or Sweden?

Belgium, at 0.889 against 0.889 in Sweden as of 2025.

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

237 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 Varieties of democracy. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Belgium vs Sweden: Varieties of democracy

Belgium

0.889

in 2025

Sweden

0.889

in 2025

Belgium rank

3rd

Sweden rank

3rd

Varieties of democracy over time

Belgium
Sweden

How they compare

Belgium currently reports 0.889 against 0.889 in Sweden, a difference of 0.

The two have swapped places 12 times across 237 shared years of data; in 1789 it was Sweden ahead.

Belgium ranks 3rd and Sweden ranks 3rd of 176 countries.

Across the 25 decades both report, Belgium averaged higher in 9 and Sweden in 16.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Belgium	Sweden	Difference	Ahead
1780s	0.047	0.187	0.14	Sweden
1790s	0.1336	0.1898	0.0562	Sweden
1800s	0.118	0.1952	0.0772	Sweden
1810s	0.0998	0.261	0.1612	Sweden
1820s	0.098	0.2708	0.1728	Sweden
1830s	0.2588	0.2748	0.016	Sweden
1840s	0.3257	0.3065	0.0192	Belgium
1850s	0.3381	0.3078	0.0303	Belgium
1860s	0.3391	0.3095	0.0296	Belgium
1870s	0.3483	0.3133	0.035	Belgium
1880s	0.3603	0.3135	0.0468	Belgium
1890s	0.4394	0.3147	0.1247	Belgium
1900s	0.5079	0.3129	0.195	Belgium
1910s	0.3235	0.3682	0.0447	Sweden
1920s	0.4933	0.661	0.1677	Sweden
1930s	0.504	0.7	0.196	Sweden
1940s	0.3255	0.7107	0.3852	Sweden
1950s	0.7286	0.7719	0.0433	Sweden
1960s	0.8422	0.7756	0.0666	Belgium
1970s	0.8511	0.8891	0.038	Sweden
1980s	0.8595	0.9074	0.0479	Sweden
1990s	0.8787	0.9115	0.0328	Sweden
2000s	0.8863	0.9115	0.0252	Sweden
2010s	0.9007	0.9126	0.0119	Sweden
2020s	0.894	0.891	0.003	Belgium

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher varieties of democracy, Belgium or Sweden?: Belgium, at 0.889 against 0.889 in Sweden as of 2025.
What is the difference in varieties of democracy between Belgium and Sweden?: 0, with Belgium ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Belgium and Sweden?: 237 years are reported by both, from 1789 to 2025.
How do Belgium and Sweden rank globally for varieties of democracy?: Belgium ranks 3rd and Sweden ranks 3rd of 176 countries.
Where does this data come from?: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Varieties of democracy. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator: Varieties of democracy
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 29,649 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

Central estimate of the extent to which political leaders are elected under comprehensive suffrage in free and fair elections, and freedoms of association and expression are guaranteed.