Distribution of Democracy Index in Sweden
Sweden: Distribution of Democracy Index was 20 in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Distribution of Democracy Index in Sweden, 1800–2018
Source: Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2018, distribution of democracy index in Sweden stood at 20. That is the highest value across all 219 years on record.
The figure is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, distribution of democracy index in Sweden peaked at 20 in 1917 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1800.
That places Sweden 1st out of 167 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1800s | 0.1 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| 1810s | 1.8 | 1 | 2 | 10 |
| 1820s | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| 1830s | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| 1840s | 2.8 | 2 | 3 | 10 |
| 1850s | 4 | 3 | 5 | 10 |
| 1860s | 5 | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| 1870s | 6 | 6 | 6 | 10 |
| 1880s | 6 | 6 | 6 | 10 |
| 1890s | 6 | 6 | 6 | 10 |
| 1900s | 6.7 | 6 | 10 | 10 |
| 1910s | 16.5 | 11 | 20 | 10 |
| 1920s | 20 | 20 | 20 | 10 |
| 1930s | 20 | 20 | 20 | 10 |
| 1940s | 20 | 20 | 20 | 10 |
| 1950s | 20 | 20 | 20 | 10 |
| 1960s | 20 | 20 | 20 | 10 |
| 1970s | 20 | 20 | 20 | 10 |
| 1980s | 20 | 20 | 20 | 10 |
| 1990s | 20 | 20 | 20 | 10 |
| 2000s | 20 | 20 | 20 | 10 |
| 2010s | 20 | 20 | 20 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Sweden
- 1 Australia 20 compare
- 1 Austria 20 compare
- 1 Canada 20 compare
- 1 Cape Verde 20 compare
- 1 Chile 20 compare
- 1 Costa Rica 20 compare
- 1 Cyprus 20 compare
- 1 Denmark 20 compare
- 1 Finland 20 compare
- 1 France 20 compare
- 1 Germany 20 compare
- 1 Greece 20 compare
- 1 Hungary 20 compare
- 1 Italy 20 compare
- 1 Japan 20 compare
- 1 Lithuania 20 compare
- 1 Mauritius 20 compare
- 1 Mongolia 20 compare
- 1 Netherlands 20 compare
- 1 New Zealand 20 compare
- 1 Norway 20 compare
- 1 Poland 20 compare
- 1 Portugal 20 compare
- 1 Slovakia 20 compare
- 1 Slovenia 20 compare
- 1 Spain 20 compare
- 1 Switzerland 20 compare
- 1 Taiwan 20 compare
- 1 Uruguay 20 compare
More social development data for Sweden
- Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 144,116 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 128 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Key features of democracy 0.889 (2025)
- Freedom of Expression Index 0.946 (2025)
- Freedom of Association Index 0.931 (2025)
- Electoral Democracy Index 0.889 (2025)
- Participatory Democracy Index 0.635 (2025)
- Liberal Democracy Index 0.853 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is distribution of democracy index in Sweden?
- Distribution of democracy index in Sweden was 20 in 2018, according to Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest distribution of democracy index recorded in Sweden?
- The highest recorded value was 20 in 1917.
- What is the lowest distribution of democracy index recorded in Sweden?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1800.
- How does Sweden rank for distribution of democracy index?
- Sweden ranks 1st out of 167 countries with data for 2018.
- Is distribution of democracy index rising or falling in Sweden?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sweden data come from?
- The figures come from Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Distribution of Democracy Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 219 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
It combines information on the extent to which open, multi-party, and competitive elections choose a chief executive who faces comprehensive institutional constraints, and political participation is competitive. It ranges from 0 to 20 (fully democratic).