What is freedom of expression index in Sweden?

Freedom of expression index in Sweden was 0.946 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest freedom of expression index recorded in Sweden?

The highest recorded value was 0.975 in 1990.

What is the lowest freedom of expression index recorded in Sweden?

The lowest recorded value was 0.434 in 1793.

How does Sweden rank for freedom of expression index?

Sweden ranks 10th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in Sweden?

Over the last ten years it is down 2.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.

Where does this Sweden data come from?

The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Freedom of Expression Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Freedom of Expression Index in Sweden

Name: Freedom of Expression Index in Sweden
Creator: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Sweden: Freedom of Expression Index was 0.946 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)

0.946

Change on year

unchanged

World rank

10th

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.975

in 1990

All-time low

0.434

in 1793

Years of data

237

1789–2025

Freedom of Expression Index in Sweden, 1789–2025

Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for freedom of expression index in Sweden is 0.946, measured in 2025.

The figure is down 2.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, freedom of expression index in Sweden peaked at 0.975 in 1990 and was at its lowest, 0.434, in 1793.

Sweden ranks 10th of 176 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 237 years of available data.

Freedom of Expression Index in Sweden, year by year

Annual values for Freedom of Expression Index in Sweden, 1789 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1789	0.438	—
1790	0.438	+0.0%
1791	0.438	+0.0%
1792	0.607	+38.6%
1793	0.434	-28.5%
1794	0.434	+0.0%
1795	0.434	+0.0%
1796	0.434	+0.0%
1797	0.434	+0.0%
1798	0.434	+0.0%
1799	0.434	+0.0%
1800	0.434	+0.0%
1801	0.434	+0.0%
1802	0.434	+0.0%
1803	0.434	+0.0%
1804	0.434	+0.0%
1805	0.434	+0.0%
1806	0.434	+0.0%
1807	0.434	+0.0%
1808	0.434	+0.0%
1809	0.67	+54.4%
1810	0.738	+10.1%
1811	0.738	+0.0%
1812	0.712	-3.5%
1813	0.636	-10.7%
1814	0.636	+0.0%
1815	0.636	+0.0%
1816	0.636	+0.0%
1817	0.636	+0.0%
1818	0.636	+0.0%
1819	0.636	+0.0%
1820	0.736	+15.7%
1821	0.736	+0.0%
1822	0.736	+0.0%
1823	0.736	+0.0%
1824	0.736	+0.0%
1825	0.736	+0.0%
1826	0.736	+0.0%
1827	0.736	+0.0%
1828	0.736	+0.0%
1829	0.736	+0.0%
1830	0.776	+5.4%
1831	0.776	+0.0%
1832	0.776	+0.0%
1833	0.776	+0.0%
1834	0.776	+0.0%
1835	0.776	+0.0%
1836	0.776	+0.0%
1837	0.776	+0.0%
1838	0.776	+0.0%
1839	0.776	+0.0%
1840	0.776	+0.0%
1841	0.776	+0.0%
1842	0.776	+0.0%
1843	0.776	+0.0%
1844	0.776	+0.0%
1845	0.797	+2.7%
1846	0.797	+0.0%
1847	0.797	+0.0%
1848	0.797	+0.0%
1849	0.797	+0.0%
1850	0.797	+0.0%
1851	0.797	+0.0%
1852	0.797	+0.0%
1853	0.797	+0.0%
1854	0.797	+0.0%
1855	0.797	+0.0%
1856	0.797	+0.0%
1857	0.797	+0.0%
1858	0.797	+0.0%
1859	0.797	+0.0%
1860	0.797	+0.0%
1861	0.797	+0.0%
1862	0.797	+0.0%
1863	0.797	+0.0%
1864	0.797	+0.0%
1865	0.797	+0.0%
1866	0.797	+0.0%
1867	0.797	+0.0%
1868	0.797	+0.0%
1869	0.797	+0.0%
1870	0.797	+0.0%
1871	0.797	+0.0%
1872	0.797	+0.0%
1873	0.797	+0.0%
1874	0.797	+0.0%
1875	0.797	+0.0%
1876	0.797	+0.0%
1877	0.797	+0.0%
1878	0.797	+0.0%
1879	0.797	+0.0%
1880	0.797	+0.0%
1881	0.797	+0.0%
1882	0.797	+0.0%
1883	0.797	+0.0%
1884	0.797	+0.0%
1885	0.797	+0.0%
1886	0.797	+0.0%
1887	0.797	+0.0%
1888	0.797	+0.0%
1889	0.797	+0.0%
1890	0.797	+0.0%
1891	0.797	+0.0%
1892	0.797	+0.0%
1893	0.797	+0.0%
1894	0.797	+0.0%
1895	0.797	+0.0%
1896	0.797	+0.0%
1897	0.797	+0.0%
1898	0.797	+0.0%
1899	0.797	+0.0%
1900	0.806	+1.1%
1901	0.806	+0.0%
1902	0.806	+0.0%
1903	0.806	+0.0%
1904	0.806	+0.0%
1905	0.806	+0.0%
1906	0.806	+0.0%
1907	0.806	+0.0%
1908	0.806	+0.0%
1909	0.806	+0.0%
1910	0.806	+0.0%
1911	0.806	+0.0%
1912	0.806	+0.0%
1913	0.797	-1.1%
1914	0.798	+0.1%
1915	0.799	+0.1%
1916	0.799	+0.0%
1917	0.816	+2.1%
1918	0.85	+4.2%
1919	0.868	+2.1%
1920	0.878	+1.2%
1921	0.878	+0.0%
1922	0.889	+1.3%
1923	0.889	+0.0%
1924	0.891	+0.2%
1925	0.891	+0.0%
1926	0.891	+0.0%
1927	0.891	+0.0%
1928	0.891	+0.0%
1929	0.891	+0.0%
1930	0.891	+0.0%
1931	0.891	+0.0%
1932	0.891	+0.0%
1933	0.891	+0.0%
1934	0.891	+0.0%
1935	0.891	+0.0%
1936	0.854	-4.2%
1937	0.854	+0.0%
1938	0.849	-0.6%
1939	0.819	-3.5%
1940	0.791	-3.4%
1941	0.791	+0.0%
1942	0.791	+0.0%
1943	0.791	+0.0%
1944	0.791	+0.0%
1945	0.791	+0.0%
1946	0.922	+16.6%
1947	0.926	+0.4%
1948	0.926	+0.0%
1949	0.941	+1.6%
1950	0.948	+0.7%
1951	0.948	+0.0%
1952	0.948	+0.0%
1953	0.948	+0.0%
1954	0.948	+0.0%
1955	0.948	+0.0%
1956	0.948	+0.0%
1957	0.948	+0.0%
1958	0.948	+0.0%
1959	0.948	+0.0%
1960	0.958	+1.1%
1961	0.958	+0.0%
1962	0.958	+0.0%
1963	0.958	+0.0%
1964	0.958	+0.0%
1965	0.958	+0.0%
1966	0.954	-0.4%
1967	0.954	+0.0%
1968	0.954	+0.0%
1969	0.954	+0.0%
1970	0.954	+0.0%
1971	0.954	+0.0%
1972	0.957	+0.3%
1973	0.957	+0.0%
1974	0.957	+0.0%
1975	0.965	+0.8%
1976	0.967	+0.2%
1977	0.967	+0.0%
1978	0.967	+0.0%
1979	0.967	+0.0%
1980	0.966	-0.1%
1981	0.966	+0.0%
1982	0.966	+0.0%
1983	0.966	+0.0%
1984	0.966	+0.0%
1985	0.97	+0.4%
1986	0.97	+0.0%
1987	0.97	+0.0%
1988	0.97	+0.0%
1989	0.97	+0.0%
1990	0.975	+0.5%
1991	0.975	+0.0%
1992	0.975	+0.0%
1993	0.975	+0.0%
1994	0.975	+0.0%
1995	0.975	+0.0%
1996	0.975	+0.0%
1997	0.975	+0.0%
1998	0.975	+0.0%
1999	0.97	-0.5%
2000	0.97	+0.0%
2001	0.97	+0.0%
2002	0.97	+0.0%
2003	0.97	+0.0%
2004	0.97	+0.0%
2005	0.97	+0.0%
2006	0.97	+0.0%
2007	0.97	+0.0%
2008	0.97	+0.0%
2009	0.97	+0.0%
2010	0.97	+0.0%
2011	0.97	+0.0%
2012	0.973	+0.3%
2013	0.972	-0.1%
2014	0.974	+0.2%
2015	0.974	+0.0%
2016	0.972	-0.2%
2017	0.972	+0.0%
2018	0.966	-0.6%
2019	0.966	+0.0%
2020	0.966	+0.0%
2021	0.968	+0.2%
2022	0.964	-0.4%
2023	0.95	-1.5%
2024	0.946	-0.4%
2025	0.946	+0.0%

Sweden compared with similar countries

Sweden's 0.946 is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.874, 1.1× the median. (55 countries reporting)
Sweden's 0.946 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.7935, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1780s	0.438	0.438	0.438	1
1790s	0.4521	0.434	0.607	10
1800s	0.4576	0.434	0.67	10
1810s	0.664	0.636	0.738	10
1820s	0.736	0.736	0.736	10
1830s	0.776	0.776	0.776	10
1840s	0.7865	0.776	0.797	10
1850s	0.797	0.797	0.797	10
1860s	0.797	0.797	0.797	10
1870s	0.797	0.797	0.797	10
1880s	0.797	0.797	0.797	10
1890s	0.797	0.797	0.797	10
1900s	0.806	0.806	0.806	10
1910s	0.8145	0.797	0.868	10
1920s	0.888	0.878	0.891	10
1930s	0.8722	0.819	0.891	10
1940s	0.8461	0.791	0.941	10
1950s	0.948	0.948	0.948	10
1960s	0.9564	0.954	0.958	10
1970s	0.9612	0.954	0.967	10
1980s	0.968	0.966	0.97	10
1990s	0.9745	0.97	0.975	10
2000s	0.97	0.97	0.97	10
2010s	0.9709	0.966	0.974	10
2020s	0.9567	0.946	0.968	6

Countries ranked near Sweden

7 Luxembourg 0.957 compare
8 Norway 0.953 compare
9 Czechia 0.947 compare
10 Finland 0.946 compare
12 Canada 0.933 compare
12 South Korea 0.933 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for Sweden

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 144,116 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 128 (2025)
Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 1 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 128 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0136 units per person (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)

All data for Sweden →

Frequently asked questions

What is freedom of expression index in Sweden?: Freedom of expression index in Sweden was 0.946 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest freedom of expression index recorded in Sweden?: The highest recorded value was 0.975 in 1990.
What is the lowest freedom of expression index recorded in Sweden?: The lowest recorded value was 0.434 in 1793.
How does Sweden rank for freedom of expression index?: Sweden ranks 10th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is freedom of expression index rising or falling in Sweden?: Over the last ten years it is down 2.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Sweden data come from?: The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Freedom of Expression Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Freedom of Expression Index in Sweden. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 07 November 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/freedom-of-expression-index/sweden/

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About this data

Indicator: Freedom of Expression Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 30,035 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 30 October 2026

Central estimate of the extent to which people can discuss political matters at home and in the public sphere, the press, and media are free and can present different political perspectives, and the freedom of academic and cultural expression.