What is human rights index in Sweden?

Human rights index in Sweden was 0.96 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest human rights index recorded in Sweden?

The highest recorded value was 0.975 in 2012.

What is the lowest human rights index recorded in Sweden?

The lowest recorded value was 0.626 in 1789.

How does Sweden rank for human rights index?

Sweden ranks 2nd out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is human rights index rising or falling in Sweden?

Over the last ten years it is down 0.8%. 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 Human Rights Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Human Rights Index in Sweden

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

Sweden: Human Rights Index was 0.96 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)

0.96

Change on year

down 0.1%

World rank

2nd

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.975

in 2012

All-time low

0.626

in 1789

Years of data

237

1789–2025

Human Rights Index in Sweden, 1789–2025

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for human rights index in Sweden is 0.96, measured in 2025.

The figure is down 0.1% on the previous year and down 0.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, human rights index in Sweden peaked at 0.975 in 2012 and was at its lowest, 0.626, in 1789.

That places Sweden 2nd out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.

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

Human Rights Index in Sweden, year by year

Annual values for Human Rights Index in Sweden, 1789 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1789	0.626	—
1790	0.626	+0.0%
1791	0.626	+0.0%
1792	0.626	+0.0%
1793	0.626	+0.0%
1794	0.626	+0.0%
1795	0.626	+0.0%
1796	0.626	+0.0%
1797	0.626	+0.0%
1798	0.626	+0.0%
1799	0.626	+0.0%
1800	0.626	+0.0%
1801	0.626	+0.0%
1802	0.626	+0.0%
1803	0.626	+0.0%
1804	0.626	+0.0%
1805	0.626	+0.0%
1806	0.626	+0.0%
1807	0.626	+0.0%
1808	0.626	+0.0%
1809	0.678	+8.3%
1810	0.696	+2.7%
1811	0.696	+0.0%
1812	0.696	+0.0%
1813	0.696	+0.0%
1814	0.696	+0.0%
1815	0.696	+0.0%
1816	0.696	+0.0%
1817	0.696	+0.0%
1818	0.696	+0.0%
1819	0.696	+0.0%
1820	0.696	+0.0%
1821	0.696	+0.0%
1822	0.696	+0.0%
1823	0.696	+0.0%
1824	0.696	+0.0%
1825	0.696	+0.0%
1826	0.696	+0.0%
1827	0.696	+0.0%
1828	0.696	+0.0%
1829	0.696	+0.0%
1830	0.696	+0.0%
1831	0.696	+0.0%
1832	0.696	+0.0%
1833	0.696	+0.0%
1834	0.696	+0.0%
1835	0.696	+0.0%
1836	0.696	+0.0%
1837	0.696	+0.0%
1838	0.696	+0.0%
1839	0.696	+0.0%
1840	0.774	+11.2%
1841	0.774	+0.0%
1842	0.774	+0.0%
1843	0.774	+0.0%
1844	0.774	+0.0%
1845	0.776	+0.3%
1846	0.776	+0.0%
1847	0.776	+0.0%
1848	0.776	+0.0%
1849	0.776	+0.0%
1850	0.776	+0.0%
1851	0.776	+0.0%
1852	0.776	+0.0%
1853	0.776	+0.0%
1854	0.776	+0.0%
1855	0.776	+0.0%
1856	0.776	+0.0%
1857	0.776	+0.0%
1858	0.776	+0.0%
1859	0.776	+0.0%
1860	0.788	+1.5%
1861	0.828	+5.1%
1862	0.828	+0.0%
1863	0.828	+0.0%
1864	0.828	+0.0%
1865	0.828	+0.0%
1866	0.828	+0.0%
1867	0.828	+0.0%
1868	0.828	+0.0%
1869	0.838	+1.2%
1870	0.838	+0.0%
1871	0.838	+0.0%
1872	0.838	+0.0%
1873	0.838	+0.0%
1874	0.838	+0.0%
1875	0.838	+0.0%
1876	0.838	+0.0%
1877	0.838	+0.0%
1878	0.838	+0.0%
1879	0.838	+0.0%
1880	0.838	+0.0%
1881	0.838	+0.0%
1882	0.838	+0.0%
1883	0.838	+0.0%
1884	0.838	+0.0%
1885	0.838	+0.0%
1886	0.838	+0.0%
1887	0.838	+0.0%
1888	0.838	+0.0%
1889	0.838	+0.0%
1890	0.838	+0.0%
1891	0.838	+0.0%
1892	0.838	+0.0%
1893	0.838	+0.0%
1894	0.838	+0.0%
1895	0.838	+0.0%
1896	0.838	+0.0%
1897	0.838	+0.0%
1898	0.838	+0.0%
1899	0.838	+0.0%
1900	0.841	+0.4%
1901	0.841	+0.0%
1902	0.841	+0.0%
1903	0.841	+0.0%
1904	0.841	+0.0%
1905	0.841	+0.0%
1906	0.841	+0.0%
1907	0.841	+0.0%
1908	0.841	+0.0%
1909	0.841	+0.0%
1910	0.841	+0.0%
1911	0.841	+0.0%
1912	0.841	+0.0%
1913	0.84	-0.1%
1914	0.842	+0.2%
1915	0.843	+0.1%
1916	0.843	+0.0%
1917	0.856	+1.5%
1918	0.86	+0.5%
1919	0.865	+0.6%
1920	0.878	+1.5%
1921	0.883	+0.6%
1922	0.892	+1.0%
1923	0.892	+0.0%
1924	0.896	+0.4%
1925	0.896	+0.0%
1926	0.896	+0.0%
1927	0.896	+0.0%
1928	0.896	+0.0%
1929	0.896	+0.0%
1930	0.896	+0.0%
1931	0.889	-0.8%
1932	0.897	+0.9%
1933	0.897	+0.0%
1934	0.897	+0.0%
1935	0.907	+1.1%
1936	0.904	-0.3%
1937	0.904	+0.0%
1938	0.891	-1.4%
1939	0.887	-0.4%
1940	0.886	-0.1%
1941	0.886	+0.0%
1942	0.886	+0.0%
1943	0.886	+0.0%
1944	0.886	+0.0%
1945	0.892	+0.7%
1946	0.936	+4.9%
1947	0.937	+0.1%
1948	0.937	+0.0%
1949	0.939	+0.2%
1950	0.939	+0.0%
1951	0.938	-0.1%
1952	0.948	+1.1%
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	0.951	+0.3%
1961	0.956	+0.5%
1962	0.957	+0.1%
1963	0.957	+0.0%
1964	0.957	+0.0%
1965	0.957	+0.0%
1966	0.957	+0.0%
1967	0.957	+0.0%
1968	0.957	+0.0%
1969	0.957	+0.0%
1970	0.957	+0.0%
1971	0.957	+0.0%
1972	0.958	+0.1%
1973	0.963	+0.5%
1974	0.964	+0.1%
1975	0.967	+0.3%
1976	0.967	+0.0%
1977	0.967	+0.0%
1978	0.967	+0.0%
1979	0.967	+0.0%
1980	0.971	+0.4%
1981	0.971	+0.0%
1982	0.972	+0.1%
1983	0.972	+0.0%
1984	0.972	+0.0%
1985	0.972	+0.0%
1986	0.972	+0.0%
1987	0.972	+0.0%
1988	0.972	+0.0%
1989	0.972	+0.0%
1990	0.973	+0.1%
1991	0.973	+0.0%
1992	0.973	+0.0%
1993	0.973	+0.0%
1994	0.973	+0.0%
1995	0.973	+0.0%
1996	0.973	+0.0%
1997	0.973	+0.0%
1998	0.973	+0.0%
1999	0.973	+0.0%
2000	0.973	+0.0%
2001	0.973	+0.0%
2002	0.973	+0.0%
2003	0.973	+0.0%
2004	0.973	+0.0%
2005	0.973	+0.0%
2006	0.974	+0.1%
2007	0.974	+0.0%
2008	0.974	+0.0%
2009	0.974	+0.0%
2010	0.974	+0.0%
2011	0.974	+0.0%
2012	0.975	+0.1%
2013	0.975	+0.0%
2014	0.975	+0.0%
2015	0.968	-0.7%
2016	0.967	-0.1%
2017	0.965	-0.2%
2018	0.963	-0.2%
2019	0.963	+0.0%
2020	0.964	+0.1%
2021	0.964	+0.0%
2022	0.964	+0.0%
2023	0.962	-0.2%
2024	0.961	-0.1%
2025	0.96	-0.1%

Sweden compared with similar countries

Sweden's 0.96 is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.906, 1.1× the median. (55 countries reporting)
Sweden's 0.96 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.8795, 1.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1780s	0.626	0.626	0.626	1
1790s	0.626	0.626	0.626	10
1800s	0.6312	0.626	0.678	10
1810s	0.696	0.696	0.696	10
1820s	0.696	0.696	0.696	10
1830s	0.696	0.696	0.696	10
1840s	0.775	0.774	0.776	10
1850s	0.776	0.776	0.776	10
1860s	0.825	0.788	0.838	10
1870s	0.838	0.838	0.838	10
1880s	0.838	0.838	0.838	10
1890s	0.838	0.838	0.838	10
1900s	0.841	0.841	0.841	10
1910s	0.8472	0.84	0.865	10
1920s	0.8921	0.878	0.896	10
1930s	0.8969	0.887	0.907	10
1940s	0.9071	0.886	0.939	10
1950s	0.9461	0.938	0.948	10
1960s	0.9563	0.951	0.957	10
1970s	0.9634	0.957	0.967	10
1980s	0.9718	0.971	0.972	10
1990s	0.973	0.973	0.973	10
2000s	0.9734	0.973	0.974	10
2010s	0.9699	0.963	0.975	10
2020s	0.9625	0.96	0.964	6

Countries ranked near Sweden

1 Estonia 0.963 compare
3 Denmark 0.959 compare
4 Ireland 0.956 compare
5 Belgium 0.955 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 human rights index in Sweden?: Human rights index in Sweden was 0.96 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest human rights index recorded in Sweden?: The highest recorded value was 0.975 in 2012.
What is the lowest human rights index recorded in Sweden?: The lowest recorded value was 0.626 in 1789.
How does Sweden rank for human rights index?: Sweden ranks 2nd out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is human rights index rising or falling in Sweden?: Over the last ten years it is down 0.8%. 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 Human Rights Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Human Rights Index in Sweden. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/human-rights-index-vdem/sweden/

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About this data

Indicator: Human Rights Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 30,202 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 18 September 2026

Central estimate of the extent to which people are free from government torture, political killings, and forced labor, they have property rights, and enjoy the freedoms of movement, religion, expression, and association.