Key features of human rights in Sweden
Sweden: Key features of human rights was 0.96 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Key features of human rights in Sweden, 1789–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Sweden recorded 0.96 for key features of human rights in 2025.
That represents a change of down 0.1% on the previous year and down 0.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, key features of human rights in Sweden peaked at 0.975 in 2012 and was at its lowest, 0.626, in 1789.
Sweden ranks 2nd 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.
Key features of human rights in Sweden, year by year
| 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
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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is key features of human rights in Sweden?
- Key features of human rights in Sweden was 0.96 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest key features of human rights recorded in Sweden?
- The highest recorded value was 0.975 in 2012.
- What is the lowest key features of human rights recorded in Sweden?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.626 in 1789.
- How does Sweden rank for key features of human rights?
- Sweden ranks 2nd out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
- Is key features of human rights 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 Key features of human rights. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 237 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
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.