What is liberal democracy index in Sweden?

Liberal democracy index in Sweden was 0.853 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest liberal democracy index recorded in Sweden?

The highest recorded value was 0.886 in 2012.

What is the lowest liberal democracy index recorded in Sweden?

The lowest recorded value was 0.207 in 1789.

How does Sweden rank for liberal democracy index?

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

Is liberal democracy index rising or falling in Sweden?

Over the last ten years it is down 3.2%. 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 Liberal Democracy Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Liberal Democracy Index in Sweden

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

Sweden: Liberal Democracy Index was 0.853 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)

0.853

Change on year

up 0.8%

World rank

2nd

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.886

in 2012

All-time low

0.207

in 1789

Years of data

237

1789–2025

Liberal Democracy Index in Sweden, 1789–2025

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

Analysis

Sweden recorded 0.853 for liberal democracy index in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.8% on the previous year and down 3.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, liberal democracy index in Sweden peaked at 0.886 in 2012 and was at its lowest, 0.207, 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.

Liberal Democracy Index in Sweden, year by year

Annual values for Liberal Democracy Index in Sweden, 1789 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1789	0.207	—
1790	0.223	+7.7%
1791	0.223	+0.0%
1792	0.231	+3.6%
1793	0.224	-3.0%
1794	0.224	+0.0%
1795	0.224	+0.0%
1796	0.224	+0.0%
1797	0.224	+0.0%
1798	0.224	+0.0%
1799	0.224	+0.0%
1800	0.224	+0.0%
1801	0.224	+0.0%
1802	0.224	+0.0%
1803	0.224	+0.0%
1804	0.224	+0.0%
1805	0.224	+0.0%
1806	0.224	+0.0%
1807	0.224	+0.0%
1808	0.224	+0.0%
1809	0.28	+25.0%
1810	0.284	+1.4%
1811	0.284	+0.0%
1812	0.283	-0.4%
1813	0.278	-1.8%
1814	0.278	+0.0%
1815	0.279	+0.4%
1816	0.279	+0.0%
1817	0.279	+0.0%
1818	0.279	+0.0%
1819	0.279	+0.0%
1820	0.285	+2.2%
1821	0.285	+0.0%
1822	0.285	+0.0%
1823	0.284	-0.4%
1824	0.284	+0.0%
1825	0.284	+0.0%
1826	0.284	+0.0%
1827	0.284	+0.0%
1828	0.285	+0.4%
1829	0.285	+0.0%
1830	0.288	+1.1%
1831	0.288	+0.0%
1832	0.288	+0.0%
1833	0.288	+0.0%
1834	0.287	-0.3%
1835	0.287	+0.0%
1836	0.287	+0.0%
1837	0.287	+0.0%
1838	0.287	+0.0%
1839	0.287	+0.0%
1840	0.302	+5.2%
1841	0.302	+0.0%
1842	0.302	+0.0%
1843	0.302	+0.0%
1844	0.302	+0.0%
1845	0.317	+5.0%
1846	0.317	+0.0%
1847	0.317	+0.0%
1848	0.317	+0.0%
1849	0.317	+0.0%
1850	0.318	+0.3%
1851	0.318	+0.0%
1852	0.318	+0.0%
1853	0.317	-0.3%
1854	0.317	+0.0%
1855	0.317	+0.0%
1856	0.317	+0.0%
1857	0.317	+0.0%
1858	0.317	+0.0%
1859	0.318	+0.3%
1860	0.32	+0.6%
1861	0.325	+1.6%
1862	0.325	+0.0%
1863	0.325	+0.0%
1864	0.325	+0.0%
1865	0.323	-0.6%
1866	0.325	+0.6%
1867	0.325	+0.0%
1868	0.325	+0.0%
1869	0.328	+0.9%
1870	0.328	+0.0%
1871	0.328	+0.0%
1872	0.329	+0.3%
1873	0.329	+0.0%
1874	0.329	+0.0%
1875	0.329	+0.0%
1876	0.329	+0.0%
1877	0.329	+0.0%
1878	0.328	-0.3%
1879	0.328	+0.0%
1880	0.331	+0.9%
1881	0.332	+0.3%
1882	0.332	+0.0%
1883	0.332	+0.0%
1884	0.331	-0.3%
1885	0.331	+0.0%
1886	0.331	+0.0%
1887	0.332	+0.3%
1888	0.332	+0.0%
1889	0.332	+0.0%
1890	0.333	+0.3%
1891	0.333	+0.0%
1892	0.333	+0.0%
1893	0.334	+0.3%
1894	0.334	+0.0%
1895	0.334	+0.0%
1896	0.333	-0.3%
1897	0.333	+0.0%
1898	0.333	+0.0%
1899	0.333	+0.0%
1900	0.334	+0.3%
1901	0.335	+0.3%
1902	0.335	+0.0%
1903	0.333	-0.6%
1904	0.333	+0.0%
1905	0.333	+0.0%
1906	0.333	+0.0%
1907	0.333	+0.0%
1908	0.333	+0.0%
1909	0.339	+1.8%
1910	0.34	+0.3%
1911	0.348	+2.4%
1912	0.351	+0.9%
1913	0.35	-0.3%
1914	0.348	-0.6%
1915	0.347	-0.3%
1916	0.347	+0.0%
1917	0.414	+19.3%
1918	0.449	+8.5%
1919	0.453	+0.9%
1920	0.461	+1.8%
1921	0.471	+2.2%
1922	0.643	+36.5%
1923	0.643	+0.0%
1924	0.647	+0.6%
1925	0.648	+0.2%
1926	0.648	+0.0%
1927	0.648	+0.0%
1928	0.647	-0.2%
1929	0.646	-0.2%
1930	0.646	+0.0%
1931	0.641	-0.8%
1932	0.648	+1.1%
1933	0.655	+1.1%
1934	0.655	+0.0%
1935	0.658	+0.5%
1936	0.64	-2.7%
1937	0.639	-0.2%
1938	0.636	-0.5%
1939	0.63	-0.9%
1940	0.622	-1.3%
1941	0.624	+0.3%
1942	0.624	+0.0%
1943	0.624	+0.0%
1944	0.624	+0.0%
1945	0.638	+2.2%
1946	0.705	+10.5%
1947	0.707	+0.3%
1948	0.707	+0.0%
1949	0.714	+1.0%
1950	0.719	+0.7%
1951	0.719	+0.0%
1952	0.721	+0.3%
1953	0.724	+0.4%
1954	0.724	+0.0%
1955	0.724	+0.0%
1956	0.723	-0.1%
1957	0.722	-0.1%
1958	0.721	-0.1%
1959	0.721	+0.0%
1960	0.727	+0.8%
1961	0.728	+0.1%
1962	0.728	+0.0%
1963	0.728	+0.0%
1964	0.728	+0.0%
1965	0.728	+0.0%
1966	0.727	-0.1%
1967	0.727	+0.0%
1968	0.727	+0.0%
1969	0.727	+0.0%
1970	0.728	+0.1%
1971	0.853	+17.2%
1972	0.859	+0.7%
1973	0.859	+0.0%
1974	0.864	+0.6%
1975	0.87	+0.7%
1976	0.871	+0.1%
1977	0.873	+0.2%
1978	0.873	+0.0%
1979	0.872	-0.1%
1980	0.871	-0.1%
1981	0.871	+0.0%
1982	0.873	+0.2%
1983	0.874	+0.1%
1984	0.874	+0.0%
1985	0.875	+0.1%
1986	0.873	-0.2%
1987	0.873	+0.0%
1988	0.874	+0.1%
1989	0.875	+0.1%
1990	0.878	+0.3%
1991	0.878	+0.0%
1992	0.877	-0.1%
1993	0.877	+0.0%
1994	0.877	+0.0%
1995	0.879	+0.2%
1996	0.879	+0.0%
1997	0.879	+0.0%
1998	0.879	+0.0%
1999	0.876	-0.3%
2000	0.876	+0.0%
2001	0.876	+0.0%
2002	0.876	+0.0%
2003	0.877	+0.1%
2004	0.877	+0.0%
2005	0.877	+0.0%
2006	0.879	+0.2%
2007	0.881	+0.2%
2008	0.881	+0.0%
2009	0.881	+0.0%
2010	0.881	+0.0%
2011	0.881	+0.0%
2012	0.886	+0.6%
2013	0.885	-0.1%
2014	0.885	+0.0%
2015	0.881	-0.5%
2016	0.88	-0.1%
2017	0.88	+0.0%
2018	0.875	-0.6%
2019	0.866	-1.0%
2020	0.868	+0.2%
2021	0.866	-0.2%
2022	0.861	-0.6%
2023	0.849	-1.4%
2024	0.846	-0.4%
2025	0.853	+0.8%

Sweden compared with similar countries

Sweden's 0.853 is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.689, 1.2× the median. (55 countries reporting)
Sweden's 0.853 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.591, 1.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1780s	0.207	0.207	0.207	1
1790s	0.2245	0.223	0.231	10
1800s	0.2296	0.224	0.28	10
1810s	0.2802	0.278	0.284	10
1820s	0.2845	0.284	0.285	10
1830s	0.2874	0.287	0.288	10
1840s	0.3095	0.302	0.317	10
1850s	0.3174	0.317	0.318	10
1860s	0.3246	0.32	0.328	10
1870s	0.3286	0.328	0.329	10
1880s	0.3316	0.331	0.332	10
1890s	0.3333	0.333	0.334	10
1900s	0.3341	0.333	0.339	10
1910s	0.3747	0.34	0.453	10
1920s	0.6102	0.461	0.648	10
1930s	0.6448	0.63	0.658	10
1940s	0.6589	0.622	0.714	10
1950s	0.7218	0.719	0.724	10
1960s	0.7275	0.727	0.728	10
1970s	0.8522	0.728	0.873	10
1980s	0.8733	0.871	0.875	10
1990s	0.8779	0.876	0.879	10
2000s	0.8781	0.876	0.881	10
2010s	0.88	0.866	0.886	10
2020s	0.8572	0.846	0.868	6

Countries ranked near Sweden

1 Denmark 0.884 compare
3 Norway 0.847 compare
4 Switzerland 0.843 compare
5 Estonia 0.837 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 liberal democracy index in Sweden?: Liberal democracy index in Sweden was 0.853 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest liberal democracy index recorded in Sweden?: The highest recorded value was 0.886 in 2012.
What is the lowest liberal democracy index recorded in Sweden?: The lowest recorded value was 0.207 in 1789.
How does Sweden rank for liberal democracy index?: Sweden ranks 2nd out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is liberal democracy index rising or falling in Sweden?: Over the last ten years it is down 3.2%. 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 Liberal Democracy Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Liberal Democracy 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/liberal-democracy-index/sweden/

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About this data

Indicator: Liberal Democracy Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 28,671 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 18 September 2026

Central estimate of the extent of suffrage, the freedom and fairness of elections, freedoms of association and expression, individual and minority rights, equality before the law, and executive constraints.