Denmark vs Sweden: Individual liberties and equality before the law index
Denmark
0.986
in 2025
Sweden
0.981
in 2025
Denmark rank
2nd
Sweden rank
4th
Individual liberties and equality before the law index over time
- Denmark
- Sweden
How they compare
Denmark currently reports 0.986 against 0.981 in Sweden, a difference of 0.005.
The two have swapped places 7 times across 237 shared years of data; in 1789 it was Sweden ahead.
Denmark ranks 2nd and Sweden ranks 4th of 176 countries.
Across the 25 decades both report, Denmark averaged higher in 17 and Sweden in 8.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Denmark | Sweden | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1780s | 0.622 | 0.746 | 0.124 | Sweden |
| 1790s | 0.6396 | 0.746 | 0.1064 | Sweden |
| 1800s | 0.715 | 0.746 | 0.031 | Sweden |
| 1810s | 0.715 | 0.746 | 0.031 | Sweden |
| 1820s | 0.715 | 0.746 | 0.031 | Sweden |
| 1830s | 0.7378 | 0.746 | 0.0082 | Sweden |
| 1840s | 0.8408 | 0.746 | 0.0948 | Denmark |
| 1850s | 0.9334 | 0.746 | 0.1874 | Denmark |
| 1860s | 0.939 | 0.8007 | 0.1383 | Denmark |
| 1870s | 0.939 | 0.821 | 0.118 | Denmark |
| 1880s | 0.936 | 0.842 | 0.094 | Denmark |
| 1890s | 0.9361 | 0.862 | 0.0741 | Denmark |
| 1900s | 0.9509 | 0.862 | 0.0889 | Denmark |
| 1910s | 0.9524 | 0.8703 | 0.0821 | Denmark |
| 1920s | 0.9615 | 0.9128 | 0.0487 | Denmark |
| 1930s | 0.963 | 0.9242 | 0.0388 | Denmark |
| 1940s | 0.8146 | 0.9426 | 0.128 | Sweden |
| 1950s | 0.9827 | 0.9638 | 0.0189 | Denmark |
| 1960s | 0.9856 | 0.9768 | 0.0088 | Denmark |
| 1970s | 0.9904 | 0.985 | 0.0054 | Denmark |
| 1980s | 0.991 | 0.9894 | 0.0016 | Denmark |
| 1990s | 0.991 | 0.99 | 0.001 | Denmark |
| 2000s | 0.991 | 0.9908 | 0.0002 | Denmark |
| 2010s | 0.9896 | 0.9883 | 0.0013 | Denmark |
| 2020s | 0.9812 | 0.984 | 0.0028 | Sweden |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher individual liberties and equality before the law index, Denmark or Sweden?
- Denmark, at 0.986 against 0.981 in Sweden as of 2025.
- What is the difference in individual liberties and equality before the law index between Denmark and Sweden?
- 0.005, with Denmark ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Denmark and Sweden?
- 237 years are reported by both, from 1789 to 2025.
- How do Denmark and Sweden rank globally for individual liberties and equality before the law index?
- Denmark ranks 2nd and Sweden ranks 4th of 176 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Our World in Data, published as Individual liberties and equality before the law index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.