Which has higher legislative checks on government index, Norway or Sweden?

Sweden, at 0.989 against 0.984 in Norway as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for Norway and Sweden?

208 years are reported by both, from 1815 to 2025.

Where does this data come from?

V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Legislative Checks on Government Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Norway vs Sweden: Legislative Checks on Government Index

Norway

0.984

in 2025

Sweden

0.989

in 2025

Norway rank

2nd

Sweden rank

1st

Legislative Checks on Government Index over time

Norway
Sweden

How they compare

Sweden currently reports 0.989 against 0.984 in Norway, a difference of 0.005.

The two have swapped places 4 times across 208 shared years of data; in 1815 it was Sweden ahead.

Norway ranks 2nd and Sweden ranks 1st of 174 countries.

Across the 22 decades both report, Norway averaged higher in 7 and Sweden in 15.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Norway	Sweden	Difference	Ahead
1810s	0.538	0.866	0.328	Sweden
1820s	0.538	0.866	0.328	Sweden
1830s	0.6206	0.866	0.2454	Sweden
1840s	0.656	0.866	0.21	Sweden
1850s	0.656	0.866	0.21	Sweden
1860s	0.656	0.866	0.21	Sweden
1870s	0.75	0.866	0.116	Sweden
1880s	0.8425	0.866	0.0235	Sweden
1890s	0.935	0.866	0.069	Norway
1900s	0.935	0.8858	0.0492	Norway
1910s	0.935	0.924	0.011	Norway
1920s	0.938	0.957	0.019	Sweden
1930s	0.938	0.957	0.019	Sweden
1940s	0.8274	0.957	0.1296	Sweden
1950s	0.9	0.957	0.057	Sweden
1960s	0.9423	0.957	0.0147	Sweden
1970s	0.974	0.9682	0.0058	Norway
1980s	0.974	0.971	0.003	Norway
1990s	0.974	0.971	0.003	Norway
2000s	0.974	0.9714	0.0026	Norway
2010s	0.974	0.9773	0.0033	Sweden
2020s	0.9773	0.989	0.0117	Sweden

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher legislative checks on government index, Norway or Sweden?: Sweden, at 0.989 against 0.984 in Norway as of 2025.
What is the difference in legislative checks on government index between Norway and Sweden?: 0.005, with Sweden ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Norway and Sweden?: 208 years are reported by both, from 1815 to 2025.
How do Norway and Sweden rank globally for legislative checks on government index?: Norway ranks 2nd and Sweden ranks 1st of 174 countries.
Where does this data come from?: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Legislative Checks on Government Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator: Legislative Checks on Government Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 174 places, 23,601 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

Central estimate of the extent to which the legislature, including opposition parties, questions executive officials and oversees and investigates the executive.