Sweden vs United Kingdom: Percentage of territory effectively controlled by government
Sweden
99.0%
in 2025
United Kingdom
99.3%
in 2025
Sweden rank
39th
United Kingdom rank
37th
Percentage of territory effectively controlled by government over time
- Sweden
- United Kingdom
How they compare
United Kingdom currently reports 99.3% against 99.0% in Sweden, a difference of 0.3%.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 237 shared years of data; in 1789 it was Sweden ahead.
Sweden ranks 39th and United Kingdom ranks 37th of 174 countries.
Across the 25 decades both report, Sweden averaged higher in 14 and United Kingdom in 11.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Sweden | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1780s | 100.0% | 97.8% | 2.2% | Sweden |
| 1790s | 100.0% | 97.8% | 2.2% | Sweden |
| 1800s | 96.8% | 97.8% | 1.1% | United Kingdom |
| 1810s | 97.0% | 97.8% | 0.8% | United Kingdom |
| 1820s | 95.8% | 97.8% | 2.0% | United Kingdom |
| 1830s | 95.8% | 97.8% | 2.0% | United Kingdom |
| 1840s | 95.8% | 97.8% | 2.0% | United Kingdom |
| 1850s | 95.8% | 97.8% | 2.0% | United Kingdom |
| 1860s | 95.8% | 97.8% | 2.0% | United Kingdom |
| 1870s | 95.8% | 97.8% | 2.0% | United Kingdom |
| 1880s | 95.8% | 97.8% | 2.0% | United Kingdom |
| 1890s | 95.8% | 97.8% | 2.0% | United Kingdom |
| 1900s | 96.6% | 97.8% | 1.2% | United Kingdom |
| 1910s | 98.1% | 95.3% | 2.8% | Sweden |
| 1920s | 99.8% | 94.7% | 5.2% | Sweden |
| 1930s | 99.8% | 98.2% | 1.6% | Sweden |
| 1940s | 99.8% | 98.2% | 1.6% | Sweden |
| 1950s | 99.8% | 98.2% | 1.6% | Sweden |
| 1960s | 99.8% | 98.2% | 1.6% | Sweden |
| 1970s | 99.8% | 98.2% | 1.6% | Sweden |
| 1980s | 99.8% | 98.2% | 1.6% | Sweden |
| 1990s | 99.8% | 98.2% | 1.6% | Sweden |
| 2000s | 99.8% | 98.6% | 1.2% | Sweden |
| 2010s | 99.8% | 98.6% | 1.2% | Sweden |
| 2020s | 99.2% | 97.6% | 1.6% | Sweden |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher percentage of territory effectively controlled by government, Sweden or United Kingdom?
- United Kingdom, at 99.3% against 99.0% in Sweden as of 2025.
- What is the difference in percentage of territory effectively controlled by government between Sweden and United Kingdom?
- 0.3%, with United Kingdom ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Sweden and United Kingdom?
- 237 years are reported by both, from 1789 to 2025.
- How do Sweden and United Kingdom rank globally for percentage of territory effectively controlled by government?
- Sweden ranks 39th and United Kingdom ranks 37th of 174 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Percentage of territory effectively controlled by government. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Central estimate of the percentage of territory controlled by the government.