Which has higher private civil liberties index, Iceland or Sweden?

Iceland, at 0.944 against 0.941 in Sweden as of 2025.

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

126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.

Where does this data come from?

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

Iceland vs Sweden: Private Civil Liberties Index

Iceland

0.944

in 2025

Sweden

0.941

in 2025

Iceland rank

3rd

Sweden rank

4th

Private Civil Liberties Index over time

Iceland
Sweden

How they compare

Iceland currently reports 0.944 against 0.941 in Sweden, a difference of 0.003.

The two have swapped places 4 times across 126 shared years of data; in 1900 it was Iceland ahead.

Iceland ranks 3rd and Sweden ranks 4th of 176 countries.

Across the 13 decades both report, Iceland averaged higher in 8 and Sweden in 5.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Iceland	Sweden	Difference	Ahead
1900s	0.825	0.822	0.003	Iceland
1910s	0.8435	0.8227	0.0208	Iceland
1920s	0.8903	0.8351	0.0552	Iceland
1930s	0.877	0.8389	0.0381	Iceland
1940s	0.9082	0.8384	0.0698	Iceland
1950s	0.929	0.8926	0.0364	Iceland
1960s	0.938	0.9317	0.0063	Iceland
1970s	0.939	0.9422	0.0032	Sweden
1980s	0.955	0.9614	0.0064	Sweden
1990s	0.955	0.962	0.007	Sweden
2000s	0.954	0.964	0.01	Sweden
2010s	0.9446	0.9563	0.0117	Sweden
2020s	0.946	0.9453	0.0007	Iceland

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher private civil liberties index, Iceland or Sweden?: Iceland, at 0.944 against 0.941 in Sweden as of 2025.
What is the difference in private civil liberties index between Iceland and Sweden?: 0.003, with Iceland ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Iceland and Sweden?: 126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
How do Iceland and Sweden rank globally for private civil liberties index?: Iceland ranks 3rd and Sweden ranks 4th of 176 countries.
Where does this data come from?: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Private Civil Liberties Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator: Private Civil Liberties Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 30,494 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

Central estimate the extent to which people are free from forced labor, have property rights, and enjoy freedom of movement and religion.