New Zealand vs Sweden: Rule of law index
New Zealand
0.989
in 2025
Sweden
0.989
in 2025
New Zealand rank
5th
Sweden rank
5th
Rule of law index over time
- New Zealand
- Sweden
How they compare
New Zealand currently reports 0.989 against 0.989 in Sweden, a difference of 0.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 185 shared years of data; in 1841 it was New Zealand ahead.
New Zealand ranks 5th and Sweden ranks 5th of 176 countries.
Across the 19 decades both report, New Zealand averaged higher in 4 and Sweden in 15.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | New Zealand | Sweden | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1840s | 0.92 | 0.8993 | 0.0207 | New Zealand |
| 1850s | 0.9536 | 0.918 | 0.0356 | New Zealand |
| 1860s | 0.968 | 0.963 | 0.005 | New Zealand |
| 1870s | 0.968 | 0.963 | 0.005 | New Zealand |
| 1880s | 0.968 | 0.974 | 0.006 | Sweden |
| 1890s | 0.968 | 0.985 | 0.017 | Sweden |
| 1900s | 0.968 | 0.985 | 0.017 | Sweden |
| 1910s | 0.9777 | 0.9851 | 0.0074 | Sweden |
| 1920s | 0.981 | 0.9868 | 0.0058 | Sweden |
| 1930s | 0.981 | 0.9876 | 0.0066 | Sweden |
| 1940s | 0.981 | 0.988 | 0.007 | Sweden |
| 1950s | 0.981 | 0.991 | 0.01 | Sweden |
| 1960s | 0.983 | 0.9929 | 0.0099 | Sweden |
| 1970s | 0.9834 | 0.994 | 0.0106 | Sweden |
| 1980s | 0.9881 | 0.9948 | 0.0067 | Sweden |
| 1990s | 0.991 | 0.995 | 0.004 | Sweden |
| 2000s | 0.991 | 0.9946 | 0.0036 | Sweden |
| 2010s | 0.9912 | 0.9937 | 0.0025 | Sweden |
| 2020s | 0.989 | 0.9912 | 0.0022 | Sweden |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher rule of law index, New Zealand or Sweden?
- New Zealand, at 0.989 against 0.989 in Sweden as of 2025.
- What is the difference in rule of law index between New Zealand and Sweden?
- 0, with New Zealand ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for New Zealand and Sweden?
- 185 years are reported by both, from 1841 to 2025.
- How do New Zealand and Sweden rank globally for rule of law index?
- New Zealand ranks 5th and Sweden ranks 5th of 176 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Our World in Data, published as Rule of law index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.