Norway vs Sweden: Rule of law index
Norway
0.986
in 2025
Sweden
0.989
in 2025
Norway rank
7th
Sweden rank
5th
Rule of law index over time
- Norway
- Sweden
How they compare
Sweden currently reports 0.989 against 0.986 in Norway, a difference of 0.003.
The two have swapped places 8 times across 237 shared years of data; in 1789 it was Sweden ahead.
Norway ranks 7th and Sweden ranks 5th of 173 countries.
Across the 25 decades both report, Norway averaged higher in 6 and Sweden in 18.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Norway | Sweden | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1780s | 0.708 | 0.849 | 0.141 | Sweden |
| 1790s | 0.708 | 0.849 | 0.141 | Sweden |
| 1800s | 0.708 | 0.8517 | 0.1437 | Sweden |
| 1810s | 0.8332 | 0.876 | 0.0428 | Sweden |
| 1820s | 0.953 | 0.876 | 0.077 | Norway |
| 1830s | 0.953 | 0.876 | 0.077 | Norway |
| 1840s | 0.953 | 0.897 | 0.056 | Norway |
| 1850s | 0.953 | 0.918 | 0.035 | Norway |
| 1860s | 0.953 | 0.963 | 0.01 | Sweden |
| 1870s | 0.953 | 0.963 | 0.01 | Sweden |
| 1880s | 0.9542 | 0.974 | 0.0198 | Sweden |
| 1890s | 0.959 | 0.985 | 0.026 | Sweden |
| 1900s | 0.959 | 0.985 | 0.026 | Sweden |
| 1910s | 0.959 | 0.9851 | 0.0261 | Sweden |
| 1920s | 0.9602 | 0.9868 | 0.0266 | Sweden |
| 1930s | 0.962 | 0.9876 | 0.0256 | Sweden |
| 1940s | 0.8647 | 0.988 | 0.1233 | Sweden |
| 1950s | 0.9879 | 0.991 | 0.0031 | Sweden |
| 1960s | 0.9932 | 0.9929 | 0.0003 | Norway |
| 1970s | 0.994 | 0.994 | 0 | — |
| 1980s | 0.994 | 0.9948 | 0.0008 | Sweden |
| 1990s | 0.994 | 0.995 | 0.001 | Sweden |
| 2000s | 0.994 | 0.9946 | 0.0006 | Sweden |
| 2010s | 0.9939 | 0.9937 | 0.0002 | Norway |
| 2020s | 0.9853 | 0.9912 | 0.0058 | Sweden |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher rule of law index, Norway or Sweden?
- Sweden, at 0.989 against 0.986 in Norway as of 2025.
- What is the difference in rule of law index between Norway and Sweden?
- 0.003, with Sweden ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Norway and Sweden?
- 237 years are reported by both, from 1789 to 2025.
- How do Norway and Sweden rank globally for rule of law index?
- Norway ranks 7th and Sweden ranks 5th of 173 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.