Which has higher state capacity index, Australia or Switzerland?

Switzerland, at 2.27 against 2.22 in Australia as of 2015.

How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and Switzerland?

56 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2015.

Where does this data come from?

Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as State Capacity Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Australia vs Switzerland: State Capacity Index

Australia

2.22

in 2015

Switzerland

2.27

in 2015

Australia rank

10th

Switzerland rank

8th

State Capacity Index over time

Australia
Switzerland

How they compare

Switzerland currently reports 2.27 against 2.22 in Australia, a difference of 0.05.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 56 shared years of data; in 1960 it was Australia ahead.

Australia ranks 10th and Switzerland ranks 8th of 166 countries.

Across the 6 decades both report, Australia averaged higher in 5 and Switzerland in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Australia	Switzerland	Difference	Ahead
1960s	1.67	1.08	0.59	Australia
1970s	1.96	1.54	0.4258	Australia
1980s	2.26	2	0.2647	Australia
1990s	2.36	2.2	0.1654	Australia
2000s	2.39	2.15	0.241	Australia
2010s	2.33	2.41	0.0765	Switzerland

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher state capacity index, Australia or Switzerland?: Switzerland, at 2.27 against 2.22 in Australia as of 2015.
What is the difference in state capacity index between Australia and Switzerland?: 0.05, with Switzerland ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and Switzerland?: 56 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2015.
How do Australia and Switzerland rank globally for state capacity index?: Australia ranks 10th and Switzerland ranks 8th of 166 countries.
Where does this data come from?: Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as State Capacity Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Australia vs Switzerland: State Capacity Index. Statizoid, drawing on Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/state-capacity-index/australia/switzerland/

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About this data

Indicator: State Capacity Index
Source: Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 166 places, 8,015 data points, 1960–2015
Last refreshed: 18 September 2026

Measures state capacity by combining 21 different indicators related to three key dimensions: extractive capacity, coercive capacity, and administrative capacity. Higher values indicate greater state capacity.