Norway vs Sweden: State Capacity Index

Norway
2.53
in 2015
Sweden
2.35
in 2015
Norway rank
2nd
Sweden rank
5th

State Capacity Index over time

  • Norway
  • Sweden
0123196019872015

How they compare

Norway currently reports 2.53 against 2.35 in Sweden, a difference of 0.18.

That makes Norway's figure about 1.1 times Sweden's.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 56 shared years of data; in 1960 it was Sweden ahead.

Norway ranks 2nd and Sweden ranks 5th of 166 countries.

Across the 6 decades both report, Norway averaged higher in 2 and Sweden in 4.

Head to head by decade

Decade Norway Sweden Difference Ahead
1960s 1.7 1.91 0.2034 Sweden
1970s 2.05 2.25 0.2021 Sweden
1980s 2.3 2.45 0.1459 Sweden
1990s 2.34 2.51 0.1767 Sweden
2000s 2.59 2.34 0.2531 Norway
2010s 2.61 2.48 0.1357 Norway

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher state capacity index, Norway or Sweden?
Norway, at 2.53 against 2.35 in Sweden as of 2015.
What is the difference in state capacity index between Norway and Sweden?
0.18, with Norway ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Norway and Sweden?
56 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2015.
How do Norway and Sweden rank globally for state capacity index?
Norway ranks 2nd and Sweden ranks 5th 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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Norway vs Sweden: 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/norway/sweden/

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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

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.