State Capacity Index in Sweden

Sweden: State Capacity Index was 2.35 in 2015. ▲ Rising

Latest (2015)
2.35
Change on year
down 7.7%
World rank
5th
of 166 countries
All-time high
2.58
in 1990
All-time low
1.64
in 1960
Years of data
56
1960–2015

State Capacity Index in Sweden, 1960–2015

0123196019872015

Source: Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for state capacity index in Sweden is 2.35, measured in 2015.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 7.7% on the previous year and up 0.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, state capacity index in Sweden peaked at 2.58 in 1990 and was at its lowest, 1.64, in 1960.

That places Sweden 5th out of 166 countries with data for 2015, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.

State Capacity Index in Sweden, year by year

Annual values for State Capacity Index in Sweden, 1960 to 2015.
Year Value Change
1960 1.64
1961 1.75 +6.5%
1962 1.75 +0.0%
1963 1.76 +0.5%
1964 1.74 -0.9%
1965 1.99 +14.5%
1966 2 +0.6%
1967 2 -0.0%
1968 2.2 +9.7%
1969 2.21 +0.5%
1970 2.23 +0.9%
1971 2.22 -0.7%
1972 2.23 +0.6%
1973 2.19 -1.7%
1974 2.19 -0.0%
1975 2.2 +0.3%
1976 2.24 +2.1%
1977 2.29 +2.0%
1978 2.34 +2.4%
1979 2.34 +0.0%
1980 2.36 +0.6%
1981 2.37 +0.6%
1982 2.33 -1.6%
1983 2.32 -0.4%
1984 2.45 +5.6%
1985 2.47 +0.7%
1986 2.51 +1.6%
1987 2.55 +1.6%
1988 2.57 +0.7%
1989 2.56 -0.2%
1990 2.58 +0.7%
1991 2.5 -2.8%
1992 2.49 -0.6%
1993 2.49 -0.1%
1994 2.5 +0.4%
1995 2.5 +0.1%
1996 2.52 +0.7%
1997 2.52 +0.1%
1998 2.51 -0.3%
1999 2.53 +0.8%
2000 2.41 -5.0%
2001 2.35 -2.5%
2002 2.3 -1.8%
2003 2.33 +1.0%
2004 2.34 +0.8%
2005 2.35 +0.3%
2006 2.35 +0.1%
2007 2.36 +0.3%
2008 2.31 -2.2%
2009 2.28 -1.4%
2010 2.3 +1.0%
2011 2.57 +11.8%
2012 2.56 -0.4%
2013 2.52 -1.5%
2014 2.55 +1.0%
2015 2.35 -7.7%

Sweden compared with similar countries

  • Sweden's 2.35 is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.59, 1.5× the median. (49 countries reporting)
  • Sweden's 2.35 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.41, 1.7× the median. (46 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 1.91 1.64 2.21 10
1970s 2.25 2.19 2.34 10
1980s 2.45 2.32 2.57 10
1990s 2.51 2.49 2.58 10
2000s 2.34 2.28 2.41 10
2010s 2.48 2.3 2.57 6

Countries ranked near Sweden

  1. 2 Norway 2.53 compare
  2. 3 Austria 2.48 compare
  3. 4 Belgium 2.38 compare
  4. 6 Finland 2.34 compare
  5. 7 Germany 2.3 compare
  6. 8 Switzerland 2.27 compare

See the full ranking of 166 places →

More reference data data for Sweden

All data for Sweden →

Frequently asked questions

What is state capacity index in Sweden?
State capacity index in Sweden was 2.35 in 2015, according to Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest state capacity index recorded in Sweden?
The highest recorded value was 2.58 in 1990.
What is the lowest state capacity index recorded in Sweden?
The lowest recorded value was 1.64 in 1960.
How does Sweden rank for state capacity index?
Sweden ranks 5th out of 166 countries with data for 2015.
Is state capacity index rising or falling in Sweden?
Over the last ten years it is up 0.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Sweden data come from?
The figures come from Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of State Capacity Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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State Capacity Index in Sweden. 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/stat/state-capacity-index/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.