🇸🇪Sweden Political Stability: 84.4/100
Sweden scores 84.4 out of 100 on the Political Stability Index, rated "Very Stable" based on World Bank 2023 Worldwide Governance Indicators across six governance dimensions.
Composite score is the unweighted average of six governance dimensions, each measured on a 0-100 percentile scale.
Sweden is located in Northern Europe, bordered by the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Bothnia, and is part of the Scandinavian Peninsula. It has a diverse landscape that includes the Scandinavian mountain chain to the west and a long coastline. The country has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, and about 65% of its land area is covered by forests. Sweden is the fifth-largest country in Europe, with a total area of 449,964 km².
Sweden has a population of approximately 10.5 million people, with a high level of urbanization, particularly in cities like Stockholm. The country is known for its progressive social policies and high standard of living. Gender equality and acceptance of diverse lifestyles are prominent in Swedish society.
Governance Indicators
Governance Profile: Sweden
World Bank governance: rule of law 89th percentile, corruption control 95th percentile, political stability 57th percentile.
Sweden's strongest governance dimension is Control of Corruption at 95/100, placing it in the top quartile globally. This indicates relatively effective mechanisms for limiting misuse of public office for private gain.
The weakest dimension is Political Stability at 57/100. Political instability concerns may affect the overall security environment and long-term predictability.
A notable 38-point gap between Control of Corruption and Political Stability reveals uneven governance. Some institutions function well while others lag significantly. Travelers should be aware that the quality of government services and protections may vary depending on the context.
For travelers, Sweden's strong governance indicators translate to reliable public services, transparent regulations, and effective rule of law. Visitors can expect well-maintained infrastructure, responsive emergency services, and clear legal protections.
The U.S. State Department currently rates Sweden as Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution). This aligns with a governance profile that, while not without challenges, provides a baseline of institutional functioning.
EU Governance Comparison
Top governance performers in EU based on the corruption composite ranking (weighted: 60% corruption control, 25% rule of law, 15% government effectiveness).
| Country | Score |
|---|---|
| 🇩🇰Denmark | 96.6 |
| 🇫🇮Finland | 95.2 |
| 🇳🇴Norway | 93.9 |
| 🇨🇭Switzerland | 93.8 |
| 🇱🇺Luxembourg | 92.9 |
| 🇸🇪Sweden | 92 |
Common Questions About Sweden's Political Stability
What is Sweden's political stability score?+
What do the World Bank governance indicators measure?+
How does Sweden's stability affect travel safety?+
How does Sweden compare to other countries in EU?+
When was this data last updated?+
More Sweden Data
Safety ratings, regional breakdown, and entry requirements.
Free — 99/100 on the Freedom House index.
View all 195 countries color-coded by advisory level.
Read the full advisory on travel.state.gov.
Access this data programmatically. Free tier available.
On-demand country risk PDFs from 6 government sources.