Freedom in Nordic countries
5 countries and territories, on every statistic this site carries. Each row shows the region’s best and worst on that measure and the median between them.
Countries in Nordic countries
Personal
What a person may say, believe, publish, join and where they may go.
| Statistic | Highest | Lowest | Median | Countries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom of expression | Denmark 0.980 | Iceland 0.846 | 0.946 | 5 |
| Freedom of association | Sweden 0.931 | Finland 0.864 | 0.917 | 5 |
| Civil liberties | Sweden 0.960 | Norway 0.947 | 0.950 | 5 |
| Freedom from political violence | Iceland 0.989 | Denmark 0.970 | 0.988 | 5 |
| Equal protection of rights | Denmark 0.980 | Finland 0.831 | 0.924 | 5 |
| Academic freedom | Sweden 0.934 | Iceland 0.756 | 0.854 | 5 |
| Media censorship effort | Denmark 3.258 | Norway 2.595 | 2.747 | 5 |
| Harassment of journalists | Denmark 3.764 | Iceland 0.464 | 2.776 | 5 |
| Media self-censorship | Denmark 3.116 | Iceland 1.121 | 2.190 | 5 |
| Universal right to vote | Denmark 1.000 | Sweden 1.000 | 1.000 | 5 |
| Legal rights for women | Denmark 100.0 | Norway 96.9 | 100.0 | 5 |
| Women can get a passport as men do | Denmark 1.000 | Sweden 1.000 | 1.000 | 5 |
| Access to justice for women | Denmark 1.000 | Sweden 1.000 | 1.000 | 5 |
| Access to justice for men | Denmark 1.000 | Sweden 1.000 | 1.000 | 5 |
| Civil liberties score | Finland 60.0 | Iceland 57.0 | 59.0 | 5 |
| Political rights score | Denmark 40.0 | Iceland 38.0 | 40.0 | 5 |
Economic
What a person may own, trade, earn and keep.
| Statistic | Highest | Lowest | Median | Countries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trade openness | Denmark 129.2% | Norway 79.1% | 83.4% | 5 |
| Tax revenue as a share of GDP | Norway 24.5% | Denmark 33.4% | 26.3% | 4 |
| Government spending as a share of GDP | Iceland 32.1% | Finland 44.9% | 33.9% | 4 |
| Foreign investment inflows | Sweden 2.9% | Norway -1.5% | -0.3% | 4 |
| Regulatory quality | Finland 85.8 | Iceland 75.8 | 81.2 | 5 |
| GDP per capita | Norway $95.2K | Finland $55.7K | $68.1K | 5 |
| GDP growth | Denmark 2.9% | Finland 0.2% | 1.3% | 5 |
| Inflation | Iceland 4.1% | Finland 0.3% | 1.9% | 5 |
| Unemployment | Iceland 3.6% | Finland 9.5% | 5.5% | 5 |
| Income inequality | Denmark 29.900 | Norway 26.500 | 28.350 | 4 |
| Extreme poverty | Finland 0.2% | Sweden 0.8% | 0.3% | 4 |
Digital
What a person may read, send and encrypt online, and who is watching.
| Statistic | Highest | Lowest | Median | Countries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Internet use | Denmark 99.8% | Finland 93.7% | 98.2% | 5 |
| Fixed broadband subscriptions | Norway 45.2 | Finland 36.5 | 40.6 | 5 |
| Mobile subscriptions | Sweden 140.7 | Norway 109.4 | 125.9 | 5 |
Government
How power is held, checked and abused.
| Statistic | Highest | Lowest | Median | Countries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electoral democracy | Denmark 0.913 | Iceland 0.807 | 0.889 | 5 |
| Liberal democracy | Denmark 0.884 | Iceland 0.720 | 0.847 | 5 |
| Rule of law | Denmark 0.997 | Iceland 0.983 | 0.986 | 5 |
| Judicial checks on government | Denmark 0.984 | Norway 0.955 | 0.966 | 5 |
| Legislative checks on government | Sweden 0.989 | Iceland 0.792 | 0.977 | 5 |
| Political corruption | Denmark 0.004 | Finland 0.031 | 0.010 | 5 |
| Civil society participation | Norway 0.973 | Iceland 0.874 | 0.948 | 5 |
| Women’s political empowerment | Denmark 0.954 | Iceland 0.883 | 0.926 | 5 |
| Voice and accountability | Norway 90.6 | Iceland 81.8 | 89.3 | 5 |
| Control of corruption | Denmark 94.2 | Iceland 84.9 | 87.7 | 5 |
| Government effectiveness | Denmark 88.5 | Iceland 83.3 | 86.7 | 5 |
| Political stability | Iceland 86.5 | Sweden 76.2 | 80.1 | 5 |
Society
Health, schooling, safety and who takes part.
| Statistic | Highest | Lowest | Median | Countries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Human Development Index | Iceland 0.972 | Finland 0.948 | 0.962 | 5 |
| Life expectancy | Sweden 84.1 | Denmark 82.3 | 82.8 | 5 |
| Secondary school enrolment | Finland 142.4% | Norway 116.3% | 128.8% | 4 |
| Health spending | Sweden 11.2% | Iceland 8.7% | 9.6% | 5 |
| Health costs paid out of pocket | Sweden 13.0% | Iceland 14.7% | 14.0% | 5 |
| Maternal mortality | Norway 1.0 | Finland 8.0 | 4.0 | 5 |
| Women in parliament | Iceland 46.0% | Norway 40.2% | 45.0% | 5 |
| Women in the workforce | Iceland 70.0% | Finland 56.5% | 61.5% | 5 |
| Fertility rate | Iceland 1.56 | Finland 1.25 | 1.45 | 5 |
| Urban population | Iceland 94.2% | Finland 74.5% | 88.8% | 5 |
| Refugees who left | Iceland 0.0 | Sweden 0.9 | 0.3 | 5 |
| Population | Sweden 10.6M | Iceland 392.4K | 5.6M | 5 |
Environment
Energy, emissions and access to power.
| Statistic | Highest | Lowest | Median | Countries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CO₂ emissions per person | Sweden 3.57 | Iceland 8.52 | 5.54 | 5 |
| Renewable energy use | Iceland 82.4% | Denmark 39.5% | 57.9% | 5 |
| Access to electricity | Denmark 100.0% | Sweden 100.0% | 100.0% | 5 |
Overlapping regions
These groupings share countries with Nordic countries. A country can belong to several at once — Turkey is in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, the Balkans and the Mediterranean.