Democracy research and measurement have, however, focused primarily on cases of democratic breakdown, paying less attention to the gradual and less visible pressures that may affect high-performing democracies (Croissant & Lott, 2025; Merkel and Lührmann, 2021). This gap warrants further attention in the Nordic context. Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden consistently rank among the world’s strongest democracies, with high scores for electoral integrity, the rule of law, institutional quality, and transparency (Economist Intelligence Unit, 2025; Freedom House, 2026; International IDEA, 2025f; Nord et al., 2026). Their democratic systems are also associated with inclusive governance, comprehensive welfare states, high levels of social and political trust, active civil societies, strong local government, and political cultures oriented towards compromise and consensus (Christensen et al., 2025; Meinander, 2021). Against a wider backdrop of global democratic backsliding, the Nordic countries show little evidence of systematic democratic erosion. Nevertheless, they are exposed to pressures and risks that may affect the conditions under which democracy operates. This raises the further question of whether characteristics often associated with Nordic democracies contribute to democratic resilience, whether they may themselves come under strain, and whether and how they should be measured in a democracy index. To address this research and measurement gap, the paper examines both the strengths and limitations of existing approaches to democracy measurement in the Nordic context and explores practical options for a context-sensitive Nordic measurement framework that builds on existing indices.
Part 1 outlines the defining features of Nordic democracies, describes the pressures, risks and broader political and societal changes under which they are operating, and assesses how effectively major global democracy indices capture subtle and emerging developments across the region. Part 2 builds on the measurement gaps identified in Part 1 and begins to map practical pathways towards a feasible, regionally grounded approach to democracy measurement in the Nordic countries. Methods
This working paper is a feasibility-oriented review that draws on academic and grey literature on democracy, democratic backsliding, the Nordic model and comparative democracy measurement. The analysis was also informed by informal consultations and discussions with leading experts in democracy measurement, including representatives of index-producing organisations and democracy scholars.
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