Norway vs Sweden: Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education

Norway
49.0%
in 2023
Sweden
47.9%
in 2022
Norway rank
14th
Sweden rank
15th

Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education over time

  • Norway
  • Sweden
1020304050197019962023

How they compare

Norway currently reports 49.0% against 47.9% in Sweden, a difference of 1.1%.

The two have swapped places 6 times across 18 shared years of data; in 2004 it was Sweden ahead.

Norway ranks 14th and Sweden ranks 15th of 101 countries.

Across the 3 decades both report, Norway averaged higher in 1 and Sweden in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade Norway Sweden Difference Ahead
2000s 31.7% 35.7% 4.0% Sweden
2010s 40.4% 41.1% 0.7% Sweden
2020s 47.9% 47.2% 0.7% Norway

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education, Norway or Sweden?
Norway, at 49.0% against 47.9% in Sweden as of 2023.
What is the difference in educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education between Norway and Sweden?
1.1%, with Norway ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Norway and Sweden?
18 years are reported by both, from 2004 to 2022.
How do Norway and Sweden rank globally for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education?
Norway ranks 14th and Sweden ranks 15th of 101 countries.
Where does this data come from?
UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education or higher, population 25+ years, urban, both sexes (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Norway vs Sweden: Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 27 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/educational-attainment-rate-completed-short-cycle-tertiary-education-or-higher-population-5/norway/sweden/

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About this data

Indicator
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education or higher, population 25+ years, urban, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
101 places, 1,599 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release