Norway vs Sweden: Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education
Norway
29.8%
in 2023
Sweden
33.5%
in 2022
Norway rank
16th
Sweden rank
13th
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education over time
- Norway
- Sweden
How they compare
Sweden currently reports 33.5% against 29.8% in Norway, a difference of 3.7%.
That makes Sweden's figure about 1.1 times Norway's.
The two have swapped places 6 times across 18 shared years of data; in 2004 it was Sweden ahead.
Norway ranks 16th and Sweden ranks 13th of 95 countries.
Sweden has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Norway | Sweden | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 17.6% | 24.4% | 6.8% | Sweden |
| 2010s | 25.3% | 27.8% | 2.5% | Sweden |
| 2020s | 32.0% | 33.0% | 1.0% | Sweden |
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?
- Sweden, at 33.5% against 29.8% in Norway as of 2022.
- What is the difference in educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education between Norway and Sweden?
- 3.7%, with Sweden 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 16th and Sweden ranks 13th of 95 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, rural, both sexes (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release