Sweden vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Government expenditure on secondary education as a percentage of GDP

Sweden
2.1%
in 2022
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
2.2%
in 2021
Sweden rank
25th
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank
24th

Government expenditure on secondary education as a percentage of GDP over time

  • Sweden
  • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
11.522.53197119962022

How they compare

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland currently reports 2.2% against 2.1% in Sweden, a difference of 0.1%.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 30 shared years of data; in 1980 it was United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ahead.

Sweden ranks 25th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 24th of 165 countries.

Across the 5 decades both report, Sweden averaged higher in 3 and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade Sweden United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Difference Ahead
1980s 0.9% 2.1% 1.2% United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
1990s 2.1% 1.9% 0.1% Sweden
2000s 2.5% 2.2% 0.3% Sweden
2010s 2.2% 2.2% 0.0% United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
2020s 2.2% 2.1% 0.2% Sweden

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher government expenditure on secondary education as a percentage of gdp, Sweden or United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, at 2.2% against 2.1% in Sweden as of 2021.
What is the difference in government expenditure on secondary education as a percentage of gdp between Sweden and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
0.1%, with United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Sweden and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
30 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2021.
How do Sweden and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank globally for government expenditure on secondary education as a percentage of gdp?
Sweden ranks 25th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 24th of 165 countries.
Where does this data come from?
UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Government expenditure on secondary education as a percentage of GDP (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Sweden vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Government expenditure on secondary education as a percentage of GDP. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/government-expenditure-on-secondary-education-as-a-percentage-of-gdp-percent/sweden/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Government expenditure on secondary education as a percentage of GDP (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
165 places, 3,679 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release