Which has higher government expenditure per student, primary, Norway or Sweden?

Sweden, at 21.7% against 21.7% in Norway as of 2016.

How many years of comparable data are there for Norway and Sweden?

16 years are reported by both, from 1998 to 2016.

Where does this data come from?

Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as Government expenditure per student, primary (% of GDP per capita). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Norway vs Sweden: Government expenditure per student, primary

Norway

21.7%

in 2016

Sweden

21.7%

in 2016

Norway rank

21st

Sweden rank

20th

Government expenditure per student, primary over time

Norway
Sweden

How they compare

Sweden currently reports 21.7% against 21.7% in Norway, a difference of 0.0%.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 16 shared years of data; in 1998 it was Sweden ahead.

Norway ranks 21st and Sweden ranks 20th of 122 countries.

Sweden has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Norway	Sweden	Difference	Ahead
1990s	21.4%	22.4%	1.0%	Sweden
2000s	19.1%	23.7%	4.5%	Sweden
2010s	20.4%	23.0%	2.6%	Sweden

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher government expenditure per student, primary, Norway or Sweden?: Sweden, at 21.7% against 21.7% in Norway as of 2016.
What is the difference in government expenditure per student, primary between Norway and Sweden?: 0.0%, with Sweden ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Norway and Sweden?: 16 years are reported by both, from 1998 to 2016.
How do Norway and Sweden rank globally for government expenditure per student, primary?: Norway ranks 21st and Sweden ranks 20th of 122 countries.
Where does this data come from?: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as Government expenditure per student, primary (% of GDP per capita). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Norway vs Sweden: Government expenditure per student, primary. Statizoid, drawing on Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 11 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/government-expenditure-per-student-primary-percent-of-gdp-per-capita/norway/sweden/

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<a href="https://education.statizoid.com/compare/government-expenditure-per-student-primary-percent-of-gdp-per-capita/norway/sweden/">Norway vs Sweden: Government expenditure per student, primary</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator: Government expenditure per student, primary (% of GDP per capita)
Unit: % of GDP per capita
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage: 143 places, 1,741 data points, 1995–2018
Last refreshed: 03 September 2026

Government expenditure per student is the average general government expenditure (current, capital, and transfers) per student in the given level of education, expressed as a percentage of GDP per capita.