France vs Sweden: Average years of schooling

France
11.89 years
in 2020
Sweden
11.93 years
in 2020
France rank
21st
Sweden rank
20th

Average years of schooling over time

  • France
  • Sweden
02.557.51012.5187019452020

How they compare

Sweden currently reports 11.93 years against 11.89 years in France, a difference of 0.04 years.

Across all 31 years both countries report, Sweden has been ahead every year.

France ranks 21st and Sweden ranks 20th of 111 countries.

Sweden has averaged higher in every one of the 16 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade France Sweden Difference Ahead
1870s 0.755 years 3.66 years 2.9 years Sweden
1880s 1.38 years 3.92 years 2.54 years Sweden
1890s 1.94 years 4.15 years 2.21 years Sweden
1900s 2.5 years 4.37 years 1.87 years Sweden
1910s 3.08 years 4.54 years 1.46 years Sweden
1920s 3.56 years 4.95 years 1.39 years Sweden
1930s 3.87 years 5.76 years 1.9 years Sweden
1940s 4.19 years 6.35 years 2.16 years Sweden
1950s 4.49 years 7.12 years 2.62 years Sweden
1960s 4.55 years 7.9 years 3.35 years Sweden
1970s 5.75 years 9.13 years 3.38 years Sweden
1980s 6.87 years 10.48 years 3.61 years Sweden
1990s 8.84 years 11.22 years 2.38 years Sweden
2000s 10.54 years 11.79 years 1.25 years Sweden
2010s 11.47 years 11.92 years 0.45 years Sweden
2020s 11.89 years 11.93 years 0.04 years Sweden

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher average years of schooling, France or Sweden?
Sweden, at 11.93 years against 11.89 years in France as of 2020.
What is the difference in average years of schooling between France and Sweden?
0.04 years, with Sweden ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for France and Sweden?
31 years are reported by both, from 1870 to 2020.
How do France and Sweden rank globally for average years of schooling?
France ranks 21st and Sweden ranks 20th of 111 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Average years of schooling. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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France vs Sweden: Average years of schooling. Statizoid, drawing on Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 29 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/mean-years-of-schooling-long-run/france/sweden/

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About this data

Indicator
Average years of schooling
Unit
years
Source
Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
111 places, 3,441 data points, 1870–2020
Last refreshed

Average years of formal education for individuals aged 15-64.