Denmark vs Sweden: Share of the population with at least some formal education

Denmark
96.7%
in 2020
Sweden
96.9%
in 2020
Denmark rank
60th
Sweden rank
58th

Share of the population with at least some formal education over time

  • Denmark
  • Sweden
020406080100187019452020

How they compare

Sweden currently reports 96.9% against 96.7% in Denmark, a difference of 0.2%.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 31 shared years of data; in 1870 it was Denmark ahead.

Denmark ranks 60th and Sweden ranks 58th of 111 countries.

Across the 16 decades both report, Denmark averaged higher in 10 and Sweden in 6.

Head to head by decade

Decade Denmark Sweden Difference Ahead
1870s 86.6% 79.1% 7.5% Denmark
1880s 88.5% 82.6% 6.0% Denmark
1890s 90.8% 85.6% 5.2% Denmark
1900s 92.6% 88.2% 4.4% Denmark
1910s 94.5% 91.0% 3.5% Denmark
1920s 96.1% 94.2% 1.9% Denmark
1930s 97.3% 95.7% 1.7% Denmark
1940s 97.7% 97.5% 0.2% Denmark
1950s 97.3% 98.8% 1.5% Sweden
1960s 97.3% 99.0% 1.7% Sweden
1970s 98.4% 98.6% 0.2% Sweden
1980s 97.6% 98.5% 0.9% Sweden
1990s 99.9% 97.8% 2.1% Denmark
2000s 98.2% 98.0% 0.2% Denmark
2010s 96.9% 97.5% 0.5% Sweden
2020s 96.7% 96.9% 0.2% Sweden

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher share of the population with at least some formal education, Denmark or Sweden?
Sweden, at 96.9% against 96.7% in Denmark as of 2020.
What is the difference in share of the population with at least some formal education between Denmark and Sweden?
0.2%, with Sweden ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Denmark and Sweden?
31 years are reported by both, from 1870 to 2020.
How do Denmark and Sweden rank globally for share of the population with at least some formal education?
Denmark ranks 60th and Sweden ranks 58th 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 Share of the population with at least some formal education. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Denmark vs Sweden: Share of the population with at least some formal education. Statizoid, drawing on Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/population-having-attained-at-least-basic-education/denmark/sweden/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of the population with at least some formal education
Unit
%
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

Based on the population aged 15 years and older.