Denmark vs Sweden: Share of population with no formal education

Denmark
3.3%
in 2020
Sweden
3.1%
in 2020
Denmark rank
51st
Sweden rank
53rd

Share of population with no formal education over time

  • Denmark
  • Sweden
05101520187019452020

How they compare

Denmark currently reports 3.3% against 3.1% in Sweden, a difference of 0.2%.

That makes Denmark's figure about 1.1 times Sweden's.

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

Denmark ranks 51st and Sweden ranks 53rd of 111 countries.

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

Head to head by decade

Decade Denmark Sweden Difference Ahead
1870s 13.4% 20.9% 7.5% Sweden
1880s 11.4% 17.4% 5.9% Sweden
1890s 9.2% 14.4% 5.2% Sweden
1900s 7.4% 11.8% 4.4% Sweden
1910s 5.5% 9.0% 3.5% Sweden
1920s 4.0% 5.8% 1.9% Sweden
1930s 2.6% 4.3% 1.7% Sweden
1940s 2.3% 2.5% 0.2% Sweden
1950s 2.6% 1.1% 1.5% Denmark
1960s 2.6% 0.9% 1.7% Denmark
1970s 1.6% 1.4% 0.2% Denmark
1980s 2.4% 1.6% 0.8% Denmark
1990s 0.1% 2.2% 2.1% Sweden
2000s 1.9% 2.0% 0.1% Sweden
2010s 3.0% 2.5% 0.5% Denmark
2020s 3.3% 3.1% 0.2% Denmark

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher share of population with no formal education, Denmark or Sweden?
Denmark, at 3.3% against 3.1% in Sweden as of 2020.
What is the difference in share of population with no formal education between Denmark and Sweden?
0.2%, with Denmark 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 population with no formal education?
Denmark ranks 51st and Sweden ranks 53rd 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 population with no 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 population with no formal education. Statizoid, drawing on Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 03 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/share-of-population-15-years-and-older-with-no-education/denmark/sweden/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of population with no 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

The share of adults aged between 15 and 64 years old with no formal education.