New Zealand vs Sweden: Share of the population with post-secondary education or higher
New Zealand
51.1%
in 2020
Sweden
52.5%
in 2023
New Zealand rank
13th
Sweden rank
10th
Share of the population with post-secondary education or higher over time
- New Zealand
- Sweden
How they compare
Sweden currently reports 52.5% against 51.1% in New Zealand, a difference of 1.4%.
Across all 7 years both countries report, New Zealand has been ahead every year.
New Zealand ranks 13th and Sweden ranks 10th of 110 countries.
New Zealand has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | New Zealand | Sweden | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 39.1% | 19.3% | 19.8% | New Zealand |
| 2000s | 42.4% | 33.5% | 8.9% | New Zealand |
| 2010s | 46.2% | 36.3% | 9.9% | New Zealand |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of the population with post-secondary education or higher, New Zealand or Sweden?
- Sweden, at 52.5% against 51.1% in New Zealand as of 2023.
- What is the difference in share of the population with post-secondary education or higher between New Zealand and Sweden?
- 1.4%, with Sweden ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for New Zealand and Sweden?
- 7 years are reported by both, from 1991 to 2016.
- How do New Zealand and Sweden rank globally for share of the population with post-secondary education or higher?
- New Zealand ranks 13th and Sweden ranks 10th of 110 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of the population with post-secondary education or higher. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Share of adults aged 25 and older who have completed post-secondary or tertiary education.