Denmark vs Sweden: Share of the population with completed tertiary education

Denmark
30.8
in 2020
Sweden
30.6
in 2020
Denmark rank
22nd
Sweden rank
23rd

Share of the population with completed tertiary education over time

  • Denmark
  • Sweden
0102030187019452020

How they compare

Denmark currently reports 30.8 against 30.6 in Sweden, a difference of 0.2.

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

Denmark ranks 22nd and Sweden ranks 23rd of 111 countries.

Across the 16 decades both report, Denmark averaged higher in 4 and Sweden in 12.

Head to head by decade

Decade Denmark Sweden Difference Ahead
1870s 0 0.1 0.1 Sweden
1880s 0.1 0.2 0.1 Sweden
1890s 0.1 0.2 0.1 Sweden
1900s 0.1 0.2 0.1 Sweden
1910s 0.2 0.3 0.1 Sweden
1920s 0.2 0.8 0.6 Sweden
1930s 0.75 2.4 1.65 Sweden
1940s 2.3 3.55 1.25 Sweden
1950s 4.55 4.95 0.4 Sweden
1960s 7.25 6.7 0.55 Denmark
1970s 10.95 10.35 0.6 Denmark
1980s 16.8 18.5 1.7 Sweden
1990s 22.2 24.05 1.85 Sweden
2000s 26.25 27.35 1.1 Sweden
2010s 31.7 31 0.7 Denmark
2020s 30.8 30.6 0.2 Denmark

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher share of the population with completed tertiary education, Denmark or Sweden?
Denmark, at 30.8 against 30.6 in Sweden as of 2020.
What is the difference in share of the population with completed tertiary 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 the population with completed tertiary education?
Denmark ranks 22nd and Sweden ranks 23rd of 111 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Our World in Data, published as Share of the population with completed tertiary 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 completed tertiary education. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 27 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/share-of-the-population-with-completed-tertiary-education/denmark/sweden/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of the population with completed tertiary education
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
111 places, 3,441 data points, 1870–2020
Last refreshed