Duration of pre-primary education in Sweden
Sweden: Duration of pre-primary education was 4 years in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
4 years
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
1st
of 223 countries
All-time high
4 years
in 1970
All-time low
4 years
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Duration of pre-primary education in Sweden, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
Sweden recorded 4 years for duration of pre-primary education in 2025. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, duration of pre-primary education in Sweden peaked at 4 years in 1970 and was at its lowest, 4 years, in 1970.
Sweden ranks 1st of 223 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Duration of pre-primary education in Sweden, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 4 years | — |
| 1971 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 4 years | +0.0% |
Sweden compared with similar countries
- Sweden's 4 years is above the median for high income countries, which is 3 years, 1.3× the median. (80 countries reporting)
- Sweden's 4 years is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 3 years, 1.3× the median. (53 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4 years | 4 years | 4 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 4 years | 4 years | 4 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 4 years | 4 years | 4 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 4 years | 4 years | 4 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 4 years | 4 years | 4 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 4 years | 4 years | 4 years | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sweden
- 1 Bulgaria 4 years compare
- 1 Croatia 4 years compare
- 1 Estonia 4 years compare
- 1 Finland 4 years compare
- 1 French Guiana 4 years compare
- 1 Gambia 4 years compare
- 1 Georgia 4 years compare
- 1 Guadeloupe 4 years compare
- 1 Hungary 4 years compare
- 1 Kyrgyzstan 4 years compare
- 1 Latvia 4 years compare
- 1 Lithuania 4 years compare
- 1 Martinique 4 years compare
- 1 Moldova 4 years compare
- 1 Mongolia 4 years compare
- 1 Papua New Guinea 4 years compare
- 1 Poland 4 years compare
- 1 Reunion 4 years compare
- 1 Russia 4 years compare
- 1 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 4 years compare
- 1 Serbia 4 years compare
- 1 South Africa 4 years compare
- 1 Tajikistan 4 years compare
- 1 Uzbekistan 4 years compare
- 1 Zambia 4 years compare
More education data for Sweden
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 77,813 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 1,302 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 235,975 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 222,360 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 987,895 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 859,847 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.8572 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0814 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is duration of pre-primary education in Sweden?
- Duration of pre-primary education in Sweden was 4 years in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest duration of pre-primary education recorded in Sweden?
- The highest recorded value was 4 years in 1970.
- What is the lowest duration of pre-primary education recorded in Sweden?
- The lowest recorded value was 4 years in 1970.
- How does Sweden rank for duration of pre-primary education?
- Sweden ranks 1st out of 223 countries with data for 2025.
- Is duration of pre-primary education rising or falling in Sweden?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Sweden data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Duration of pre-primary education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Average number of years that a child is expected to spend in pre-primary education, defined by country's official educational regulations or laws.