Duration of pre-primary education in Sweden
Sweden: Duration of pre-primary education was 4 years in 2025. ▬ Flat
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%.
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 Hungary 4 years compare
- 1 Kyrgyzstan 4 years compare
- 1 Latvia 4 years compare
- 1 Lithuania 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
- Official entrance age to pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 62.4% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 16.7% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 13 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 7 years (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 114.9% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 71,551 (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling 1.43 live births per woman (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 119.3% (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, male 110.7% (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
The average number of years that a child is expected to spend in pre-primary education, defined by country's official educational regulations or laws.