Educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary in Sweden
Sweden: Educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary was 85.4% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary in Sweden, 1970–2023
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in cumulative.
Analysis
The most recent figure for educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary in Sweden is 85.4%, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 33 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.7% on the previous year and up 17.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary in Sweden peaked at 85.4% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 31.1%, in 1970.
Sweden ranks 18th of 141 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary in Sweden, year by year
| Year | cumulative | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 31.1% | — |
| 1974 | 39.3% | +26.5% |
| 1979 | 48.3% | +22.9% |
| 1986 | 51.3% | +6.1% |
| 1987 | 52.7% | +2.7% |
| 1988 | 54.2% | +2.8% |
| 1989 | 55.5% | +2.4% |
| 1990 | 57.8% | +4.2% |
| 1991 | 59.1% | +2.2% |
| 1992 | 62.5% | +5.7% |
| 1993 | 64.8% | +3.6% |
| 1994 | 66.1% | +2.1% |
| 1995 | 67.5% | +2.1% |
| 2004 | 79.9% | +18.3% |
| 2005 | 80.7% | +1.1% |
| 2006 | 81.5% | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 82.2% | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 76.6% | -6.9% |
| 2009 | 77.3% | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 78.1% | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 78.9% | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 79.6% | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 72.8% | -8.5% |
| 2014 | 73.6% | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 74.3% | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 75.0% | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 75.8% | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 83.8% | +10.5% |
| 2019 | 77.2% | -7.9% |
| 2020 | 84.8% | +9.9% |
| 2021 | 83.4% | -1.7% |
| 2022 | 84.8% | +1.7% |
| 2023 | 85.4% | +0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 39.6% | 31.1% | 48.3% | 3 |
| 1980s | 53.4% | 51.3% | 55.5% | 4 |
| 1990s | 63.0% | 57.8% | 67.5% | 6 |
| 2000s | 79.7% | 76.6% | 82.2% | 6 |
| 2010s | 76.9% | 72.8% | 83.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 84.6% | 83.4% | 85.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sweden
More education data for Sweden
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 3.88 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 58,504 (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 13,047 (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 300,133 (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 4.19 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 194,163 (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 3.4 % change on previous year (2024)
- Theoretical duration of primary education (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of pre-primary education (years), annual growth 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Start of the academic school year (pre-primary to post-secondary non) 0.0494 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary in Sweden?
- Educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary in Sweden was 85.4% in 2023, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary recorded in Sweden?
- The highest recorded value was 85.4% in 2023.
- What is the lowest educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary recorded in Sweden?
- The lowest recorded value was 31.1% in 1970.
- How does Sweden rank for educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary?
- Sweden ranks 18th out of 141 countries with data for 2023.
- Is educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary rising or falling in Sweden?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sweden data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary, population 25+, female (%) (cumulative). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The percentage of population ages 25 and over that attained or completed upper secondary education.