Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Sweden

Sweden: Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education was 25.1% in 2021. β–² Rising

Latest (2021)
25.1%
Change on year
up 3.9%
World rank
19th
of 95 countries
All-time high
25.1%
in 2021
All-time low
17.2%
in 2002
Years of data
26
1995–2021

Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Sweden, 1995–2021

01020301995200820211995: 20 %1997: 18.4 %1998: 19.6 %1999: 20.9 %2000: 21.4 %2001: 17.3 %2002: 17.2 %2003: 17.9 %2004: 18.1 %2005: 19.4 %2006: 19.5 %2007: 20 %2008: 20.4 %2009: 20.8 %2010: 21.3 %2011: 21.6 %2012: 18.8 %2013: 19.1 %2014: 20 %2015: 20.4 %2016: 21.4 %2017: 22.9 %2018: 24 %2019: 24.5 %2020: 24.2 %2021: 25.1 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2021, educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Sweden stood at 25.1%. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.

The figure is up 3.9% on the previous year and up 16.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Sweden peaked at 25.1% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 17.2%, in 2002.

That places Sweden 19th out of 95 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 26 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 19.7% 18.4% 20.9% 4
2000s 19.2% 17.2% 21.4% 10
2010s 21.4% 18.8% 24.5% 10
2020s 24.6% 24.2% 25.1% 2

Countries ranked near Sweden

  1. 16 Tajikistan 26.4% compare
  2. 17 Austria 26.0% compare
  3. 18 Palestine, State of 25.6% compare
  4. 20 Finland 24.6% compare
  5. 21 Estonia 23.5% compare
  6. 22 Ukraine 23.4% compare

See the full ranking of 95 places β†’

More education data for Sweden

All data for Sweden β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Sweden?
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Sweden was 25.1% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education recorded in Sweden?
The highest recorded value was 25.1% in 2021.
What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education recorded in Sweden?
The lowest recorded value was 17.2% in 2002.
How does Sweden rank for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education?
Sweden ranks 19th out of 95 countries with data for 2021.
Is educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education rising or falling in Sweden?
Over the last ten years it is up 16.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Sweden data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education or higher, population 25+ years, rural, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Sweden. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 20 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/educational-attainment-rate-completed-short-cycle-tertiary-education-or-higher-population-9/sweden/

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About this data

Indicator
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education or higher, population 25+ years, rural, male (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
95 places, 1,549 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release