Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Sweden
Sweden: Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government was 15.3% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Sweden, 1980–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in UIS calculation.
Analysis
Sweden recorded 15.3% for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in 2022.
The figure is down 1.8% on the previous year and up 1.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Sweden peaked at 15.7% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 8.0%, in 1992.
Sweden ranks 61st of 197 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Sweden, year by year
| Year | UIS calculation | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 9.8% | — |
| 1981 | 10.1% | +3.4% |
| 1990 | 8.3% | -18.2% |
| 1991 | 8.4% | +1.1% |
| 1992 | 8.0% | -5.0% |
| 1993 | 8.1% | +1.8% |
| 1995 | 10.2% | +25.5% |
| 1996 | 11.3% | +11.1% |
| 1998 | 12.7% | +12.3% |
| 1999 | 12.4% | -2.4% |
| 2000 | 12.9% | +4.1% |
| 2001 | 12.8% | -0.9% |
| 2002 | 13.1% | +2.6% |
| 2003 | 12.8% | -2.2% |
| 2004 | 12.9% | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 12.7% | -1.4% |
| 2006 | 12.7% | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 12.8% | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 12.9% | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 13.1% | +1.6% |
| 2010 | 13.2% | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 13.0% | -1.1% |
| 2012 | 15.1% | +15.5% |
| 2013 | 14.9% | -1.2% |
| 2014 | 15.0% | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 15.2% | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 15.5% | +1.8% |
| 2017 | 15.5% | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 15.5% | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 15.7% | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 15.3% | -2.8% |
| 2021 | 15.5% | +1.6% |
| 2022 | 15.3% | -1.8% |
Sweden compared with similar countries
- Sweden's 15.3% is above the median for high income countries, which is 11.8%, 1.3× the median. (70 countries reporting)
- Sweden's 15.3% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 11.9%, 1.3× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Sweden changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | +25.5% | 8.1% | 10.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 10.0% | 9.8% | 10.1% | 2 |
| 1990s | 9.9% | 8.0% | 12.7% | 8 |
| 2000s | 12.9% | 12.7% | 13.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.9% | 13.0% | 15.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.4% | 15.3% | 15.5% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Sweden
- 58 Ecuador 15.5% compare
- 59 Viet Nam 15.4% compare
- 60 Switzerland 15.4% compare
- 62 Philippines 15.2% compare
- 63 Congo 14.7% compare
- 64 Korea, Democratic People's Republic of 14.6% 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 expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Sweden?
- Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Sweden was 15.3% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Sweden?
- The highest recorded value was 15.7% in 2019.
- What is the lowest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Sweden?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.0% in 1992.
- How does Sweden rank for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government?
- Sweden ranks 61st out of 197 countries with data for 2022.
- Is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government rising or falling in Sweden?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.3%. 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 Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government expenditure (%) (UIS calculation). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release