Expenditure on tertiary education in Sweden
Sweden: Expenditure on tertiary education was 24.1% in 2016. ▲ Rising
Expenditure on tertiary education in Sweden, 1979–2016
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of government expenditure on education.
Analysis
Sweden recorded 24.1% for expenditure on tertiary education in 2016.
That represents a change of down 3.3% on the previous year and down 10.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on tertiary education in Sweden peaked at 29.1% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 10.0%, in 1981.
That places Sweden 47th out of 160 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 28 years of available data.
Expenditure on tertiary education in Sweden, year by year
| Year | % of government expenditure on education | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 13.1% | — |
| 1980 | 11.0% | -16.4% |
| 1981 | 10.0% | -8.7% |
| 1990 | 21.7% | +116.4% |
| 1991 | 19.9% | -8.2% |
| 1992 | 21.7% | +9.2% |
| 1993 | 25.3% | +16.5% |
| 1995 | 26.7% | +5.4% |
| 1996 | 27.2% | +1.9% |
| 1998 | 26.1% | -3.9% |
| 1999 | 27.0% | +3.2% |
| 2000 | 27.2% | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 28.0% | +3.1% |
| 2002 | 28.3% | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 28.9% | +1.9% |
| 2004 | 28.5% | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 27.5% | -3.4% |
| 2006 | 26.8% | -2.6% |
| 2007 | 26.4% | -1.4% |
| 2008 | 27.0% | +2.2% |
| 2009 | 28.1% | +4.0% |
| 2010 | 29.0% | +3.3% |
| 2011 | 29.1% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 25.3% | -13.1% |
| 2013 | 25.4% | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 25.3% | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 24.9% | -1.4% |
| 2016 | 24.1% | -3.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 13.1% | 13.1% | 13.1% | 1 |
| 1980s | 10.5% | 10.0% | 11.0% | 2 |
| 1990s | 24.5% | 19.9% | 27.2% | 8 |
| 2000s | 27.7% | 26.4% | 28.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.2% | 24.1% | 29.1% | 7 |
Countries ranked near Sweden
- 44 Turks and Caicos Islands 24.4% compare
- 45 Burundi 24.2% compare
- 46 Syrian Arab Republic 24.2% compare
- 48 China 24.0% compare
- 49 Tunisia 23.9% compare
- 50 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 23.8% 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 tertiary education in Sweden?
- Expenditure on tertiary education in Sweden was 24.1% in 2016, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest expenditure on tertiary education recorded in Sweden?
- The highest recorded value was 29.1% in 2011.
- What is the lowest expenditure on tertiary education recorded in Sweden?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.0% in 1981.
- How does Sweden rank for expenditure on tertiary education?
- Sweden ranks 47th out of 160 countries with data for 2016.
- Is expenditure on tertiary education rising or falling in Sweden?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sweden data come from?
- The figures come from Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Expenditure on tertiary education (% of government expenditure on education). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Expenditure on tertiary education is expressed as a percentage of total general government expenditure on education. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.