Government expenditure on education, total in Sweden

Sweden: Government expenditure on education, total was 15.3% in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
15.3%
Change on year
down 1.8%
World rank
61st
of 193 countries
All-time high
15.7%
in 2019
All-time low
8.0%
in 1992
Years of data
33
1980–2022

Government expenditure on education, total in Sweden, 1980–2022

0510151980200120221980: 9.8 % of government expenditure1981: 10.1 % of government expenditure1990: 8.3 % of government expenditure1991: 8.4 % of government expenditure1992: 8 % of government expenditure1993: 8.1 % of government expenditure1995: 10.2 % of government expenditure1996: 11.3 % of government expenditure1998: 12.7 % of government expenditure1999: 12.4 % of government expenditure2000: 12.9 % of government expenditure2001: 12.8 % of government expenditure2002: 13.1 % of government expenditure2003: 12.8 % of government expenditure2004: 12.9 % of government expenditure2005: 12.7 % of government expenditure2006: 12.7 % of government expenditure2007: 12.8 % of government expenditure2008: 12.9 % of government expenditure2009: 13.1 % of government expenditure2010: 13.2 % of government expenditure2011: 13 % of government expenditure2012: 15.1 % of government expenditure2013: 14.9 % of government expenditure2014: 15 % of government expenditure2015: 15.2 % of government expenditure2016: 15.5 % of government expenditure2017: 15.5 % of government expenditure2018: 15.5 % of government expenditure2019: 15.7 % of government expenditure2020: 15.3 % of government expenditure2021: 15.5 % of government expenditure2022: 15.3 % of government expenditure

Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of government expenditure.

Analysis

In 2022, government expenditure on education, total in Sweden stood at 15.3%.

The figure is down 1.8% on the previous year and up 1.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government expenditure on education, total in Sweden peaked at 15.7% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 8.0%, in 1992.

That places Sweden 61st out of 193 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.

Government expenditure on education, total in Sweden, year by year

Annual values for Government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure) in Sweden, 1980 to 2022.
Year % of government expenditure 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%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest 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

  1. 58 Ecuador 15.5% compare
  2. 59 Viet Nam 15.4% compare
  3. 60 Switzerland 15.4% compare
  4. 62 Philippines 15.2% compare
  5. 63 Congo 14.7% compare
  6. 64 Korea, Democratic People's Republic of 14.6% compare

See the full ranking of 239 places →

More education data for Sweden

All data for Sweden →

Frequently asked questions

What is government expenditure on education, total in Sweden?
Government expenditure on education, total in Sweden was 15.3% in 2022, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Sweden?
The highest recorded value was 15.7% in 2019.
What is the lowest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Sweden?
The lowest recorded value was 8.0% in 1992.
How does Sweden rank for government expenditure on education, total?
Sweden ranks 61st out of 193 countries with data for 2022.
Is government expenditure on education, total 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 Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Government expenditure on education, total in Sweden. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/government-expenditure-on-education-total-percent-of-government-expenditure/sweden/

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About this data

Indicator
Government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure)
Unit
% of government expenditure
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
239 places, 5,722 data points, 1980–2025
Last refreshed

General government expenditure on education (current, capital, and transfers) is expressed as a percentage of total general government expenditure on all sectors (including health, education, social services, etc.). It includes expenditure funded by transfers from international sources to government. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.