Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Sweden
Sweden: Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal was 52.1% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Sweden, 1997–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Sweden recorded 52.1% for participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in 2023. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.9% on the previous year and up 21.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Sweden peaked at 52.1% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 25.6%, in 2001.
That places Sweden 1st out of 110 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 26 years of available data.
Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Sweden, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 33.1% | — |
| 1999 | 34.5% | +4.2% |
| 2000 | 27.6% | -19.9% |
| 2001 | 25.6% | -7.2% |
| 2002 | 27.2% | +6.3% |
| 2003 | 38.0% | +39.5% |
| 2004 | 42.9% | +13.0% |
| 2005 | 31.1% | -27.4% |
| 2006 | 32.9% | +5.8% |
| 2007 | 33.5% | +1.7% |
| 2008 | 37.4% | +11.7% |
| 2009 | 37.6% | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 40.1% | +6.7% |
| 2011 | 40.3% | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 41.8% | +3.8% |
| 2013 | 43.1% | +3.0% |
| 2014 | 43.6% | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 43.8% | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 43.7% | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 44.2% | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 45.4% | +2.6% |
| 2019 | 49.3% | +8.7% |
| 2020 | 43.0% | -12.9% |
| 2021 | 48.0% | +11.8% |
| 2022 | 49.7% | +3.5% |
| 2023 | 52.1% | +4.9% |
Sweden compared with similar countries
- Sweden's 52.1% is above the median for high income countries, which is 18.3%, 2.9× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Sweden's 52.1% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 17.2%, 3.0× the median. (41 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | +39.5% | 27.2% | 38.0% |
| 2005 | -27.4% | 42.9% | 31.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 33.8% | 33.1% | 34.5% | 2 |
| 2000s | 33.4% | 25.6% | 42.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 43.5% | 40.1% | 49.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 48.2% | 43.0% | 52.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sweden
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 participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Sweden?
- Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Sweden was 52.1% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal recorded in Sweden?
- The highest recorded value was 52.1% in 2023.
- What is the lowest participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal recorded in Sweden?
- The lowest recorded value was 25.6% in 2001.
- How does Sweden rank for participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal?
- Sweden ranks 1st out of 110 countries with data for 2023.
- Is participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal rising or falling in Sweden?
- Over the last ten years it is up 21.0%. 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 Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal education and training in the previous 12 months, 15-64 years old, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release