Share of population with no formal education in Sweden
Sweden: Share of population with no formal education was 3.1% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Share of population with no formal education in Sweden, 1870–2020
Source: Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of population with no formal education in Sweden is 3.1%, measured in 2020.
The figure is up 34.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population with no formal education in Sweden peaked at 21.7% in 1870 and was at its lowest, 0.9%, in 1955.
That places Sweden 53rd out of 111 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of population with no formal education in Sweden, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 21.7% | — |
| 1875 | 20.1% | -7.4% |
| 1880 | 18.2% | -9.5% |
| 1885 | 16.6% | -8.8% |
| 1890 | 15.1% | -9.0% |
| 1895 | 13.7% | -9.3% |
| 1900 | 12.4% | -9.5% |
| 1905 | 11.2% | -9.7% |
| 1910 | 9.9% | -11.6% |
| 1915 | 8.1% | -18.2% |
| 1920 | 6.5% | -19.8% |
| 1925 | 5.2% | -20.0% |
| 1930 | 4.9% | -5.8% |
| 1935 | 3.8% | -22.4% |
| 1940 | 2.9% | -23.7% |
| 1945 | 2.0% | -31.0% |
| 1950 | 1.4% | -30.0% |
| 1955 | 0.9% | -35.7% |
| 1960 | 0.9% | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 1.0% | +11.1% |
| 1970 | 1.1% | +10.0% |
| 1975 | 1.7% | +54.5% |
| 1980 | 1.5% | -11.8% |
| 1985 | 1.6% | +6.7% |
| 1990 | 2.1% | +31.2% |
| 1995 | 2.2% | +4.8% |
| 2000 | 2.0% | -9.1% |
| 2005 | 2.0% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 2.3% | +15.0% |
| 2015 | 2.8% | +21.7% |
| 2020 | 3.1% | +10.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 20.9% | 20.1% | 21.7% | 2 |
| 1880s | 17.4% | 16.6% | 18.2% | 2 |
| 1890s | 14.4% | 13.7% | 15.1% | 2 |
| 1900s | 11.8% | 11.2% | 12.4% | 2 |
| 1910s | 9.0% | 8.1% | 9.9% | 2 |
| 1920s | 5.8% | 5.2% | 6.5% | 2 |
| 1930s | 4.3% | 3.8% | 4.9% | 2 |
| 1940s | 2.5% | 2.0% | 2.9% | 2 |
| 1950s | 1.1% | 0.9% | 1.4% | 2 |
| 1960s | 0.9% | 0.9% | 1.0% | 2 |
| 1970s | 1.4% | 1.1% | 1.7% | 2 |
| 1980s | 1.6% | 1.5% | 1.6% | 2 |
| 1990s | 2.2% | 2.1% | 2.2% | 2 |
| 2000s | 2.0% | 2.0% | 2.0% | 2 |
| 2010s | 2.5% | 2.3% | 2.8% | 2 |
| 2020s | 3.1% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Sweden
More education data for Sweden
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 433,407 (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate -0.497 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), per capita 0.041 units per person (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 426,440 (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate -1.22 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), per capita 0.0403 units per person (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 987,895 (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -0.0594 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 71,551 (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate -0.43 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population with no formal education in Sweden?
- Share of population with no formal education in Sweden was 3.1% in 2020, according to Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population with no formal education recorded in Sweden?
- The highest recorded value was 21.7% in 1870.
- What is the lowest share of population with no formal education recorded in Sweden?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.9% in 1955.
- How does Sweden rank for share of population with no formal education?
- Sweden ranks 53rd out of 111 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population with no formal education rising or falling in Sweden?
- Over the last ten years it is up 34.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sweden data come from?
- The figures come from Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population with no formal education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The share of adults aged between 15 and 64 years old with no formal education.