Sweden
Sweden
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Select first some countries to compare, choose the charts you wish to display and customise them.
Graduation
The average age of short-cycle tertiary graduates in Sweden is among the oldest. (30.2 Years, rank 5/25 , 2023) Download Indicator
The average age of bachelor's or equivalent graduates in Sweden is among the oldest. (28 Years, rank 1/31 , 2023) Download Indicator
Graduation by gender
In Sweden, the share of female first-time graduates in short-cycle tertiary programmes is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (50.3 %, rank 20/27 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Sweden, the share of female first-time bachelor's graduates is one of the largest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (67.7 %, rank 1/33 , 2023) Download Indicator
Graduation by field of education
In Sweden, the proportion of upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary vocational graduates in the field of health and welfare is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (2 %, rank 7/36 , 2022) Download Indicator
In Sweden, the proportion of upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary vocational graduates in the field of services is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (2 %, rank 6/36 , 2022) Download Indicator
In Sweden, the share of short-cycle tertiary vocational graduates in the field of arts and humanities is relatively high compared to other OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (1 %, rank 8/37 , 2022) Download Indicator
In Sweden, the share of short-cycle tertiary vocational graduates in the field of business, administration and law is relatively high compared to other OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (3 %, rank 8/37 , 2022) Download Indicator
In Sweden, the share of short-cycle tertiary vocational graduates in the field of STEM is relatively high compared to other OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (5 %, rank 4/37 , 2022) Download Indicator
In Sweden, the proportion of bachelor's, master's and doctoral or equivalent graduates in the field of arts and humanities is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1 %, rank 6/45 , 2022) Download Indicator
In Sweden, the proportion of bachelor's, master's and doctoral or equivalent graduates in the field of business, administration and law is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1 %, rank 44/44 , 2022) Download Indicator
In Sweden, the proportion of bachelor's, master's and doctoral or equivalent graduates in the field of STEM is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (3 %, rank 2/44 , 2022) Download Indicator
In Sweden, the proportion of bachelor's, master's and doctoral or equivalent graduates in the field of health and welfare is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (2 %, rank 2/45 , 2022) Download Indicator
Graduation by field of education and gender
In Sweden, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in all fields is one of the largest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (61.9 %, rank 8/44 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Sweden, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in the fields of business, administration and law is one of the largest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (62.5 %, rank 10/43 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Sweden, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics is one of the largest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (37.8 %, rank 9/41 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Sweden, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in the fields of information and communication technologies is one of the largest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (35.6 %, rank 4/41 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Sweden, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in the fields of engineering, manufacturing and construction is one of the largest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (34.6 %, rank 10/43 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Sweden, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in the fields of agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary is one of the largest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (69.1 %, rank 4/43 , 2023) Download Indicator
Completion rates
Male completion rates to bachelor's programmes by the end of the theoretical duration plus one year were among the lowest in Sweden compared to other countries. (44.4 %, rank 25/32 , 2021) Download Indicator
By the end of the theoretical duration plus one year, completion rates of all new entrants to bachelor's programmes placed Sweden among the lowest across countries with available data. (54.3 %, rank 23/32 , 2021) Download Indicator
Dropout rates
For male new entrants, the drop out rate by the end of the theoretical duration of the programme placed Sweden among the highest across countries. (31.3 %, rank 9/30 , 2020) Download Indicator
The overall drop out rate of new entrants to bachelor's programmes by the end of the theoretical duration ranked Sweden among the highest internationally. (24 %, rank 10/30 , 2020) Download Indicator
Gap year
The share of female students who entered a bachelor's programme and took at least one gap year was among the highest across countries with available data. (78.3 %, rank 2/23 , 2020) Download Indicator
The share of male students who entered a bachelor's programme and took at least one gap year placed Sweden among the highest internationally. (75.1 %, rank 4/23 , 2020) Download Indicator
For all students who entered a bachelor's programme, the share who took at least one gap year ranked Sweden among the highest across countries with available data. (77 %, rank 1/23 , 2020) Download Indicator
Student mobility
(1 %, rank 8/46 , 2020) Download Indicator
Literacy
The mean literacy score is high compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (284 PIAAC Score, rank 3/31 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of adults scoring high (at Level 2 or 3) in Iiteracy is high compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (19.6 %, rank 4/31 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of adults scoring at or below level 1 in Iiteracy is low compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (12 %, rank 30/31 , 2023) Download Indicator
Numeracy
The mean numeracy score is high compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (285 PIAAC Score, rank 3/31 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of adults scoring high (at Level 2 or 3) in numeracy is high compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (22.5 %, rank 4/31 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of adults scoring at or below level 1 in numeracy is low compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (12.2 %, rank 29/31 , 2023) Download Indicator
Adaptive problem solving
The mean score in adaptive problem solving in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) is high compared to other participating countries. (273 PIAAC Score, rank 3/31 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of adults scoring high (at Level 4) in adaptive problem solving in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) is high compared to other participating countries. (8.8 %, rank 5/31 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of adults scoring low (at or below Level 1) in adaptive problem solving in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) is low compared to other participating countries. (13.6 %, rank 30/31 , 2023) Download Indicator
Skills differences between age groups
The mean score in adaptive problem solving for 16-24 year-olds is high compared to other participating countries. (272 PIAAC Score, rank 9/31 , 2023) Download Indicator
The mean score in adaptive problem solving for 55-65 year-olds is high compared to other participating countries. (264 PIAAC Score, rank 1/31 , 2023) Download Indicator
The mean literacy score for young adults (16-24 year-olds) is high compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (279 PIAAC Score, rank 8/31 , 2023) Download Indicator
The mean literacy score for older adults (55-65 year-olds) is high compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (278 PIAAC Score, rank 1/31 , 2023) Download Indicator
Skills differences by gender
The mean score in adaptive problem solving for men is high compared to other participating countries. (274 PIAAC Score, rank 3/31 , 2023) Download Indicator
The mean score in adaptive problem solving for women is high compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (271 PIAAC Score, rank 3/31 , 2023) Download Indicator
The mean literacy score among men is high compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (283 PIAAC Score, rank 3/31 , 2023) Download Indicator
The mean literacy score among women is high compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (285 PIAAC Score, rank 3/31 , 2023) Download Indicator
The mean numeracy score among men is high compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (292 PIAAC Score, rank 3/31 , 2023) Download Indicator
The mean numeracy score among women is high compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (278 PIAAC Score, rank 4/31 , 2023) Download Indicator
Skills differences by level of education
The mean score in adaptive problem solving for adults with below upper secondary education is high compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (242 PIAAC Score, rank 1/31 , 2023) Download Indicator
The mean score in adaptive problem solving for adults with tertiary education is high compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (285 PIAAC Score, rank 3/31 , 2023) Download Indicator
The mean literacy score for adults without upper secondary education is high compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (241 PIAAC Score, rank 1/31 , 2023) Download Indicator
The mean literacy score for adults with tertiary education is high compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (300 PIAAC Score, rank 3/31 , 2023) Download Indicator
The mean numeracy score for adults without upper secondary education is high compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (237 PIAAC Score, rank 1/31 , 2023) Download Indicator
The mean numeracy score for adults with tertiary education is high compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (305 PIAAC Score, rank 3/31 , 2023) Download Indicator
Skills by immigrant and language background
The mean literacy score for foreign-born adults of foreign-born parents is high compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (244 PIAAC Score, rank 7/30 , 2023) Download Indicator
The mean literacy score for native-born adults of native-born parents is high compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (298 PIAAC Score, rank 2/31 , 2023) Download Indicator
The mean numeracy score for foreign-born adults of foreign-born parents is high compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (253 PIAAC Score, rank 6/30 , 2023) Download Indicator
The mean numeracy score for native-born adults of native-born parents is high compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (297 PIAAC Score, rank 2/31 , 2023) Download Indicator
The mean score in adaptive problem solving for foreign-born adults of foreign-born parents is high compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (246 PIAAC Score, rank 1/30 , 2023) Download Indicator
The mean score in adaptive problem solving for native-born adults of native-born parents is high compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (282 PIAAC Score, rank 2/31 , 2023) Download Indicator
Skills by parents' educational attainment
The mean score in adaptive problem solving for adults whose parents did not attain upper secondary education is high compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (254 PIAAC Score, rank 3/31 , 2023) Download Indicator
The mean score in adaptive problem solving for adults with at least one parent who attained tertiary education is high compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (283 PIAAC Score, rank 5/31 , 2023) Download Indicator
The mean literacy score for adults whose parents had not attained upper secondary education is high compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (264 PIAAC Score, rank 2/31 , 2023) Download Indicator
The mean literacy score with at least one parent with tertiary education is high compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (297 PIAAC Score, rank 6/31 , 2023) Download Indicator
The mean numeracy score for adults whose parents had not attained upper secondary education is high compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (267 PIAAC Score, rank 2/31 , 2023) Download Indicator
Adults' skills
The percentage of adults scoring at or below level 1 in literacy and/or numeracy is low compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (8.8 %, rank 30/31 , 2023) Download Indicator
The change in mean literacy score in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) from 2012 to 2023 is high compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (5 PIAAC Score, rank 3/27 , 2023) Download Indicator
Who the teachers are
The share of women among teaching staff in upper secondary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (54.1 %, rank 34/41 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of female teachers under 30 in lower secondary education is especially low in Sweden. (57.1 %, rank 33/36 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Sweden, the share of female teachers younger than 30 in tertiary education is relatively small . (48 %, rank 29/36 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of teachers under 30 in early childhood educational development is especially low in Sweden. (9.6 %, rank 17/19 , 2023) Download Indicator
The percentage of teachers aged 50 or more in pre-primary education is especially high in Sweden (37.7 %, rank 8/34 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Sweden, the percentage of teachers under 30 in pre-primary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (9.2 %, rank 28/34 , 2023) Download Indicator
Teachers' salaries
The ratio of primary teachers' salaries to earnings of full-time, full-year workers with tertiary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.73 Ratio, rank 13/19 , 2023) Download Indicator
The ratio of lower secondary teachers' salaries to earnings of full-time, full-year workers with tertiary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.7 Ratio, rank 14/19 , 2023) Download Indicator
The ratio of upper secondary teachers' salaries to earnings of full-time, full-year workers with tertiary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.7 Ratio, rank 16/20 , 2023) Download Indicator
The ratio of lower secondary female teachers' salaries to earnings of full-time, full-year women workers with tertiary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.85 Ratio, rank 19/26 , 2023) Download Indicator
The ratio of lower secondary male teachers' salaries to earnings of full-time, full-year men workers with tertiary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.68 Ratio, rank 18/26 , 2023) Download Indicator
The salaries of 55-64 year-old general lower-secondary teachers relative to earnings for full-time, full-year similarly educated workers with tertiary education is low in Sweden. (0.7 Ratio, rank 22/27 , 2023) Download Indicator
Principals' salaries
The average actual salaries of 25-64 year-old lower secondary education school heads is one of the lowest in Sweden. (81906 USD Equivalent, rank 19/28 , 2023) Download Indicator
The average upper-secondary school heads' actual salary is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (83013 USD Equivalent, rank 19/28 , 2023) Download Indicator
The average actual salaries of 55-64 year-old lower secondary school heads is one of the lowest in Sweden. (83213 USD Equivalent, rank 17/24 , 2022) Download Indicator
Ratio of student to teaching staff
The number of students per teacher in tertiary institutions is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (10.1 Ratio, rank 34/37 , 2023) Download Indicator
The ratio of students to teaching staff at the upper secondary level in government-dependent private institutions is especially high in Sweden. (14.3 Ratio, rank 6/22 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Sweden, the number of students per teacher in public institutions tertiary education is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (10 Ratio, rank 35/39 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Sweden, the number of students per teacher in private institutions tertiary education is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (11.2 Ratio, rank 31/34 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Sweden, the number of students per teacher in government-dependent private institutions tertiary education is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (11.2 Ratio, rank 14/16 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Sweden, the number of students per teacher in public institutions short-cycle tertiary education is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (10 Ratio, rank 14/20 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Sweden, the number of students per teacher in private institutions short-cycle tertiary education is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (11.2 Ratio, rank 16/18 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Sweden, the number of students per teacher in government-dependent private short-cycle tertiary education is one of the highest among countries with available data. (11.2 Ratio, rank 10/11 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Sweden, the number of students per teacher in public bachelor's, master's, doctoral or equivalent programmes is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (10 Ratio, rank 30/34 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Sweden, the number of students per teacher in private bachelor's, master's, doctoral or equivalent programmes is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (11.2 Ratio, rank 27/29 , 2023) Download Indicator
In Sweden, the ratio of children to teaching staff in early childhood educational development is one of the highest compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (12.6 Ratio, rank 4/21 , 2023) Download Indicator
General findings
- In the 2023 Survey of Adult Skills, literacy is defined as "accessing, understanding, evaluating, and reflecting on written texts in order to achieve one's goals, to develop one's knowledge and potential, and to participate in society" (Rouet et al., 2021). Proficiency in literacy is crucial for adults across their personal, social and professional spheres, given the prevalence of written communication in various aspects of life. Throughout the day, adults engage in a diverse range of reading activities, spanning from delving into extensive pieces of continuous text to swiftly scanning pages for pertinent information. Examples include reading emails, leaflets, timetables and instruction manuals.
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- In the 2023 Survey of Adult Skills, numeracy encompasses "accessing, using, and reasoning critically with mathematical content, information and ideas represented in multiple ways in order to engage in and manage the mathematical demands of a range of situations in adult life" (Tout et al., 2021). The skills and knowledge needed for work and civic participation, and in more personal spheres of life, have changed. Individuals are presented with ever-increasing amounts of information of a quantitative or mathematical nature through online or technology-based resources, which have to be located, selected or filtered, interpreted, and at times questioned and doubted, and analysed for their relevance to the responses needed.
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- The first cycle of the Survey of Adult Skills measured problem solving in technology-rich environments. This is defined as the ability to use digital technology, communication tools and networks to acquire and evaluate information, communicate with others and perform practical tasks. The survey assessed adults' ability to solve problems by establishing appropriate goals and plans, and accessing and using information through computers and computer networks.
In the 2023 Survey of Adult Skills, problem solving in technology-rich environments was replaced by adaptive problem solving (APS). This involves "the capacity to achieve one’s goals in a dynamic situation in which a method for solution is not immediately available. It requires engaging in cognitive and metacognitive processes to define the problem, search for information, and apply a solution in a variety of information environments and contexts" (Greiff et al., 2021).
APS has three important features. First, it emphasises individuals’ capacity to flexibly and dynamically adapt their problem-solving strategies to a dynamically changing environment. Second, it tests their ability to identify and select among a range of available physical, social and digital resources. Third, individuals need to monitor and reflect on their progress in solving problems, through metacognitive processes.
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All rankings for individual variables are compiled on the basis of OECD and G20 countries for which data are available. The OECD average includes only OECD countries which are listed here: https://www.oecd.org/en/about/members-partners.html
Reference years displayed in the Education GPS correspond to the most common year of reference among countries for which data is available on each variable. Data for the latest available year is preferred and some countries may have provided data refering to a more recent or late year. To know more about possible exceptions on data please click on the "Download Indicator" link on each variable. When a year of reference corresponds to a school year encompassing two years, the reference reads as follows: 2026 for school year 2025/2026.
*TALIS averages are based on all countries participating in the TALIS survey, including partner countries and economies. This explains the difference between the OECD average and the TALIS averages. Data from the TALIS survey and Education at a Glance (EAG) may differ. See Annex E of the TALIS technical report and Annex 3 of EAG 2024 for more details about the data collections.
For additional notes, please refer to annexes in the list of links below the introductory country profile text.


