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Diagram of the education system



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Key

- Diagram of education system in country language

- Old diagram using ISCED 1997 classification

- General methodological notes for ISCED diagrams

Education system in Sweden

Sweden
Overview of the education system (EAG 2016)
  • In Sweden, teachers’ salary scales are compressed and lag behind early in the career, both compared to the OECD and EU22* averages of teacher salaries, as well as workers with the same level of educational attainment within the country.
  • In early childhood education, Sweden has the lowest ratio of children to teaching staff, and enrolment rates for 2-4 year-olds are among the highest across OECD countries.
  • For the 40% of 25-64 year-olds in Sweden who have attained tertiary education, labour market opportunities are similar for holders of bachelor’s and master’s degrees, with employment rates of 90% (bachelor’s) and 92% (master’s). For adults with upper secondary education, the employment rate is 85%, compared to the OECD average of 74%.
  • Sweden has made great strides in closing gender gaps in educational attainment, pay and labour market participation. Regarding educational attainment, there are now even unbalances in the opposite direction, with an under-representation of men. In 2015, Sweden had the narrowest gap of all OECD countries in employment rates for 25-64 year-old men and women with tertiary education (1 percentage point), and one of the narrowest gaps for those with below upper secondary education (15 percentage points).
    • | Education at a Glance 2016 | Country Note EAG 2016 | Annexes from Education at a Glance 2016 | Utbildningsdepartementet (Ministry of Education and Research) | Skolverket (The Swedish National Agency for Education) | Universitetskanslersämbetet (Swedish Higher Education Authority) | Universitets- och högskolerådet (University and college Council) | Statistiska centralbyrån (Statistics Sweden) |
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    The following list displays indicators for which your selected country shows the highest and lowest values among countries. The list can be sorted by level of education or by age group. All rankings are calculated including available data from OECD and partner countries. Find out more about the methodology here.

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    Participation in education

    In Sweden, the percentage of today's young people expected to graduate from upper secondary education during their lifetimes is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (68.7 %, rank 30/37 ) Download Indicator

    Excluding mobile students, Sweden has one of the highest percentages of young people expected to complete a doctorate or an equivalent education during their lifetime. (1.6 %, rank 6/27 ) Download Indicator

    Among OECD countries and partner economies with available data, Sweden has one of the lowest percentages of young people expected to graduate from tertiary education during their lifetime. (41.1 %, rank 22/30 ) Download Indicator

    Excluding mobile students, Sweden has one of the lowest percentages of young people expected to graduate from tertiary education during their lifetimes. (36.5 %, rank 20/24 ) Download Indicator

    Excluding mobile students, Sweden has one of the lowest percentages of young people expected to graduate from tertiary education before the age of 30. (26.5 %, rank 19/20 ) Download Indicator

    Among OECD and partner countries with available data, Sweden has one of the highest percentages of female graduates from tertiary programmes. (62.3 %, rank 4/31 ) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate among 20-29 year-olds in Sweden is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (34.5 %, rank 5/39 ) Download Indicator

    The percentage of three-year-olds in early childhood education in Sweden is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (93.2 %, rank 7/33 ) Download Indicator

    Classroom environment

    The total compulsory instruction time for lower secondary students in Sweden is one of the shortest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (2262 Hours, rank 33/34 ) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, compulsory instruction time for lower secondary students, in hours per year, is one of the shortest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (754 Hours, rank 34/34 ) Download Indicator

    Classes are particularly small in primary schools. (18 Students, rank 26/33 ) Download Indicator

    The theoretical duration of primary and lower secondary education, in years, is one of the longest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (9 Years, rank 6/36 ) Download Indicator

    The number of grades that are part of compulsory primary education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (6 Years, rank 5/36 ) Download Indicator

    The number of instruction days per year for primary students is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (178 Days, rank 28/35 ) Download Indicator

    Resources for education

    Annual expenditure per student from primary to tertiary level is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (13072 USD Equivalent, rank 6/36 ) Download Indicator

    Annual expenditure per pupil at the pre-primary level is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (12833 USD Equivalent, rank 4/30 ) Download Indicator

    Annual expenditure per primary student is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (10664 USD Equivalent, rank 8/38 ) Download Indicator

    Annual expenditure per secondary student is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (11354 USD Equivalent, rank 10/38 ) Download Indicator

    The share of private expenditure on all levels below tertiary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0 %, rank 37/38 ) Download Indicator

    The share of private expenditure on tertiary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (10.5 %, rank 31/37 ) Download Indicator

    Teachers

    The number of students per teacher in tertiary institutions is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (11 Students, rank 31/33 ) Download Indicator

    The number of pupils per teacher in pre-primary schools is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (6 Students, rank 31/32 ) Download Indicator

    The number of days of instruction in a school year in pre-primary school is especially large. (224 Days, rank 2/26 ) Download Indicator

    The percentage of primary teachers younger than 40 is especially low. (31.4 %, rank 28/36 ) Download Indicator

    The percentage of secondary teachers older than 50 is especially high. (16.2 %, rank 3/36 ) Download Indicator

    The ratio of students to teaching staff in short-cycle tertiary programmes is comparatively low in Sweden. (10.02 Ratio, rank 18/22 ) Download Indicator

    The ratio of students to teaching staff in post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low in Sweden. (10.75 Ratio, rank 15/15 ) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the ratio of students to teaching staff in bachelor's and tertiary advanced research programmes is one of the lowest compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (10.7 Ratio, rank 28/29 ) Download Indicator

    Among 25-64 year-old teachers (teaching both pre-primary and primary school, primary and secondary levels), Sweden has one of the highest percentages of those with good ICT (information and communication technologies) and problem-solving skills. (57.2 %, rank 3/15 ) Download Indicator

    The percentage of 25-64 year-old teachers (teaching both pre-primary and primary school, primary and secondary levels) who report that moderate or complex ICT(information and communication technologies) skills are required at work is relatively high. (70.5 %, rank 10/15 ) Download Indicator

    The percentage of 25-64 year-old teachers (teaching both pre-primary and primary school, primary and secondary levels) who report having the computer skills needed to do their job is quite high. (90.6 %, rank 7/15 ) Download Indicator

    Who the teachers are

    The share of teachers younger than 30 in secondary schools is among the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (6 %, rank 29/35 ) Download Indicator

    The share of women among teaching staff in lower secondary education is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (77.1 %, rank 10/39 ) Download Indicator

    The share of women among teaching staff in post-secondary non-tertiary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (43.5 %, rank 16/17 ) Download Indicator

    The share of women among teaching staff in short-cycle tertiary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (42.7 %, rank 19/24 ) Download Indicator

    The share of women among teaching staff is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (75.1 %, rank 10/32 ) Download Indicator

    Teachers' salaries

    After 15 years of experience, a pre-primary teacher with minimum qualification can expect to have one of the highest salaries among OECD and partner countries with available data. (36128 USD Equivalent, rank 10/23 ) Download Indicator

    The ratio of pre-primary teachers' salaries to earnings of full-time, full-year workers with tertiary education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.76 Ratio, rank 6/19 ) 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. (0.84 Ratio, rank 14/22 ) Download Indicator

    The ratio of upper secondary teachers' salaries to earnings of full-time, full-year workers with tertiary education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.88 Ratio, rank 10/22 ) Download Indicator

    The salary progression from the start to the top of the salary scale for a lower secondary school teacher is among the least rewarding among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1.33 Ratio, rank 25/31 ) Download Indicator

    Starting salaries for pre-primary teachers with minimum training are especially high. (32698 USD Equivalent, rank 9/26 ) Download Indicator

    The ratio of pre-primary teachers' salaries at the top of scale to their starting salary is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1.16 Ratio, rank 20/25 ) Download Indicator

    The ratio of primary teachers' salaries at the top of scale to their starting salary is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1.32 Ratio, rank 25/31 ) Download Indicator

    The ratio of upper secondary teachers' salaries at the top of scale to their starting salary is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1.34 Ratio, rank 26/31 ) Download Indicator

    The average actual pre-primary teacher's salary is one of the highest per hour of net teaching time among OECD and partner countries with available data. (34565 USD Equivalent, rank 8/20 ) Download Indicator

    Economic and social outcomes

    Compared with other OECD and partner countries, the difference in earnings between 25-64 year-old men with tertiary education and those with upper secondary education is quite low. (126 Index, rank 37/37 ) Download Indicator

    Compared with other OECD and partner countries, the difference in earnings between 25-64 year-old women with tertiary education and those with upper secondary education is quite low. (127 Index, rank 35/37 ) Download Indicator

    Compared with other OECD and partner countries, the proportional difference in earnings between 25-64 year-old adults with tertiary education and those with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is quite low. (123 Index, rank 37/37 ) Download Indicator

    The proportion of 20-24 year-olds who are neither employed nor in education or training is comparatively small in Sweden. (11.8 %, rank 32/40 ) Download Indicator


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    General findings
    • Labour market outcomes are better among the higher-educated: on average across OECD countries, the unemployment rate is 12.4% for adults with below upper secondary education, while it is 4.9% for the tertiary-educated.
    • In all OECD countries, earnings differentials between adults with tertiary education and those with upper secondary education are generally more pronounced than the difference between the earnings of those with upper secondary education and those with below upper secondary education. This suggests large earnings advantages for tertiary education. On average, adults with a master's, doctoral or equivalent degree earn almost twice as those with upper secondary education across OECD countries, and those with a bachelor's or equivalent degree earn 48% more, while those with a short-cycle tertiary degree earn only about 20% more.
    • Adults with higher qualifications were more likely to report desirable social outcomes, including good or excellent health, participation in volunteer activities, interpersonal trust, and political efficacy.
    | Education policies: Attainment | Education policies: Labour market outcomes | OECD Better Life Index | OECD Employment Outlook | OECD Skills Strategy |
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    • Across all levels of educational attainment, the gender gap in earnings persists, and although women generally have higher educational attainment, a large gender gap in earnings is seen between male and female full-time workers with tertiary education.
    • Across OECD_countries, tertiary-educated women earn only 73% as much as tertiary-educated men. This gender gap of 27% in earnings for tertiary-educated adults is higher than the gender gap for adults with below upper secondary (24%) and adults with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education (22%).
    | Education policies: Equity |
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    • In a majority of OECD countries, education now begins for most children well before they are 5-years-old. Some 71% of 3-year-olds are enrolled in early childhood education across OECD countries.
    • Based on current patterns, it is estimated that an average of 85% of today's young people in OECD_countries will complete upper secondary education over their lifetime.
    | Education policies: Access and Participation - Early childhood | Education policies: Access and Participation - Primary | Education policies: Access and Participation - Secondary | Education policies: Access and Participation - Vocational |
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    • Based on current patterns of graduation, an average of 36% of today's young people across OECD countries are expected to graduate from tertiary education at least once before the age of 30.
    • In 2014, a majority of first-time tertiary graduates (72%) earned a bachelor's degree, 12% earned a_master's degree and 16% earned a short-cycle tertiary diploma, on average across OECD countries.
    | Education policies: Access and Participation - Tertiary |
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    • On average, OECD countries spend USD 10 493 per student per year on primary through tertiary educational institutions: USD 8 477 per primary student, USD 9 980 per lower secondary student, USD 9 990 per upper secondary student and USD 15 772 per tertiary student.
    • In 2013, OECD countries spent an average of 5.2% of their gross domestic product (GDP) on educational institutions from primary to tertiary education, ranging from 3.5% in Luxembourg to 6.7% in the United Kingdom.
    | Education policies: Finance and Funding | Does Money Buy Strong Performance in PISA? | Which Factors Determine the Level of Expenditure on Teaching Staff? |
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    • The average primary school class in OECD countries has 21 students, and this average increases to 23 in lower secondary education. These figures represent a decrease when compared to the OECD_average class sizes in 2005.
    • The difference in average class size between public and private institutions in primary education varies substantially across OECD countries, but is considerably larger in partner countries.
    • There are 15 students per teacher in primary education, on average across OECD countries. The_figure increases to 17 students per teacher, on average, at the tertiary level.
    • On average across OECD countries, pre-primary teachers' actual salaries are 74% of the earnings of a tertiary-educated 25-64 year-old full-time, full-year worker. Primary teachers are paid 81% of these benchmark earnings, lower secondary teachers 85% and upper secondary teachers 89%.
    | Education policies: Teachers | Attracting, Developing and Retaining Effective Teachers | OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) | International Summit on the Teaching Profession |
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    Note: These values should be interpreted with care since they are influenced by countries' specific contexts and trade-offs. In education, there is often no simple most- or least-efficient model. For instance, the share of private expenditure in education must be read against other measures designed to mitigate inequities, such as loans and grants; longer learning time is an opportunity to convey more and better content to students, but may hinder investments in other important areas. If you want further information on the nature of different variables, please take the time to read the analysis and contextual information, available at the website for each publication.
    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: http://www.oecd.org/about/membersandpartners/

    *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 average. 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 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.