Sweden

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Sweden
Overview of the education system (EAG 2026)
  • In Sweden, the share of adults with tertiary attainment reaches 50.8% (OECD average : 42.7%), while the share of adults with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary attainment stands at 35.2% (OECD average : 39.9%) and 14% of 25-64 year-olds reached below upper secondary education (OECD average : 17.9%).
  • Some 94.7% of children aged 3 are enrolled in early childhood education (OECD average : 81.5%), while 95.6% of children aged 3 to 5 are enrolled in early childhood education (OECD average : 86%).
  • In upper secondary education, 79.7% complete their education within the theoretical programme duration (OECD average : 76.2%), while 83.3% of new entrants complete a general or vocational programme within two years after the end of the theoritical programme (OECD average : 84.9%).
  • Government expenditure on educational institutions, before transfers, on primary to tertiary education equalled 5.1% of GDP in 2023 (OECD average : 4%), while private expenditure equalled 0.2% (OECD average : 0.6%).
  • In 2023, Sweden allocated an average of 11.5% of total government expenditure to education from primary to tertiary levels (OECD average : 9.8%), equivalent to 5.8% of GDP (OECD average : 4.2%).
  • Total expenditure on educational institutions per full-time equivalent student equalled 29485 equivalent USD for tertiary education in Sweden (OECD average : 22402 equivalent USD), while it added up to 16692 equivalent USD for primary education (OECD average : 13552 equivalent USD).
  • The unemployment rate among tertiary-educated young adults stands at 7% in 2025 (OECD average : 5%), while it is equal to 19.8% for 25-34 year-olds without an upper secondary education (OECD average : 13.9%).
  • Some 9.1% of all 18-24 year-olds were not in employment, education or training (NEET) in 2025 (OECD average : 14.1%), while 9.6% of 25-29 year-olds were NEET (OECD average : 16.3%).
  • On-site work varies with the level of education, while 63.8% of tertiary-educated workers sometimes or usually work from home in Sweden (OECD average : 42.5%), 36.7% of workers with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary attainment did so (OECD average : 17.7%).
  • Women represent 96.3% of pre-primary teaching staff in Sweden (OECD average : 95.9%) and 65.1% in lower secondary education (OECD average : 68.2%).
  • In Sweden, there are 86.1% of fully qualified teachers in primary and secondary schools (OECD average : 90.9%). However, 5.7% of fully qualified teachers in primary and secondary education left the profession through retirement or resignation in 2025 (OECD average : 6.4%).
    • | Education at a Glance 2026 (EAG 2026): OECD Indicators | Country note | Annexes from Education at a Glance 2026 | OECD Handbook for Internationally Comparative Education Statistics 2018 | OECD Education Policy Outlook: Sweden | 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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    Attainment by gender

    Sweden has one of the smallest share of women among 55-64 year-olds with a vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education. (39.3 %, rank 30/33 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Entrance

    The share of new entrants younger than 25 in bachelor's or equivalent programmes is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (70.2 %, rank 36/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the proportion of new female entrants in master's long first degree (LFD) programmes is relatively low. (52.9 %, rank 24/25 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the percentage of new entrants in short-cycle tertiary programmes younger than 25 is relatively low. (33.2 %, rank 31/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the percentage of first-time entrants into tertiary education younger than 25 is relatively low. (68.5 %, rank 29/30 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Entrance by field of education and gender

    In Sweden, the share of men among new entrants in bachelor's programmes in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (66.2 %, rank 26/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the share of men among new entrants in bachelor's programmes in the field of information and communication technologies is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (68 %, rank 28/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the share of men among new entrants in bachelor's programmes in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (60.9 %, rank 25/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of male students entering master's or equivalent programmes in health and welfare in Sweden is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (20.2 %, rank 26/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of male students entering master's or equivalent programmes in information and communication technologies in Sweden is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (57.7 %, rank 27/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of male students entering short-cycle tertiary programmes in engineering, manufacturing and construction in Sweden is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (70.5 %, rank 23/25 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of male students entering short-cycle tertiary programmes in information and communication technologies in Sweden is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (69.6 %, rank 21/24 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Participation in education

    Among 6–14-year-olds, enrolment in lower secondary programmes in Sweden ranked among the lowest internationally. (22.5 %, rank 39/42 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female students in post-secondary non-tertiary general programmes was one of the smallest across participating countries. (49.1 %, rank 8/10 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of upper secondary students enrolled in programmes giving full level completion without access to tertiary education in Sweden is relatively low compared to the other countries. (2 %, rank 26/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Students enrolled in programmes providing full completion and access to tertiary education among all students enrolled in post-secondary non-tertiary vocational programmes are proportionally less in Sweden than in the other countries. (1.8 %, rank 22/22 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of two-year-olds in other registered ECEC services in Sweden is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1.1 %, rank 12/16 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Graduation

    The share of tertiary graduates younger than 30-years-old is one of the smallest among countries with available data. (69.9 %, rank 28/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the percentage of first-time short-cycle tertiary graduates younger than 30 is relatively low. (54.3 %, rank 24/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the percentage of first-time bachelor's graduates younger than 30 is relatively low. (71.4 %, rank 32/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of first-time bachelor's graduates is relatively low in Sweden. (50.6 %, rank 30/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the share of first-time graduates in vocational programmes at post-secondary non-tertiary level is comparatively small. (94.3 %, rank 22/23 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Graduation by field of education and gender

    In Sweden, the proportion of female graduates from upper secondary vocational programmes in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries. (9.4 %, rank 27/31 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the proportion of female graduates from upper secondary vocational programmes in the field health and welfare is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries. (75.2 %, rank 25/27 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Fields of education

    In Sweden, the percentage of new entrants to doctoral programmes in the field of arts and humanities is relatively low, compared to other countries with available data. (4.8 %, rank 28/31 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the percentage of new entrants to doctoral programmes in the field of business, administration and law is relatively low, compared to other countries with available data. (2.6 %, rank 30/31 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the percentage of new entrants in business, administration and law bachelor's programmes is relatively low, compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (14.5 %, rank 30/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the proportion of new entrants in business, administration and law master's programmes is relatively low, compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (15.5 %, rank 32/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the proportion of new entrants in Information and communication technologies bachelor's programmes is relatively low, compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (4.7 %, rank 28/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of new entrants in Science, technology, engineering and mathematics bachelor's programmes is relatively low in Sweden among countries with available data. (21.9 %, rank 29/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the share of new entrants in agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary master's programmes is especially low. (0.5 %, rank 29/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Student mobility

    The share of international students entering short-cycle tertiary programmes is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.1 %, rank 27/31 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Student mobility by field of education

    The percentage of students enrolled in the field of business, administration and law among all international or foreign tertiary students in Sweden is relatively low. (10.9 %, rank 36/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the share of students enrolled in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics among all international or foreign students is relatively high compared to other OECD and partner countries. (46.5 %, rank 3/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Adult participation in non-formal education

    The share of adults aged 25-64 with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary attainment who reported never having participated in non-formal education or training was among the lowest in Sweden compared with other countries with available data. (12 %, rank 25/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Expenditure per student

    Annual expenditure per student on research and development in tertiary education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (15458 USD Equivalent, rank 4/33 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Expenditure per student for ancillary services on tertiary education in Sweden is comparatively low. (0 USD Equivalent, rank 30/31 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the total annual expenditure per full-time equivalent student on tertiary education is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (25829 USD Equivalent, rank 4/38 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Expenditure in education and national wealth

    In Sweden, government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP at primary to tertiary levels of education is comparatively high. (5.8 %, rank 1/42 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, expenditure on primary educational institutions as a percentage of GDP is comparatively high. (1.9 %, rank 3/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, private expenditure on educational institutions as a percentage of GDP on primary, secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education from final source of funds is relatively low. (0 %, rank 35/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, public expenditure on educational institutions as a percentage of GDP on primary to tertiary education from final source of funds is relatively high. (5.1 %, rank 4/42 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the private expenditure as a percentage of GDP from initial source of funds on primary to post-secondary non-tertiary level is low. (0 %, rank 33/35 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The public expenditure as a percentage of GDP from initial source of funds at primary to tertiary education is relatively high in Sweden. (5.1 %, rank 4/38 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Government and private expenditure in education

    The share of private expenditure on all levels below tertiary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.2 %, rank 35/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Sweden has one of the smallest shares of private expenditure on primary through tertiary educational institutions among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (3.9 %, rank 33/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the share of public expenditure on educational institutions, for primary to tertiary education is comparatively large. (94.8 %, rank 4/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Nature of expenditure

    In Sweden, the share of capital expenditure on tertiary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (3.5 %, rank 33/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Who the teachers are

    In Sweden, the share of short-cycle tertiary female teachers younger than 30 is relatively low, compared to other countries with data available. (43.3 %, rank 20/23 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of teachers under 30 in early childhood educational development is especially low in Sweden. (8.8 %, rank 20/22 , 2024) 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. (8.4 %, rank 33/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Teachers' salaries progression

    The ratio of pre-primary teachers' salaries at the top of the scale to their starting salary is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1.15 Ratio, rank 34/37 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In pre-primary education, the salary ratio of teachers with maximum qualifications at the top of the salary scale to those with minimum training and starting salaries is relatively low. (1.15 Ratio, rank 34/37 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Teacher shortages

    The gap in job satisfaction between teachers and other similarly educated employed adults aged 16-65 is especially wide in favor of teachers in Sweden. (7 % points, rank 4/27 , 2023) 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. (9.9 Ratio, rank 32/36 , 2024) 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. (9.9 Ratio, rank 29/33 , 2024) 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. (10.9 Ratio, rank 32/33 , 2024) 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. (10.9 Ratio, rank 15/17 , 2024) 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. (10.9 Ratio, rank 15/18 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the number of students per teacher in government-dependent private short-cycle tertiary education is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (10.9 Ratio, rank 10/11 , 2024) 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. (10.9 Ratio, rank 28/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the number of students per teacher in government-dependent private bachelor's, master's, doctoral or equivalent programmes is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (10.9 Ratio, rank 12/13 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Employment and educational attainment

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively high. (83.4 %, rank 5/41 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Unemployment and educational attainment

    The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-olds without upper secondary education is comparatively high. (18.1 %, rank 4/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Inactivity and educational attainment

    The inactivity rate of 25-34 years-old adults with below upper secondary education is low in Sweden. (18.7 %, rank 38/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-olds with a bachelor's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (5.9 %, rank 37/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-olds with below upper secondary education is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (19.7 %, rank 38/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-olds with a master's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (2.8 %, rank 33/34 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-olds with a master's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (4.2 %, rank 36/36 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-olds with a short cycle tertiary education degree is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (8.5 %, rank 27/31 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (5.7 %, rank 38/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-olds with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (11.9 %, rank 36/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-olds with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (9.8 %, rank 32/33 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The inactivity rate of 55-64 years-old adults with below upper secondary education is low in Sweden. (29 %, rank 38/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The inactivity rate of 55-64 years-old adults with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is low in Sweden. (17.3 %, rank 40/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The inactivity rate of 55-64 years-old adults with tertiary education is low in Sweden. (10 %, rank 39/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Inactivity by gender and educational attainment

    In Sweden, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-old women without an upper secondary education is relatively low. (29.1 %, rank 36/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the inactivity rate 25-64 year-old women without an upper secondary education is relatively low compared to other countries with available data. (28.1 %, rank 37/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-old men without an upper secondary education is relatively low compared to other countries with available data. (14 %, rank 35/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-old women with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (14.3 %, rank 31/32 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-old men with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (7 %, rank 30/32 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-old women with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (16.5 %, rank 37/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-old women with tertiary education is relatively low. (6.7 %, rank 38/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-old men with tertiary education is relatively low. (4.4 %, rank 36/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Earnings and educational attainment

    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 marginal. (125 Index, rank 27/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Earnings of foreign-born aged between 25 and 64 who work full- and part-time with a short cycle tertiary education are comparatively low. (103.6 %, rank 23/24 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Earnings of 25-64 year-old full- and part-time workers with a bachelor's or equivalent education are comparatively low. (113.2 %, rank 23/25 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Earnings of 25-64 year-old full- and part-time workers with a master's, doctoral or equivalent education degree are comparatively low. (148.8 %, rank 25/25 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the share of worker earning more than twice the median among those with a master's or doctoral or equivalent education degree is comparatively small. (16.9 %, rank 24/24 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the share of worker earning more than twice the median among those with a short-cycle tertiary education degree is comparatively small. (5.1 %, rank 20/22 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the share of worker earning more than twice the median among those with a tertiary education degree is comparatively . (10 Index, rank 27/30 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The relative earnings of 25-34 year-olds with a bachelor's or equivalent attainment in Sweden were among the lowest across countries with available data. (107 Index, rank 23/24 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, the relative earnings of full-time, full-year workers aged 25-34 with tertiary education (relative to those without an upper secondary education) are comparatively low in Sweden. (124 Index, rank 24/27 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, the relative earnings of full-time, full-year workers aged 25-34 with bachelor's or equivalent attainment (relative to those without an upper secondary education) are comparatively low in Sweden. (118 Index, rank 19/22 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, the relative earnings of full-time, full-year workers aged 25-64 with bachelor's or equivalent attainment (relative to those without an upper secondary education) are comparatively low in Sweden. (134 Index, rank 22/24 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, the relative earnings of full-time, full-year workers aged 45-54 with bachelor's or equivalent attainment (relative to those without an upper secondary education) are comparatively low in Sweden. (144 Index, rank 22/24 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the relative earnings for 45-54 year-old workers with tertiary attainment are low compared to workers with upper secondary attainment (132 Index, rank 26/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the relative earnings for 25-34 year-old workers with master's or doctoral or equivalent degree are low compared to workers with upper secondary attainment (123 Index, rank 22/23 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Earnings and skill level

    In Sweden, the share of high earners aged 25-64 with low numeracy, literacy and adaptive problem-solving skills in the Adult Skills Survey was among the smallest across countries with available data. (9.4 %, rank 26/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of high earners aged 25-64 with high numeracy, literacy and adaptive problem-solving skills in the Adult Skills Survey was among the smallest in Sweden compared with other countries with available data. (56.1 %, rank 20/21 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Earnings, gender and educational attainment

    The difference in earnings between 25-64 year-old men with tertiary education and those with upper secondary education is quite marginal. (133 Index, rank 25/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The difference in earnings between 25-64 year-old women with tertiary education and those with upper secondary education is quite marginal. (126 Index, rank 27/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Neither in education nor employed

    The share of inactive youth neither in formal education nor training among 18-24 year-olds in Sweden is one of the smallest among countries with available data. (3.4 %, rank 38/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of unemployed youth neither in formal education nor training among 18-24 year-olds in Sweden is one of the smallest among countries with available data. (9.1 %, rank 34/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of men without an upper secondary education neither in employment nor in education and training (25-29 year-olds) in Sweden is relatively low (17.4 %, rank 30/33 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-29 year-olds neither in employment nor in education and training without an upper secondary in Sweden is relatively low. (25.7 %, rank 33/35 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of women with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education neither in employment nor in education and training (25-29 year-olds) in Sweden is relatively low (6.8 %, rank 26/26 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-29 year-olds neither in employment nor in education and training with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education in Sweden is relatively low (8.4 %, rank 30/32 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of women with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education neither in employment nor in education and training (25-29 year-olds) in Sweden is relatively low (8.7 %, rank 28/28 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of men with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education neither in employment nor in education and training (25-29 year-olds) in Sweden is relatively low (4.3 %, rank 26/30 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-29 year-olds neither in employment nor in education and training with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education in Sweden is relatively low. (5.7 %, rank 31/31 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of women with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education neither in employment nor in education and training (25-29 year-olds) in Sweden is relatively low. (7.5 %, rank 36/36 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of men with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education neither in employment nor in education and training (25-29 year-olds) in Sweden is relatively low. (6.8 %, rank 33/37 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-29 year-olds neither in employment nor in education and training with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary in Sweden is relatively low. (7.1 %, rank 37/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of women with tertiary education neither in employment nor in education and training (25-29 year-olds) in Sweden is relatively low. (5.4 %, rank 35/36 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-29 year-olds neither in employment nor in education and training with tertiary education in Sweden is relatively low. (5.7 %, rank 34/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of women who are inactive NEET (15-29 year-olds) in Sweden is relatively low. (4.6 %, rank 37/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of women who are inactive NEET (18-24 year-olds) in Sweden is relatively low. (4.6 %, rank 34/37 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of men who are inactive NEET (15-29 year-olds) in Sweden is relatively low. (2.6 %, rank 37/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of men who are inactive NEET (18-24 year-olds) in Sweden is relatively low. (2.3 %, rank 38/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of inactive NEET (15-29 year-olds) in Sweden is relatively low. (3.6 %, rank 38/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the share of 18-29 year-olds with literacy proficiency at Level 2 or below in the Adult Skills Survey who were NEET was among the lowest across countries with available data. (12.1 %, rank 25/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of youth neither employed nor in education or training among 25-29 year-olds in Sweden is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (9.6 %, rank 36/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The proportion of youth neither employed nor in education or training among 15-29 year-olds in Sweden is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (7.9 %, rank 37/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the share of men neither employed nor in education among 15-29 year-olds is relatively low. (7.3 %, rank 35/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the share of women neither employed nor in education among 15-29 year-olds is relatively low. (8.6 %, rank 36/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Among 25-29 year-old men in Sweden, a small share of them are neither employed nor in education or training. (8.5 %, rank 34/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of young women neither employed nor in education or training (25-29 year-olds) in Sweden is comparatively low . (10.8 %, rank 36/37 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The proportion of 18-24 year-olds who are neither employed nor in education or training is comparatively small in Sweden. (9.1 %, rank 34/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The percentage of 18-24 year-old men neither employed nor in education or training is one of the lowest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (8.5 %, rank 35/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Social outcomes

    The share of employed adults aged 25-64 with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary attainment who sometimes or usually work from home was among the highest in Sweden compared with other countries with available data. (36.7 %, rank 2/32 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the share of employed adults aged 25-64 with tertiary attainment who sometimes or usually work from home was among the largest across countries with available data. (63.8 %, rank 3/32 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the share of adults aged 25-64 with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary attainment who kept worrying about work when not working some or most of the time was among the largest across countries with available data. (43.6 %, rank 4/26 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Sweden, the share of adults aged 25-64 with tertiary attainment who kept worrying about work when not working some or most of the time was among the largest across countries with available data. (58.7 %, rank 5/26 , 2024) Download Indicator


    The data table will display up to six selected countries.
    General findings
    
                        
    
                            
    
                                
    • Educational attainment remains at an all-time high in 2025 as more people obtain advanced qualifications. Across the OECD, 43% of working-age adults have a tertiary qualification, while the share of adults with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary attainment is slightly lower at 39%.
    • On a similar note, the share of young adults without upper secondary attainment continues to decline across the OECD, standing at 12% in 2025. Therefore, while more young adults obtain a tertiary qualification, the share of individuals whose highest qualification is upper secondary with a vocational orientation is decreasing in almost all OECD countries. 
    • Regarding the share of young people being neither in employment nor in education or training, it stood at 14% as of 2025 across OECD countries. However, cross-country comparisons reveal a wide variety of trends, ranging from large falls in Croatia or Ireland to increases in Germany or Latvia.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Attainment | Education policies: Labour market outcomes | 
    
                            
    
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    • Most children aged 3 to 5 are enrolled in early childhood education, with an average participation rate of 86% across the OECD in 2024. Participation in early childhood education increases with age and tends to be higher in countries with stronger institutional support for participation.
    • 76.2% of students complete upper secondary programmes within the theoretical programme duration. This rises to 84.9% with two additional years on average across the OECD.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Access and Participation  | 
    
                            
    
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    • In 2023, OECD countries allocated an average of 9.8% of total government expenditure to education, equivalent to 4.2% of GDP.
    • Total expenditure on education tends to rise with the level of education. In primary education, expenditure per student was USD 13 552 in 2023 on average across the OECD. This amount rises to USD 14 923 in secondary education and to USD 22 402 in tertiary education.
    • Tertiary education continues to expand, placing pressure on public budgets. Private sources represent a larger share of total funding at the tertiary level than at any other level of education. However, as a whole most investment in education comes from public sources. On average, across the OECD, government expenditure on primary to tertiary education corresponded to 4% of GDP in 2023, while private expenditure corresponded to 0.6%. Both of these figures are measured as initial source of funds, which implies that we are tracking the original provider.
    • Research and development represents around one-third of total expenditure across the OECD on tertiary educational institutions, underlining their dual role in both teaching and research. On average across the OECD, in 2023, USD 8 060 were invested annually into research and development for every student enrolled in tertiary education.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Finance and Funding | 
    
                            
    
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    • Compulsory teaching time averages 770 hours per year for primary students and 710 hours for lower secondary students (general programmes), a difference of about 60 hours annually.
    • The ratio of children to teachers in primary education has slightly fallen across most OECD countries, decreasing from an average of 15 children per teacher in 2015 to 14 in 2024.
    • Teachers’ statutory salaries increase with the level of education taught. On average, across OECD countries and economies, the salaries of teachers with the most prevalent qualifications with 15 years of experience range from USD 60 437 at pre-primary level to USD 68 928 at upper secondary level.
    • Teachers’ actual salaries at primary and general secondary levels of education are 87-95% of the average earnings of tertiary-educated workers across OECD countries. School heads' actual salaries are usually higher than those of tertiary-educated workers.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Teachers | Education policies: Learning environment | OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS)  | 
    
                            
    
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    • On average across OECD countries, 9.1% of teachers in primary and secondary education are non-fully qualified, with shares exceeding 18% in Chile, Denmark, Estonia and Germany.
    • Furthermore, the share of fully qualified teachers leaving the profession in primary and secondary schools stands at 6.4% of the total teaching workforce.
    • The ratio of children to teachers in primary education has slightly fallen across most OECD countries, decreasing from an average of 15 children per teacher in 2015 to 14 in 2024.
    • Regarding job satisfaction among teachers, participating countries show wide differences. Japan, Spain and Czechia reported that teachers tend to be much more satisfied with their jobs than other employed adults. On the other hand, teachers in Hungary, Chile or Latvia tend to be less satisfied with their jobs than other employed adults.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Teachers | Education policies: Teacher working conditions | Education policies: Teacher employment | 
    
                            
    
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            Diagram of funding flows - Sweden
            
    
            
    
        
    


        
		
    
            
    
			Click on the coverpage to see the full OECD iLibrary version
			
    
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            Country Reviews for Sweden
            
    
            
    
			
    
        
    
		
              
              
              
              
              
              
              
        
    
            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: 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. 
			However, OECD averages from Education at a Glance coming from the OECD database are the averages for the indicator reference year appearing in the Education GPS and may differ from averages in the book where averages can include data from multiple reference years, based on countries' data availability.
			

    
			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 in the Northern Hemisphere.
			

    
	    *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 
		Sources Methodologies and Technical Notes 
		of EAG 2025 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.