Sweden — Education spending
Government Education Spending (% of GDP) for Sweden, 1979–2022.
Education spending for Sweden was 7.32% in 2022, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 34 years, from 1979 to 2022. The highest recorded value was 7.95% in 2020. The lowest was 5.22% in 1990 (about 1.4× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.32% per year.
Sweden ranks 10 of 172 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 6%. The median for Europe & Central Asia is 4.59%, so Sweden sits above it. It peaked in 2020 and has fallen 8% since. Over the last decade (2012–2022) the figure moved down 3%. Within Europe & Central Asia it ranks 1 of 45 economies; Iceland (7.31%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was down 23% in 1990. That is 4% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Slipped: 6th of 56 in 1979 → 6th of 63 in 1980 → 9th of 50 in 1990 → 10th of 116 in 2000 → 14th of 130 in 2010 → 9th of 157 in 2020 → 7th of 150 in 2022.
Key figures
Full history — 1979 to 2022
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 7.32% | -0.3 pp |
| 2021 | 7.6% | -0.4 pp |
| 2020 | 7.95% | +0.3 pp |
| 2019 | 7.66% | -0.0 pp |
| 2018 | 7.7% | +0.1 pp |
| 2017 | 7.64% | -0.0 pp |
| 2016 | 7.64% | +0.1 pp |
| 2015 | 7.49% | -0.1 pp |
| 2014 | 7.63% | -0.0 pp |
| 2013 | 7.65% | +0.1 pp |
| 2012 | 7.57% | +1.2 pp |
| 2011 | 6.41% | -0.2 pp |
| 2010 | 6.56% | -0.2 pp |
| 2009 | 6.78% | +0.4 pp |
| 2008 | 6.38% | +0.2 pp |
| 2007 | 6.19% | -0.2 pp |
| 2006 | 6.37% | -0.1 pp |
| 2005 | 6.52% | -0.2 pp |
| 2004 | 6.67% | -0.1 pp |
| 2003 | 6.8% | -0.1 pp |
| 2002 | 6.91% | +0.3 pp |
| 2001 | 6.61% | -0.1 pp |
| 2000 | 6.74% | -0.1 pp |
| 1999 | 6.84% | -0.2 pp |
| 1998 | 7.06% | +0.2 pp |
| 1996 | 6.83% | +0.7 pp |
| 1995 | 6.15% | +0.6 pp |
| 1993 | 5.51% | +0.2 pp |
| 1992 | 5.27% | -0.2 pp |
| 1991 | 5.45% | +0.2 pp |
| 1990 | 5.22% | -1.6 pp |
| 1981 | 6.79% | +0.2 pp |
| 1980 | 6.55% | +0.2 pp |
| 1979 | 6.38% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Sweden’s Education spending in 1980?
6.55% (1980). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in % of GDP, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Sweden’s Education spending growing or shrinking?
Between 1979 and 2022 the series was growing overall: +14.7% in total — about 0.3% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2022: 7.32%; 2021: 7.6%; 2020: 7.95%; 2019: 7.66%; 2018: 7.7%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS — Government Education Spending (% of GDP). Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.