Antibiotic usage by surveillance category in Sweden
Sweden: Antibiotic usage by surveillance category was 6.99 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day in 2021. ▼ Falling
Antibiotic usage by surveillance category in Sweden, 2016–2021
Source: WHO Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS) (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day.
Analysis
Sweden recorded 6.99 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day for antibiotic usage by surveillance category in 2021. That is the lowest value across all 6 years on record.
The figure is down 3.4% on the previous year and down 26.3% over ten years.
That places Sweden 43rd out of 46 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 9.08 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day | 8.6 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day | 9.49 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day | 4 |
| 2020s | 7.12 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day | 6.99 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day | 7.24 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day | 2 |
Countries ranked near Sweden
- 40 Hungary 7.41 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day compare
- 41 Austria 7.4 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day compare
- 42 Russia 7.35 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day compare
- 44 Ukraine 4.59 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day compare
- 45 Honduras 3.98 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day compare
- 46 Mali 3.83 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day compare
More reference data data for Sweden
- Spring temperature anomalies 4.22 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 1.58 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month -3.74 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 2.27 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 3.13 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 138.19 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is antibiotic usage by surveillance category in Sweden?
- Antibiotic usage by surveillance category in Sweden was 6.99 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day in 2021, according to WHO Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS) (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest antibiotic usage by surveillance category recorded in Sweden?
- The highest recorded value was 9.49 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day in 2016.
- What is the lowest antibiotic usage by surveillance category recorded in Sweden?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.99 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day in 2021.
- How does Sweden rank for antibiotic usage by surveillance category?
- Sweden ranks 43rd out of 46 countries with data for 2021.
- Is antibiotic usage by surveillance category rising or falling in Sweden?
- Over the last ten years it is down 26.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sweden data come from?
- The figures come from WHO Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS) (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Antibiotic usage by surveillance category. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 6 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Total defined daily doses of AWaRe category: Access used per 1000 inhabitants per day. Access antibiotics have activity against a wide range of common pathogens and show lower resistance potential than antibiotics in the other groups.