Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Sweden
Sweden: Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates was 8.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Sweden, 1969–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Sweden is 8.8%, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 5.9% on the previous year and up 18.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Sweden peaked at 10.4% in 1997 and was at its lowest, 1.5%, in 1989.
Sweden ranks 43rd of 185 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 52 years of available data.
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Sweden, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1969 | 1.9% | — |
| 1970 | 1.5% | -20.4% |
| 1971 | 2.5% | +69.1% |
| 1972 | 2.7% | +5.7% |
| 1973 | 2.5% | -8.6% |
| 1974 | 2.0% | -19.7% |
| 1975 | 1.7% | -15.4% |
| 1976 | 1.6% | -3.6% |
| 1980 | 2.0% | +21.9% |
| 1982 | 3.2% | +60.9% |
| 1983 | 3.5% | +9.0% |
| 1984 | 3.1% | -10.3% |
| 1985 | 2.8% | -8.8% |
| 1986 | 2.2% | -21.2% |
| 1987 | 2.1% | -3.5% |
| 1989 | 1.5% | -31.1% |
| 1990 | 1.8% | +22.0% |
| 1991 | 3.3% | +80.3% |
| 1992 | 5.8% | +79.1% |
| 1993 | 9.5% | +62.6% |
| 1994 | 9.8% | +3.2% |
| 1995 | 8.9% | -9.1% |
| 1996 | 9.5% | +7.3% |
| 1997 | 10.4% | +8.5% |
| 1998 | 8.9% | -13.7% |
| 1999 | 7.6% | -14.9% |
| 2000 | 5.5% | -28.1% |
| 2001 | 4.7% | -13.5% |
| 2002 | 5.0% | +5.0% |
| 2003 | 5.6% | +11.9% |
| 2004 | 6.7% | +20.5% |
| 2005 | 7.8% | +16.7% |
| 2006 | 7.1% | -9.5% |
| 2007 | 6.2% | -12.8% |
| 2008 | 6.2% | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 8.4% | +33.9% |
| 2010 | 8.6% | +3.1% |
| 2011 | 7.8% | -9.4% |
| 2012 | 8.0% | +2.2% |
| 2013 | 8.1% | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 8.0% | -1.2% |
| 2015 | 7.4% | -6.6% |
| 2016 | 7.0% | -5.9% |
| 2017 | 6.7% | -3.9% |
| 2018 | 6.4% | -5.3% |
| 2019 | 6.8% | +7.4% |
| 2020 | 8.3% | +21.3% |
| 2021 | 8.8% | +6.2% |
| 2022 | 7.4% | -15.7% |
| 2023 | 7.6% | +2.6% |
| 2024 | 8.3% | +9.1% |
| 2025 | 8.8% | +5.9% |
Sweden compared with similar countries
- Sweden's 8.8% is above the median for high income countries, which is 4.9%, 1.8× the median. (77 countries reporting)
- Sweden's 8.8% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 5.6%, 1.6× the median. (52 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1 |
| 1970s | 2.1% | 1.5% | 2.7% | 7 |
| 1980s | 2.5% | 1.5% | 3.5% | 8 |
| 1990s | 7.6% | 1.8% | 10.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.3% | 4.7% | 8.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.5% | 6.4% | 8.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.2% | 7.4% | 8.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sweden
More reference data data for Sweden
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.4328 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.2237 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.68 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.2063 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.68 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.45 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.9766 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.13 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 8.03 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.12 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Sweden?
- Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Sweden was 8.8% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in Sweden?
- The highest recorded value was 10.4% in 1997.
- What is the lowest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in Sweden?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.5% in 1989.
- How does Sweden rank for unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates?
- Sweden ranks 43rd out of 185 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates rising or falling in Sweden?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sweden data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 52 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the labor force without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon. Figures refer to national estimates and may not be fully comparable across countries.