Initial government funding per primary student as a percentage of GDP in Sweden

Sweden: Initial government funding per primary student as a percentage of GDP was 21.7% in 2017. ▬ Flat

Latest (2017)
21.7%
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
21st
of 122 countries
All-time high
26.4%
in 2009
All-time low
20.5%
in 2001
Years of data
20
1998–2017

Initial government funding per primary student as a percentage of GDP in Sweden, 1998–2017

01020301998200720171998: 22.11999: 21.12000: 21.52001: 20.52002: 222003: 21.62004: 23.32005: 23.42006: 232007: 23.52008: 24.62009: 26.42010: 25.82011: 25.22012: 21.72013: 21.92014: 21.62015: 212016: 21.62017: 21.7

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

The most recent figure for initial government funding per primary student as a percentage of gdp in Sweden is 21.7%, measured in 2017.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.4% on the previous year and down 7.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, initial government funding per primary student as a percentage of gdp in Sweden peaked at 26.4% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 20.5%, in 2001.

That places Sweden 21st out of 122 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the top quarter.

Initial government funding per primary student as a percentage of GDP in Sweden, year by year

Annual values for Initial government funding per primary student as a percentage of GDP per capita in Sweden, 1998 to 2017.
Year Value Change
1998 22.1%
1999 21.1% -4.4%
2000 21.5% +2.0%
2001 20.5% -4.8%
2002 22.0% +7.6%
2003 21.6% -1.7%
2004 23.3% +7.9%
2005 23.4% +0.3%
2006 23.0% -1.9%
2007 23.5% +2.5%
2008 24.6% +4.7%
2009 26.4% +7.0%
2010 25.8% -2.1%
2011 25.2% -2.2%
2012 21.7% -13.9%
2013 21.9% +1.0%
2014 21.6% -1.6%
2015 21.0% -2.6%
2016 21.6% +2.6%
2017 21.7% +0.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 21.6% 21.1% 22.1% 2
2000s 23.0% 20.5% 26.4% 10
2010s 22.6% 21.0% 25.8% 8

Countries ranked near Sweden

  1. 18 Slovenia 22.3% compare
  2. 19 Lesotho 22.2% compare
  3. 20 Norway 22.1% compare
  4. 22 Latvia 21.5% compare
  5. 23 Costa Rica 21.3% compare
  6. 24 Belgium 21.2% compare

See the full ranking of 122 places →

More reference data data for Sweden

All data for Sweden →

Frequently asked questions

What is initial government funding per primary student as a percentage of gdp in Sweden?
Initial government funding per primary student as a percentage of gdp in Sweden was 21.7% in 2017, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest initial government funding per primary student as a percentage of gdp recorded in Sweden?
The highest recorded value was 26.4% in 2009.
What is the lowest initial government funding per primary student as a percentage of gdp recorded in Sweden?
The lowest recorded value was 20.5% in 2001.
How does Sweden rank for initial government funding per primary student as a percentage of gdp?
Sweden ranks 21st out of 122 countries with data for 2017.
Is initial government funding per primary student as a percentage of gdp rising or falling in Sweden?
Over the last ten years it is down 7.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Sweden data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Initial government funding per primary student as a percentage of GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Initial government funding per primary student as a percentage of GDP in Sweden. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/initial-government-funding-per-primary-student-as-a-percentage-of-gdp-per-capita/sweden/

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About this data

Indicator
Initial government funding per primary student as a percentage of GDP per capita
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
122 places, 1,518 data points, 1995–2019
Last refreshed

Total general (local, regional and central, current and capital) initial government funding of education per student, which includes transfers paid (such as scholarships to students), but excludes transfers received, in this case international transfers to government for education (when foreign donors provide education sector budget support or other support integrated in the government budget). Calculation Method: Total general (local, regional and central) government expenditure (current and capital) on a given level of education (primary, secondary, etc) minus international transfers to government for education, divided by the number of student enrolled at that level of education. This is then expressed as a share of GDP per capita. Limitations: In some instances data on total government expenditure on education refers only to the Ministry of Education, excluding other ministries which may also spend a part of their budget on educational activities. There are also cases where it may not be possible to separate international transfers to government from general government expenditure on education, in which cases they have not been subtracted in the formula. For more information, consult the UNESCO Institute of Statistics website: http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/