Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Sweden

Sweden: Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age was 75.2% in 2022. ▼ Falling

Latest (2022)
75.2%
World rank
16th
of 53 countries
All-time high
85.5%
in 2000
All-time low
75.2%
in 2022
Years of data
8
2000–2022

Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Sweden, 2000–2022

0204060802000201120222000: 85.5 %2003: 84.9 %2006: 83.3 %2009: 81.4 %2012: 76.3 %2015: 80.6 %2018: 80.8 %2022: 75.2 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Sweden recorded 75.2% for share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in 2022. That is the lowest value across all 8 years on record.

The figure is down 1.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Sweden peaked at 85.5% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 75.2%, in 2022.

Sweden ranks 16th of 53 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Sweden, year by year

Annual values for Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Sweden, 2000 to 2022.
Year % Change
2000 85.5%
2003 84.9% -0.7%
2006 83.3% -1.9%
2009 81.4% -2.3%
2012 76.3% -6.3%
2015 80.6% +5.7%
2018 80.8% +0.3%
2022 75.2% -7.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 83.8% 81.4% 85.5% 4
2010s 79.3% 76.3% 80.8% 3
2020s 75.2% 75.2% 75.2% 1

Countries ranked near Sweden

  1. 13 Croatia 76.3% compare
  2. 14 Latvia 76.0% compare
  3. 15 Czechia 75.4% compare
  4. 17 Lithuania 74.5% compare
  5. 18 Switzerland 74.5% compare
  6. 19 Austria 73.5% compare

See the full ranking of 53 places →

More reference data data for Sweden

All data for Sweden →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Sweden?
Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Sweden was 75.2% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age recorded in Sweden?
The highest recorded value was 85.5% in 2000.
What is the lowest share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age recorded in Sweden?
The lowest recorded value was 75.2% in 2022.
How does Sweden rank for share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age?
Sweden ranks 16th out of 53 countries with data for 2022.
Is share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age rising or falling in Sweden?
Over the last ten years it is down 1.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Sweden data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Sweden. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-children-reaching-sufficient-reading-comprehension-by-the-end-of-lower-secondary/sweden/

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<a href="https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-children-reaching-sufficient-reading-comprehension-by-the-end-of-lower-secondary/sweden/">Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Sweden</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
53 places, 379 data points, 2000–2022
Last refreshed

Share of children who achieve minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education. This data accounts for school completion rates to estimate skills for all children, not just those in school.