Unemployment rate,Percent in Sweden

Sweden: Unemployment rate,Percent was 8.6% in 2026. ▬ Flat

Latest (2026)
8.6%
Change on year
down 3.3%
World rank
11th
of 71 countries
All-time high
11.2%
in 1993
All-time low
2.2%
in 1990
Years of data
37
1990–2026

Unemployment rate,Percent in Sweden, 1990–2026

246810121990200820261990: 2.21991: 41992: 7.11993: 11.21994: 10.81995: 10.41996: 10.91997: 10.91998: 8.81999: 7.62000: 6.32001: 62002: 6.12003: 6.72004: 7.52005: 7.92006: 7.12007: 6.22008: 6.32009: 8.52010: 8.72011: 7.92012: 8.12013: 8.12014: 82015: 7.52016: 7.12017: 6.82018: 6.42019: 6.92020: 8.52021: 8.92022: 7.52023: 7.72024: 8.32025: 8.92026: 8.6

Source: World Bank.

Analysis

The most recent figure for unemployment rate,percent in Sweden is 8.6%, measured in 2026.

The figure is down 3.3% on the previous year and up 21.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unemployment rate,percent in Sweden peaked at 11.2% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 2.2%, in 1990.

Sweden ranks 11th of 71 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

Unemployment rate,Percent in Sweden, year by year

Annual values for Unemployment rate,Percent,,, in Sweden, 1990 to 2026.
Year Value Change
1990 2.2% —
1991 4.0% +78.8%
1992 7.1% +77.5%
1993 11.2% +56.9%
1994 10.8% -3.5%
1995 10.4% -3.2%
1996 10.9% +4.5%
1997 10.9% -0.1%
1998 8.8% -19.0%
1999 7.6% -14.2%
2000 6.3% -16.3%
2001 6.0% -5.6%
2002 6.1% +2.0%
2003 6.7% +10.1%
2004 7.5% +12.1%
2005 7.9% +5.1%
2006 7.1% -9.7%
2007 6.2% -12.9%
2008 6.3% +0.9%
2009 8.5% +34.6%
2010 8.7% +2.8%
2011 7.9% -9.4%
2012 8.1% +2.7%
2013 8.1% +0.3%
2014 8.0% -0.9%
2015 7.5% -6.7%
2016 7.1% -5.9%
2017 6.8% -3.9%
2018 6.4% -5.0%
2019 6.9% +7.5%
2020 8.5% +23.0%
2021 8.9% +4.1%
2022 7.5% -15.8%
2023 7.7% +2.7%
2024 8.3% +8.9%
2025 8.9% +6.4%
2026 8.6% -3.3%

Sweden compared with similar countries

  • Sweden's 8.6% is above the median for high income countries, which is 5.0%, 1.7× the median. (45 countries reporting)
  • Sweden's 8.6% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 5.2%, 1.6× the median. (35 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Unemployment rate,Percent in Sweden changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
1991 +78.8% 2.2% 4.0%
1992 +77.5% 4.0% 7.1%
1993 +56.9% 7.1% 11.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 8.4% 2.2% 11.2% 10
2000s 6.9% 6.0% 8.5% 10
2010s 7.5% 6.4% 8.7% 10
2020s 8.3% 7.5% 8.9% 7

Countries ranked near Sweden

  1. 8 Finland 10.3% compare
  2. 9 Greece 8.9% compare
  3. 10 Colombia 8.9% compare
  4. 12 Chile 8.5% compare
  5. 13 Turkey 8.4% compare
  6. 14 Lithuania 8.3% compare

See the full ranking of 80 places →

More reference data data for Sweden

All data for Sweden →

Frequently asked questions

What is unemployment rate,percent in Sweden?
Unemployment rate,percent in Sweden was 8.6% in 2026, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest unemployment rate,percent recorded in Sweden?
The highest recorded value was 11.2% in 1993.
What is the lowest unemployment rate,percent recorded in Sweden?
The lowest recorded value was 2.2% in 1990.
How does Sweden rank for unemployment rate,percent?
Sweden ranks 11th out of 71 countries with data for 2026.
Is unemployment rate,percent rising or falling in Sweden?
Over the last ten years it is up 21.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Sweden data come from?
The figures come from the World Bank, published as part of Unemployment rate,Percent,,,. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Unemployment rate,Percent,,,
Source
World Bank
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
80 places, 2,236 data points, 1990–2026
Last refreshed