Wealth share of the richest 1% in Sweden
Sweden: Wealth share of the richest 1% was 27.5% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Wealth share of the richest 1% in Sweden, 1800–2024
Source: World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Sweden recorded 27.5% for wealth share of the richest 1% in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.7% on the previous year and down 2.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, wealth share of the richest 1% in Sweden peaked at 63.2% in 1910 and was at its lowest, 16.5%, in 1985.
That places Sweden 97th out of 215 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 76 years of available data.
Wealth share of the richest 1% in Sweden, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1800 | 39.7% | — |
| 1820 | 40.5% | +2.0% |
| 1850 | 41.5% | +2.5% |
| 1873 | 60.5% | +45.7% |
| 1874 | 52.8% | -12.6% |
| 1875 | 54.2% | +2.6% |
| 1876 | 55.7% | +2.8% |
| 1877 | 54.1% | -2.9% |
| 1880 | 55.5% | +2.6% |
| 1900 | 57.6% | +3.9% |
| 1906 | 57.8% | +0.3% |
| 1907 | 61.3% | +6.1% |
| 1908 | 53.8% | -12.2% |
| 1910 | 63.2% | +17.6% |
| 1920 | 51.5% | -18.6% |
| 1930 | 50.0% | -2.9% |
| 1935 | 42.8% | -14.5% |
| 1937 | 42.7% | -0.1% |
| 1940 | 35.3% | -17.3% |
| 1945 | 37.7% | +6.7% |
| 1946 | 37.7% | -0.1% |
| 1947 | 34.7% | -7.8% |
| 1948 | 34.1% | -1.8% |
| 1949 | 33.2% | -2.6% |
| 1950 | 32.8% | -1.1% |
| 1951 | 32.1% | -2.0% |
| 1960 | 23.4% | -27.2% |
| 1966 | 23.4% | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 20.1% | -14.3% |
| 1975 | 17.0% | -15.3% |
| 1978 | 16.6% | -2.4% |
| 1980 | 17.7% | +6.5% |
| 1981 | 17.7% | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 17.7% | +0.1% |
| 1983 | 17.7% | +0.1% |
| 1984 | 17.1% | -3.4% |
| 1985 | 16.5% | -3.5% |
| 1986 | 17.1% | +3.6% |
| 1987 | 17.7% | +3.6% |
| 1988 | 19.6% | +10.4% |
| 1989 | 22.0% | +12.4% |
| 1990 | 24.0% | +9.0% |
| 1991 | 23.2% | -3.0% |
| 1992 | 22.3% | -4.3% |
| 1993 | 22.1% | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 23.4% | +5.9% |
| 1995 | 23.9% | +1.8% |
| 1996 | 23.9% | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 24.2% | +1.4% |
| 1998 | 23.9% | -1.2% |
| 1999 | 26.1% | +9.0% |
| 2000 | 26.1% | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 26.6% | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 27.2% | +2.3% |
| 2003 | 27.1% | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 27.8% | +2.5% |
| 2005 | 27.3% | -1.5% |
| 2006 | 26.9% | -1.5% |
| 2007 | 25.3% | -6.1% |
| 2008 | 24.2% | -4.2% |
| 2009 | 27.8% | +15.0% |
| 2010 | 27.1% | -2.5% |
| 2011 | 25.8% | -5.1% |
| 2012 | 26.6% | +3.3% |
| 2013 | 27.0% | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 28.1% | +4.2% |
| 2015 | 27.9% | -1.0% |
| 2016 | 27.1% | -2.7% |
| 2017 | 27.1% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 27.5% | +1.5% |
| 2019 | 27.3% | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 26.1% | -4.5% |
| 2021 | 27.9% | +6.8% |
| 2022 | 27.3% | -2.1% |
| 2023 | 27.0% | -1.1% |
| 2024 | 27.5% | +1.7% |
Sweden compared with similar countries
- Sweden's 27.5% is above the median for high income countries, which is 27.5%, 1.0× the median. (79 countries reporting)
- Sweden's 27.5% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 24.1%, 1.1× the median. (55 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Wealth share of the richest 1% 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.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1873 | +45.7% | 41.5% | 60.5% |
| 1960 | -27.2% | 32.1% | 23.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1800s | 39.7% | 39.7% | 39.7% | 1 |
| 1820s | 40.5% | 40.5% | 40.5% | 1 |
| 1850s | 41.5% | 41.5% | 41.5% | 1 |
| 1870s | 55.4% | 52.8% | 60.5% | 5 |
| 1880s | 55.5% | 55.5% | 55.5% | 1 |
| 1900s | 57.6% | 53.8% | 61.3% | 4 |
| 1910s | 63.2% | 63.2% | 63.2% | 1 |
| 1920s | 51.5% | 51.5% | 51.5% | 1 |
| 1930s | 45.2% | 42.7% | 50.0% | 3 |
| 1940s | 35.4% | 33.2% | 37.7% | 6 |
| 1950s | 32.5% | 32.1% | 32.8% | 2 |
| 1960s | 23.4% | 23.4% | 23.4% | 2 |
| 1970s | 17.9% | 16.6% | 20.1% | 3 |
| 1980s | 18.1% | 16.5% | 22.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 23.7% | 22.1% | 26.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 26.6% | 24.2% | 27.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.2% | 25.8% | 28.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 27.2% | 26.1% | 27.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sweden
- 95 Luxembourg 27.5% compare
- 96 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 27.5% compare
- 98 Ghana 27.5% compare
- 99 Micronesia (country) 27.3% compare
- 100 Samoa 27.3% compare
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 wealth share of the richest 1% in Sweden?
- Wealth share of the richest 1% in Sweden was 27.5% in 2024, according to World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest wealth share of the richest 1% recorded in Sweden?
- The highest recorded value was 63.2% in 1910.
- What is the lowest wealth share of the richest 1% recorded in Sweden?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.5% in 1985.
- How does Sweden rank for wealth share of the richest 1%?
- Sweden ranks 97th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is wealth share of the richest 1% rising or falling in Sweden?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sweden data come from?
- The figures come from World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Wealth share of the richest 1%. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of wealth owned by the richest 1% of the population. Wealth is defined as the total value of non-financial and financial assets (housing, land, deposits, bonds, equities, etc.) held by households, minus their debts.