Sweden vs United Kingdom
Sweden vs United Kingdom: Girls in primary school
Girls in primary school: 98.1% in Sweden in 2008 and 99.4% in United Kingdom in 2017, by Our World in Data estimates. In 2008 the value was higher in United Kingdom, by 0.5 percentage points, or 1 times that in Sweden.
% of girls of primary-school age · Our World in Data
What the numbers say
- United Kingdom has been higher since 2004, when it overtook Sweden.
- The world as a whole: 87.6% in 2008.
Every year
% of girls of primary-school age · Our World in Data
| Year | Sweden | United Kingdom | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | – | – | 88.2 |
| 2017 | – | 99.4 | 88.2 |
| 2016 | – | 99.6 | 88.3 |
| 2015 | – | – | 88.2 |
| 2014 | – | – | 88.3 |
| 2013 | – | 99.6 | 88.2 |
| 2012 | – | 98.3 | 88.2 |
| 2011 | – | 98.2 | 88.1 |
| 2010 | – | 98 | 87.9 |
| 2009 | – | 97.8 | 87.9 |
| 2008 | 98.1 | 98.6 | 87.6 |
| 2007 | 96.1 | 96.8 | 87.2 |
| 2006 | 95 | 98.7 | 86 |
| 2005 | 95.2 | – | 85.4 |
| 2004 | 96.6 | 98.2 | 84.7 |
| 2003 | 98.8 | – | 83.5 |
| 2002 | – | 99.9 | 81.4 |
| 2001 | – | – | 81 |
| 2000 | – | – | 80.7 |
| 1999 | – | – | 79.9 |
| 1998 | – | – | 78.9 |
| 1997 | – | – | 78.1 |
| 1996 | – | – | 77.9 |
| 1995 | – | – | 78 |
| 1994 | – | – | 78.3 |
| 1993 | – | – | 78 |
| 1992 | – | 96.8 | 77.7 |
| 1991 | 99.8 | 98.4 | 77.8 |
| 1990 | 99.5 | – | 77.3 |
| 1989 | 98.8 | – | 77.6 |
| 1988 | 98.4 | 99.9 | 76.6 |
| 1987 | 98.1 | 98.2 | 75.8 |
| 1986 | – | 95.3 | 75.3 |
| 1985 | – | 93.7 | 74 |
| 1980 | 95.7 | 97 | 75.8 |
| 1975 | 100 | 98 | 72.9 |
| 1970 | 93.1 | 98 | 69 |
| 1965 | 98 | 100 | 66 |
| 1960 | 95 | 100 | 63.1 |
| 1955 | 100 | 100 | 57.4 |
| 1950 | 100 | 100 | 51.4 |
| 1945 | 97.8 | 100 | 43.5 |
| 1940 | 95.7 | 100 | 40 |
| 1935 | 93.5 | 100 | 38.2 |
| 1930 | 91.3 | 100 | 36.4 |
| 1925 | 89.2 | 100 | 33 |
| 1920 | 87 | 100 | 30.5 |
| 1915 | 84.8 | 100 | 29.2 |
| 1910 | 82.7 | 100 | 28.1 |
| 1905 | 80.5 | 100 | 25.1 |
| 1900 | 78.3 | 91.3 | 23.3 |
| 1895 | 76.2 | 82.6 | 21.8 |
| 1890 | 74 | 73.9 | 20 |
| 1885 | 71.8 | 65.2 | 19 |
| 1880 | 69.7 | 56.4 | 17.2 |
| 1875 | 67.5 | 47.7 | 15.7 |
| 1870 | 65.3 | 39 | 13.2 |
| 1865 | 63.2 | 35.4 | 10.6 |
| 1860 | 61 | 31.9 | 9.3 |
| 1855 | 58.8 | 28.3 | 8 |
| 1850 | 56.7 | 24.7 | 6.8 |
| 1845 | 54 | 22.5 | 5.9 |
| 1840 | 51.3 | 20.4 | 5.2 |
| 1835 | 48.6 | 18.5 | 4.5 |
| 1830 | 46 | 16.8 | 4 |
| 1825 | 43.3 | 15.1 | 3.5 |
| 1820 | 40.7 | 13.6 | 3.1 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The share of girls of primary-school age who are enrolled in school.
- Source: Our World in Data, joining historical estimates to the World Bank’s.
- Ranks count the 97 countries with a value in 2012, highest first.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Sweden vs United Kingdom
Health
- Life expectancySweden: 83.3 years in 2023United Kingdom: 81.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySweden: 0.2 per 100 live births in 2024United Kingdom: 0.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySweden: 1.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023United Kingdom: 3.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterSweden: 99.7% in 2022United Kingdom: 99.8% in 2022
- DepressionSweden: 4.49% in 2017United Kingdom: 4.12% in 2017
- Suicide rateSweden: 11.1 per 100,000 people in 2017United Kingdom: 7.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSweden: 10.6 million people in 2023United Kingdom: 68.7 million people in 2023
- Population growthSweden: 0.56% a year in 2023United Kingdom: 0.7% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSweden: 1.43 births per woman in 2023United Kingdom: 1.56 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSweden: 89.1% in 2025United Kingdom: 83.3% in 2025
- Median ageSweden: 39.9 years in 2023United Kingdom: 39.8 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSweden: 20.5% in 2023United Kingdom: 19.2% in 2023
- Net migration rateSweden: 5.2 per 1,000 people in 2023United Kingdom: 6.5 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSweden: 2.47% of GDP in 2025United Kingdom: 2.35% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSweden: $15B in 2025United Kingdom: $88B in 2025
- Military spending per personSweden: $1,549 in 2025United Kingdom: $1,283 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSweden: 5% of government spending in 2025United Kingdom: 5.4% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSweden: 15,000 people in 2020United Kingdom: 153,000 people in 2020
- National powerSweden: 0.19% of world capability in 2022United Kingdom: 1.25% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSweden: 0.27% of the labour force in 2020United Kingdom: 0.45% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSweden: 146 million TIV in 2025United Kingdom: 609 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsSweden: 235 million TIV in 2025United Kingdom: 702 million TIV in 2025