Sweden: Children out of school, primary

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Sweden's children out of school, primary rose 33% on 2023 (from 3,210 to 4,270).

Across the 22 yearly changes before that (2002 to 2023), the average change was +18.2% and a typical year strayed about 72.5% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 207.1% in 2018 and the biggest yearly fall was 76.4% in 2012. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 2% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, Sweden had the 67th highest value of the 101 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Sweden in the 2024 ranking

• Macao SAR, China — 64th of 101: 4,608
• Bahamas, The — 65th of 101: 4,585
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 66th of 101: 4,491
• Namibia — 68th of 101: 4,230
• Denmark — 69th of 101: 3,868
• Latvia — 70th of 101: 3,481

What this measures

Children out of school are the number of primary-school-age children not enrolled in primary or secondary school.

Limitations: Due to different data sources for enrollment and population data, the number may not capture the actual number of children not attending in primary school.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.

All 24 values

Children out of school, primary in nearby economies

• Albania — 617 (2024)
• Andorra — 102 (2024)
• Armenia — 1,710 (2024)
• Austria — 5,200 (2024)
• Azerbaijan — 152 (2024)
• Belarus — 20,600 (2024)
• Belgium — 13,226 (2023)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 2,933 (2023)
• Bulgaria — 14,529 (2024)
• Croatia — 2,642 (2023)
• Cyprus — 247 (2023)

More education data for Sweden

• Primary school starting age (years) — 7 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 13 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 859,847 (2024)
• Secondary education, pupils — 987,895 (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1.05 (2020)
• School enrollment, primary and secondary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1.07 (2020)
• School enrollment, secondary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1.08 (2020)
• School enrollment, primary, private (% of total primary)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Sweden's children out of school, primary?

4,270 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2001?

It is up 41.58% from 3,016 in 2001 (1.52% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 13,923 in 2011 and the lowest 1,099 in 2017.

How does Sweden rank?

67th highest of 101 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in children out of school, primary unusual for Sweden?

In 2024, Sweden's children out of school, primary rose 33% on 2023 (from 3,210 to 4,270). Across the 22 yearly changes before that (2002 to 2023), the average change was +18.2% and a typical year strayed about 72.5% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.PRM.UNER, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://databrowser.uis.unesco.org/resources, note: The data are obtained through the UIS API. Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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