country profile

Sweden

Europe & Central AsiaHigh income10.60M population

Last updated August 4, 2026

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Target achieved

Composite GEFRI Score

Infrastructure and Human Capital are clear system strengths

Sweden shows leading readiness to meet the challenges and opportunities of education in a rapidly changing world (99th percentile worldwide). High performance across dimensions reflects strong coherence between policy, investment, and system-level innovation.

90.49Composite score
Global percentile
99th
Global rank
#2
Regional rank
#2
Viewing data for
Target achieved
Infrastructure
93.00
95th percentileGlobal avg. 70.44
Target achieved
Human Capital
92.75
99th percentileGlobal avg. 66.18
Advanced readiness
Innovation
84.59
99th percentileGlobal avg. 48.64
Target achieved
Governance
90.54
97th percentileGlobal avg. 47.07
Target achieved
Access & Parity
91.57
73rd percentileGlobal avg. 60.85

Country profile

Sweden reaches the GEFRI target threshold, indicating target-level readiness across the composite index. Its strongest results are in Infrastructure (93, 95th percentile), Human Capital (93, 99th percentile), Governance (91, 97th percentile), GEFRI Composite (90, 99th percentile) and Innovation (85, 99th percentile). All reported dimension scores sit above global norms.

Dimension scores cluster tightly, showing the system operates with balanced readiness. High internet adoption enables broad participation in digital learning and innovation. Strong tertiary enrollment expands future talent pipelines and strengthens national innovation potential.

Strong R&D funding and a sizable research workforce keep the innovation pipeline active, supporting the system’s capacity to adapt. Policy and regulatory teams coordinate effectively, keeping reforms aligned and providing the stability needed for long-term educational planning. Girls outperform boys in secondary pathways, adding pressure to address male dropout risks.

Regionally, Sweden leads most clearly in Governance, sitting well above the peer average.

Most indicators are observed rather than imputed, so estimation uncertainty is limited.

Key insights

Ranks in the 99th percentile worldwide, placing the system among high performers.

Places 2nd worldwide.

Holds a regional position of 2nd within Europe & Central Asia.

Scores range from Infrastructure (93.0) to Innovation (84.6), reflecting variation across dimensions.

Leads regional peers most clearly in Governance.

Regional peers: Europe & Central Asia

Composite GEFRI Score

Global rankRegional rankCountryScore
11Denmark92.17
22Sweden90.49
33Finland89.65
44Switzerland89.17
55Netherlands89.11
66Norway87.90
107Germany87.54
118United Kingdom86.92
139Austria86.41
1710Estonia85.02
1811France84.86
2112Ireland84.28
2213Belgium84.17
2314Iceland83.80
2415Portugal83.51
2516Lithuania83.33
2617Czechia83.18
2718Slovenia83.15
LiechtensteinMicrostate82.84
2819Spain82.70
2920Poland81.97
3021Cyprus81.79
3122Luxembourg81.62
3323Italy80.65
3524Latvia79.58
3625Greece78.07
3726Croatia77.94
MonacoMicrostate77.40
4027Hungary76.63
4128Slovak Republic76.44
AndorraMicrostate74.65
San MarinoMicrostate74.31
GreenlandMicrostate73.41
4429Bulgaria73.29
4530Moldova73.12
4731Serbia72.79
4832Turkiye72.71
4933Georgia72.47
5034Russian Federation71.70
GibraltarMicrostate70.82
5435Kazakhstan70.49
5536Armenia70.34
5737Montenegro70.09
Faroe IslandsMicrostate69.59
5838Albania69.55
6339Belarus68.95
6440North Macedonia68.94
6841Uzbekistan68.67
Channel IslandsMicrostate68.37
Isle of ManMicrostate67.94
7342Bosnia and Herzegovina67.73
7843Romania66.62
8044Kyrgyz Republic65.76
8445Azerbaijan63.45
9346UkraineFCS59.93
10147Turkmenistan57.88
10348Kosovo57.69
10749Tajikistan56.05