According to the latest statistics released by Statistics Sweden (SCB), there is a significant difference in educational attainment between major cities and rural municipalities in Sweden. The data reveals that educational levels are considerably higher in urban areas and municipalities near major cities compared to smaller towns and rural communities. In metropolitan areas, nearly four out of ten individuals have higher education qualifications, whereas the proportion is only half as large in smaller towns and rural municipalities.
Apart from major cities, educational attainment is generally high in cities hosting universities or colleges. For instance, both Lund and Uppsala are among the top ten municipalities with the highest proportion of highly educated individuals in the country.
Many of the municipalities with the highest percentage of highly educated individuals are located in the Stockholm area. Out of the top twenty municipalities with the highest educational levels, nine are situated in the Stockholm region. This can be attributed to the presence of numerous job opportunities in industries that require a high level of education.
“The population in major cities and municipalities near urban areas tends to be younger compared to smaller towns and rural municipalities. The median age of the population aged 25-64 in major cities and urban municipalities is 42, while it is 46 in smaller towns and rural municipalities. Younger individuals generally have higher educational levels than older ones,” says Tomas Westling, researcher at SCB.
Education Levels by Municipality Groups in 2022 – Population aged 25-64 Chart: Education Levels by Municipality Groups in 2022 – Population aged 25-64
Women have higher educational attainment than men Among the population aged 25-64, nearly half, or 46%, have some form of post-secondary education. Three out of ten individuals have at least a three-year post-secondary education, equivalent to over 1.6 million people. Women have higher educational attainment than men. The proportion of women with at least a three-year post-secondary education is 37%, compared to 24% among men. However, among men, it is more common to have pre-secondary or secondary education as the highest level of education. Among individuals with a doctoral degree, the proportion of men is slightly higher than that of women.
Education Levels by Gender in 2022 – Population aged 25-64 Chart: Education Levels by Gender in 2022 – Population aged 25-64
The disparity in educational attainment between men and women has increased during the 2000s. In the year 2000, the proportion of highly educated individuals was roughly equal among men and women, both among those born in Sweden and those born abroad. Since then, the proportion of highly educated women has increased at a faster rate than that of men, particularly among those born in Sweden. In 2022, the proportion of highly educated women born in Sweden was 38%, while the corresponding figure for men born in Sweden was 24%. Among those born abroad, the differences between men and women are somewhat smaller. The proportion of highly educated women born abroad was 33%, while the proportion of highly educated men born abroad was 26% in 2022.
Percentage of individuals (2000-2022) with at least a three-year post-secondary education by gender and Swedish/foreign-born status – Population aged 25-64
For further information and more detailed statistics, please refer to the educational attainment data provided by SCB for the year 2022.