Gini index in Sweden
Sweden: Gini index was 29.3 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Gini index in Sweden, 1975–2023
Source: World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ.
Analysis
Sweden recorded 29.3 for gini index in 2023.
That represents a change of down 7.3% on the previous year and up 1.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gini index in Sweden peaked at 31.6 in 2022 and was at its lowest, 22.9, in 1981.
That places Sweden 102nd out of 123 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 29 years of available data.
Gini index in Sweden, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 24.3 | — |
| 1981 | 22.9 | -5.8% |
| 1987 | 23.1 | +0.9% |
| 1992 | 24.9 | +7.8% |
| 1995 | 25.2 | +1.2% |
| 2000 | 27 | +7.1% |
| 2001 | 26.5 | -1.9% |
| 2002 | 26.2 | -1.1% |
| 2003 | 25.3 | -3.4% |
| 2004 | 26.1 | +3.2% |
| 2005 | 26.8 | +2.7% |
| 2006 | 26.4 | -1.5% |
| 2007 | 27.1 | +2.7% |
| 2008 | 28.1 | +3.7% |
| 2009 | 27.3 | -2.8% |
| 2010 | 27.7 | +1.5% |
| 2011 | 27.6 | -0.4% |
| 2012 | 27.6 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 28.8 | +4.3% |
| 2014 | 28.4 | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 29.2 | +2.8% |
| 2016 | 29.6 | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 28.8 | -2.7% |
| 2018 | 30 | +4.2% |
| 2019 | 29.3 | -2.3% |
| 2020 | 28.9 | -1.4% |
| 2021 | 29.8 | +3.1% |
| 2022 | 31.6 | +6.0% |
| 2023 | 29.3 | -7.3% |
Sweden compared with similar countries
- Sweden's 29.3 is below the median for high income countries, which is 32.05, 91% of the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Sweden's 29.3 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 30.65, 96% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 24.3 | 24.3 | 24.3 | 1 |
| 1980s | 23 | 22.9 | 23.1 | 2 |
| 1990s | 25.05 | 24.9 | 25.2 | 2 |
| 2000s | 26.68 | 25.3 | 28.1 | 10 |
| 2010s | 28.7 | 27.6 | 30 | 10 |
| 2020s | 29.9 | 28.9 | 31.6 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sweden
More poverty & inequality data for Sweden
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 8 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 1.43 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 4,456 kg per hectare (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate -27.03 % change on previous year (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 41.37 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 41.4% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gini index in Sweden?
- Gini index in Sweden was 29.3 in 2023, according to World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ.
- What is the highest gini index recorded in Sweden?
- The highest recorded value was 31.6 in 2022.
- What is the lowest gini index recorded in Sweden?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.9 in 1981.
- How does Sweden rank for gini index?
- Sweden ranks 102nd out of 123 countries with data for 2023.
- Is gini index rising or falling in Sweden?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sweden data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ, published as part of Gini index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 29 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Gini index measures the extent to which the distribution of income (or, in some cases, consumption expenditure) among individuals or households within an economy deviates from a perfectly equal distribution. A Lorenz curve plots the cumulative percentages of total income received against the cumulative number of recipients, starting with the poorest individual or household. The Gini index measures the area between the Lorenz curve and a hypothetical line of absolute equality, expressed as a percentage of the maximum area under the line. Thus a Gini index of 0 represents perfect equality, while an index of 100 implies perfect inequality.