Three metrics of inequality in Sweden
Sweden: Three metrics of inequality was 39.71 in 2022. ▬ Flat
Latest (2022)
39.71
Change on year
down 1.1%
World rank
110th
of 113 countries
All-time high
45.09
in 1935
All-time low
33.43
in 1979
Years of data
83
1935–2022
Three metrics of inequality in Sweden, 1935–2022
Source: World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Sweden recorded 39.71 for three metrics of inequality in 2022.
That represents a change of down 1.1% on the previous year and up 0.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, three metrics of inequality in Sweden peaked at 45.09 in 1935 and was at its lowest, 33.43, in 1979.
Sweden ranks 110th of 113 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Three metrics of inequality in Sweden, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1935 | 45.09 | — |
| 1940 | 43.35 | -3.9% |
| 1941 | 42.88 | -1.1% |
| 1943 | 42.31 | -1.3% |
| 1944 | 41.75 | -1.3% |
| 1945 | 41.14 | -1.5% |
| 1946 | 41.1 | -0.1% |
| 1947 | 40.16 | -2.3% |
| 1948 | 39.45 | -1.8% |
| 1949 | 38.95 | -1.3% |
| 1950 | 38.64 | -0.8% |
| 1951 | 38.39 | -0.6% |
| 1952 | 38.31 | -0.2% |
| 1953 | 37.91 | -1.0% |
| 1954 | 37.83 | -0.2% |
| 1955 | 37.77 | -0.2% |
| 1956 | 37.44 | -0.9% |
| 1957 | 37.44 | +0.0% |
| 1958 | 37.36 | -0.2% |
| 1959 | 37.39 | +0.1% |
| 1960 | 37.16 | -0.6% |
| 1961 | 37.05 | -0.3% |
| 1962 | 36.79 | -0.7% |
| 1963 | 36.8 | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 36.58 | -0.6% |
| 1965 | 36.3 | -0.8% |
| 1966 | 36.31 | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 36.19 | -0.3% |
| 1968 | 35.84 | -1.0% |
| 1969 | 36 | +0.4% |
| 1970 | 36.37 | +1.0% |
| 1971 | 35.28 | -3.0% |
| 1972 | 34.78 | -1.4% |
| 1973 | 35.06 | +0.8% |
| 1974 | 34.76 | -0.9% |
| 1975 | 34.31 | -1.3% |
| 1976 | 34.34 | +0.1% |
| 1977 | 33.99 | -1.0% |
| 1978 | 33.68 | -0.9% |
| 1979 | 33.43 | -0.7% |
| 1980 | 35.34 | +5.7% |
| 1981 | 35.01 | -0.9% |
| 1982 | 35.99 | +2.8% |
| 1983 | 36.33 | +0.9% |
| 1984 | 37.21 | +2.4% |
| 1985 | 37.1 | -0.3% |
| 1986 | 37.06 | -0.1% |
| 1987 | 37.06 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 37.6 | +1.5% |
| 1989 | 36.98 | -1.6% |
| 1990 | 35.71 | -3.4% |
| 1991 | 36.43 | +2.0% |
| 1992 | 36.06 | -1.0% |
| 1993 | 36.91 | +2.4% |
| 1994 | 39.57 | +7.2% |
| 1995 | 40.07 | +1.3% |
| 1996 | 39.43 | -1.6% |
| 1997 | 40.52 | +2.8% |
| 1998 | 40.65 | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 40.91 | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 39.2 | -4.2% |
| 2001 | 38.32 | -2.2% |
| 2002 | 38.53 | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 39.58 | +2.7% |
| 2004 | 40.1 | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 41.15 | +2.6% |
| 2006 | 42.09 | +2.3% |
| 2007 | 42.02 | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 41.33 | -1.6% |
| 2009 | 40.52 | -2.0% |
| 2010 | 42.12 | +3.9% |
| 2011 | 41.47 | -1.5% |
| 2012 | 39.4 | -5.0% |
| 2013 | 39.59 | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 40.13 | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 40.99 | +2.1% |
| 2016 | 39.37 | -4.0% |
| 2017 | 40.07 | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 39.61 | -1.1% |
| 2019 | 40.38 | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 40.38 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 40.14 | -0.6% |
| 2022 | 39.71 | -1.1% |
Sweden compared with similar countries
- Sweden's 39.71 is below the median for high income countries, which is 47.06, 84% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Sweden's 39.71 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 46.7, 85% of the median. (42 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 45.09 | 45.09 | 45.09 | 1 |
| 1940s | 41.23 | 38.95 | 43.35 | 9 |
| 1950s | 37.85 | 37.36 | 38.64 | 10 |
| 1960s | 36.5 | 35.84 | 37.16 | 10 |
| 1970s | 34.6 | 33.43 | 36.37 | 10 |
| 1980s | 36.57 | 35.01 | 37.6 | 10 |
| 1990s | 38.63 | 35.71 | 40.91 | 10 |
| 2000s | 40.28 | 38.32 | 42.09 | 10 |
| 2010s | 40.31 | 39.37 | 42.12 | 10 |
| 2020s | 40.08 | 39.71 | 40.38 | 3 |
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 three metrics of inequality in Sweden?
- Three metrics of inequality in Sweden was 39.71 in 2022, according to World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest three metrics of inequality recorded in Sweden?
- The highest recorded value was 45.09 in 1935.
- What is the lowest three metrics of inequality recorded in Sweden?
- The lowest recorded value was 33.43 in 1979.
- How does Sweden rank for three metrics of inequality?
- Sweden ranks 110th out of 113 countries with data for 2022.
- Is three metrics of inequality rising or falling in Sweden?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Sweden data come from?
- The figures come from World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Three metrics of inequality. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
The Gini coefficient measures inequality on a scale from 0 to 1. Higher values indicate higher inequality. Inequality is measured here in terms of income before taxes and benefits.