Norway vs Sweden: Female employment rate
Norway
59.2%
in 2025
Sweden
58.9%
in 2025
Norway rank
37th
Sweden rank
39th
Female employment rate over time
- Norway
- Sweden
How they compare
Norway currently reports 59.2% against 58.9% in Sweden, a difference of 0.3%.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 43 shared years of data; in 1982 it was Sweden ahead.
Norway ranks 37th and Sweden ranks 39th of 172 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Norway averaged higher in 3 and Sweden in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Norway | Sweden | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 58.1% | 71.3% | 13.2% | Sweden |
| 1990s | 61.7% | 59.6% | 2.1% | Norway |
| 2000s | 67.0% | 55.2% | 11.8% | Norway |
| 2010s | 65.4% | 64.2% | 1.3% | Norway |
| 2020s | 59.5% | 59.6% | 0.1% | Sweden |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher female employment rate, Norway or Sweden?
- Norway, at 59.2% against 58.9% in Sweden as of 2025.
- What is the difference in female employment rate between Norway and Sweden?
- 0.3%, with Norway ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Norway and Sweden?
- 43 years are reported by both, from 1982 to 2025.
- How do Norway and Sweden rank globally for female employment rate?
- Norway ranks 37th and Sweden ranks 39th of 172 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Female employment rate. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Share of the female working-age population who are employed. Figures refer to national estimates and may not be fully comparable across countries.