Denmark vs Sweden: Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits
Denmark
3.1%
in 2021
Sweden
3.3%
in 2021
Denmark rank
5th
Sweden rank
3rd
Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits over time
- Denmark
- Sweden
How they compare
Sweden currently reports 3.3% against 3.1% in Denmark, a difference of 0.2%.
That makes Sweden's figure about 1.1 times Denmark's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 42 shared years of data; in 1980 it was Sweden ahead.
Denmark ranks 5th and Sweden ranks 3rd of 41 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Denmark averaged higher in 2 and Sweden in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Denmark | Sweden | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2.8% | 3.6% | 0.8% | Sweden |
| 1990s | 3.5% | 3.7% | 0.2% | Sweden |
| 2000s | 3.6% | 3.1% | 0.5% | Denmark |
| 2010s | 3.6% | 3.5% | 0.1% | Denmark |
| 2020s | 3.3% | 3.4% | 0.2% | Sweden |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher female employment vs. public spending on family benefits, Denmark or Sweden?
- Sweden, at 3.3% against 3.1% in Denmark as of 2021.
- What is the difference in female employment vs. public spending on family benefits between Denmark and Sweden?
- 0.2%, with Sweden ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Denmark and Sweden?
- 42 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2021.
- How do Denmark and Sweden rank globally for female employment vs. public spending on family benefits?
- Denmark ranks 5th and Sweden ranks 3rd of 41 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- OECD (2025) β with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Public social expenditure divided by gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage. Includes both in-cash and in-kind benefits in family programs.