Finland vs Sweden: Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits
Finland
3.1%
in 2021
Sweden
3.3%
in 2021
Finland rank
6th
Sweden rank
3rd
Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits over time
- Finland
- Sweden
How they compare
Sweden currently reports 3.3% against 3.1% in Finland, a difference of 0.2%.
That makes Sweden's figure about 1.1 times Finland's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 42 shared years of data; in 1980 it was Sweden ahead.
Finland ranks 6th and Sweden ranks 3rd of 41 countries.
Sweden has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Finland | Sweden | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2.4% | 3.6% | 1.2% | Sweden |
| 1990s | 3.7% | 3.7% | 0.1% | Sweden |
| 2000s | 2.8% | 3.1% | 0.3% | Sweden |
| 2010s | 3.1% | 3.5% | 0.4% | Sweden |
| 2020s | 3.1% | 3.4% | 0.4% | Sweden |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher female employment vs. public spending on family benefits, Finland or Sweden?
- Sweden, at 3.3% against 3.1% in Finland as of 2021.
- What is the difference in female employment vs. public spending on family benefits between Finland and Sweden?
- 0.2%, with Sweden ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Finland and Sweden?
- 42 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2021.
- How do Finland and Sweden rank globally for female employment vs. public spending on family benefits?
- Finland ranks 6th 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.