Iceland vs Sweden: Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits
Iceland
3.8%
in 2021
Sweden
3.3%
in 2021
Iceland rank
1st
Sweden rank
3rd
Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits over time
- Iceland
- Sweden
How they compare
Iceland currently reports 3.8% against 3.3% in Sweden, a difference of 0.5%.
That makes Iceland's figure about 1.2 times Sweden's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 32 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Sweden ahead.
Iceland ranks 1st and Sweden ranks 3rd of 41 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Iceland averaged higher in 1 and Sweden in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iceland | Sweden | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.3% | 3.7% | 1.4% | Sweden |
| 2000s | 2.9% | 3.1% | 0.2% | Sweden |
| 2010s | 3.3% | 3.5% | 0.2% | Sweden |
| 2020s | 3.9% | 3.4% | 0.4% | Iceland |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher female employment vs. public spending on family benefits, Iceland or Sweden?
- Iceland, at 3.8% against 3.3% in Sweden as of 2021.
- What is the difference in female employment vs. public spending on family benefits between Iceland and Sweden?
- 0.5%, with Iceland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iceland and Sweden?
- 32 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2021.
- How do Iceland and Sweden rank globally for female employment vs. public spending on family benefits?
- Iceland ranks 1st 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.