How does Sweden rank for share of workers employed in services vs. gdp per capita?

Sweden ranks 10th out of 44 countries with data for 2010.

Is share of workers employed in services vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Sweden?

Over the last ten years it is up 4.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this Sweden data come from?

The figures come from Herrendorf et al. and Groningen Growth and Development Centre (2015) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of workers employed in services vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Share of workers employed in services vs. GDP per capita in Sweden

Name: Share of workers employed in services vs. GDP per capita in Sweden
Creator: Herrendorf et al. and Groningen Growth and Development Centre (2015) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Sweden: Share of workers employed in services vs. GDP per capita was 72.1% in 2010. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2010)

72.1%

Change on year

up 0.3%

World rank

10th

of 44 countries

All-time high

72.1%

in 2010

All-time low

14.5%

in 1855

Years of data

161

1850–2010

Share of workers employed in services vs. GDP per capita in Sweden, 1850–2010

Source: Herrendorf et al. and Groningen Growth and Development Centre (2015) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Sweden recorded 72.1% for share of workers employed in services vs. gdp per capita in 2010. That is the highest value across all 161 years on record.

The figure is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 4.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of workers employed in services vs. gdp per capita in Sweden peaked at 72.1% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 14.5%, in 1855.

That places Sweden 10th out of 44 countries with data for 2010, putting it in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1850s	14.9%	14.5%	15.4%	10
1860s	15.2%	14.6%	15.8%	10
1870s	15.6%	15.0%	16.8%	10
1880s	17.7%	17.1%	18.2%	10
1890s	19.2%	18.4%	19.6%	10
1900s	21.1%	19.7%	22.6%	10
1910s	24.0%	22.8%	26.4%	10
1920s	27.8%	26.2%	29.7%	10
1930s	31.3%	30.1%	32.2%	10
1940s	35.4%	34.2%	36.8%	10
1950s	39.0%	37.2%	40.7%	10
1960s	45.6%	41.1%	50.7%	10
1970s	56.2%	51.9%	59.6%	10
1980s	62.9%	60.1%	64.9%	10
1990s	67.9%	65.7%	68.9%	10
2000s	70.6%	69.1%	71.9%	10
2010s	72.1%	72.1%	72.1%	1

Countries ranked near Sweden

7 France 77.0% compare
8 Argentina 72.9% compare
9 Japan 72.7% compare
11 Singapore 70.9% compare
12 Venezuela 70.5% compare
13 Finland 69.9% compare

See the full ranking of 44 places →

More work & labour data for Sweden

Legislation on sexual harassment in employment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
Criminal sanctions or compensation for workplace sexual harassment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
Women can take the same jobs as men 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 64.6% (2025)
Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 67.6% (2025)
Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 91.0% (2025)
Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15 61.5% (2025)
Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15-6 83.9% (2025)
Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 85.3% (2025)
Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15 82.3% (2025)

All data for Sweden →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of workers employed in services vs. gdp per capita in Sweden?: Share of workers employed in services vs. gdp per capita in Sweden was 72.1% in 2010, according to Herrendorf et al. and Groningen Growth and Development Centre (2015) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of workers employed in services vs. gdp per capita recorded in Sweden?: The highest recorded value was 72.1% in 2010.
What is the lowest share of workers employed in services vs. gdp per capita recorded in Sweden?: The lowest recorded value was 14.5% in 1855.
How does Sweden rank for share of workers employed in services vs. gdp per capita?: Sweden ranks 10th out of 44 countries with data for 2010.
Is share of workers employed in services vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Sweden?: Over the last ten years it is up 4.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Sweden data come from?: The figures come from Herrendorf et al. and Groningen Growth and Development Centre (2015) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of workers employed in services vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 161 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator: Share of workers employed in services vs. GDP per capita
Unit: %
Source: Herrendorf et al. and Groningen Growth and Development Centre (2015) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 44 places, 2,481 data points, 1801–2015
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

The vertical axis shows historical estimates of the employment share in the service sector. The horizontal axis shows GDP per capita, adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.