Unadjusted gender gap in median earnings in Sweden

Sweden: Unadjusted gender gap in median earnings was 13.4% in 2013. ▼ Falling

Latest (2013)
13.4%
Change on year
down 11.3%
World rank
18th
of 29 countries
All-time high
19.6%
in 1989
All-time low
12.8%
in 1980
Years of data
36
1975–2013

Unadjusted gender gap in median earnings in Sweden, 1975–2013

051015201975199420131975: 18.3 %1978: 16.6 %1980: 12.8 %1981: 15.2 %1982: 13.6 %1983: 14.5 %1984: 15.9 %1985: 16.7 %1986: 15.1 %1987: 14.7 %1988: 17.5 %1989: 19.6 %1990: 19 %1991: 19.3 %1992: 19 %1993: 18.7 %1994: 17.2 %1995: 18.8 %1996: 16.4 %1997: 16.7 %1998: 17 %1999: 16.8 %2000: 15.5 %2001: 16.6 %2002: 15.9 %2003: 16 %2004: 15.3 %2005: 14.4 %2006: 14.6 %2007: 16.4 %2008: 15.4 %2009: 14.9 %2010: 14.3 %2011: 15.9 %2012: 15.1 %2013: 13.4 %

Source: OECD (2017) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Sweden recorded 13.4% for unadjusted gender gap in median earnings in 2013.

The figure is down 11.3% on the previous year and down 16.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unadjusted gender gap in median earnings in Sweden peaked at 19.6% in 1989 and was at its lowest, 12.8%, in 1980.

Sweden ranks 18th of 29 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.

Unadjusted gender gap in median earnings in Sweden, year by year

Annual values for Unadjusted gender gap in median earnings in Sweden, 1975 to 2013.
Year % Change
1975 18.3%
1978 16.6% -9.3%
1980 12.8% -22.9%
1981 15.2% +18.7%
1982 13.6% -10.5%
1983 14.5% +6.6%
1984 15.9% +9.7%
1985 16.7% +5.0%
1986 15.1% -9.6%
1987 14.7% -2.6%
1988 17.5% +19.0%
1989 19.6% +12.0%
1990 19.0% -3.1%
1991 19.3% +1.6%
1992 19.0% -1.6%
1993 18.7% -1.6%
1994 17.2% -8.0%
1995 18.8% +9.3%
1996 16.4% -12.8%
1997 16.7% +1.8%
1998 17.0% +1.8%
1999 16.8% -1.2%
2000 15.5% -7.7%
2001 16.6% +7.1%
2002 15.9% -4.2%
2003 16.0% +0.6%
2004 15.3% -4.4%
2005 14.4% -5.9%
2006 14.6% +1.4%
2007 16.4% +12.3%
2008 15.4% -6.1%
2009 14.9% -3.2%
2010 14.3% -4.0%
2011 15.9% +11.2%
2012 15.1% -5.0%
2013 13.4% -11.3%

Sweden compared with similar countries

  • Sweden's 13.4% is below the median for high income countries, which is 14.4%, 93% of the median. (27 countries reporting)
  • Sweden's 13.4% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 13.7%, 98% of the median. (18 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 17.5% 16.6% 18.3% 2
1980s 15.6% 12.8% 19.6% 10
1990s 17.9% 16.4% 19.3% 10
2000s 15.5% 14.4% 16.6% 10
2010s 14.7% 13.4% 15.9% 4

Countries ranked near Sweden

  1. 15 Ireland 14.4% compare
  2. 16 Australia 14.3% compare
  3. 17 Slovakia 13.9% compare
  4. 19 Colombia 11.1% compare
  5. 19 Poland 11.1% compare
  6. 21 Iceland 9.9% compare

See the full ranking of 29 places →

More work & labour data for Sweden

All data for Sweden →

Frequently asked questions

What is unadjusted gender gap in median earnings in Sweden?
Unadjusted gender gap in median earnings in Sweden was 13.4% in 2013, according to OECD (2017) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest unadjusted gender gap in median earnings recorded in Sweden?
The highest recorded value was 19.6% in 1989.
What is the lowest unadjusted gender gap in median earnings recorded in Sweden?
The lowest recorded value was 12.8% in 1980.
How does Sweden rank for unadjusted gender gap in median earnings?
Sweden ranks 18th out of 29 countries with data for 2013.
Is unadjusted gender gap in median earnings rising or falling in Sweden?
Over the last ten years it is down 16.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Sweden data come from?
The figures come from OECD (2017) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Unadjusted gender gap in median earnings. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Unadjusted gender gap in median earnings in Sweden. Statizoid, drawing on OECD (2017) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/gender-wage-gap-oecd/sweden/

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About this data

Indicator
Unadjusted gender gap in median earnings
Unit
%
Source
OECD (2017) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
29 places, 601 data points, 1970–2016
Last refreshed

The gender wage gap is unadjusted and is defined as the difference between median earnings of men and women relative to median earnings of men. Estimates refer to full-time employees and to self-employed workers.