Nurses — Health and social employment in Sweden

Sweden: Nurses — Health and social employment was 21.08 Per 1 000 inhabitants in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
21.08 Per 1 000 inhabitants
Change on year
up 1.0%
World rank
5th
of 24 countries
All-time high
21.08 Per 1 000 inhabitants
in 2024
All-time low
8.4 Per 1 000 inhabitants
in 1980
Years of data
45
1980–2024

Nurses — Health and social employment in Sweden, 1980–2024

051015201980200220241980: 8.4 Per 1 000 inhabitants1981: 8.9 Per 1 000 inhabitants1982: 9.5 Per 1 000 inhabitants1983: 9.8 Per 1 000 inhabitants1984: 10.1 Per 1 000 inhabitants1985: 10.5 Per 1 000 inhabitants1986: 11.1 Per 1 000 inhabitants1987: 11.6 Per 1 000 inhabitants1988: 11.9 Per 1 000 inhabitants1989: 12.2 Per 1 000 inhabitants1990: 12.6 Per 1 000 inhabitants1991: 12.9 Per 1 000 inhabitants1992: 13.3 Per 1 000 inhabitants1993: 13.6 Per 1 000 inhabitants1994: 14 Per 1 000 inhabitants1995: 14.1 Per 1 000 inhabitants1996: 14.3 Per 1 000 inhabitants1997: 14.7 Per 1 000 inhabitants1998: 15 Per 1 000 inhabitants1999: 15.4 Per 1 000 inhabitants2000: 15.7 Per 1 000 inhabitants2001: 16 Per 1 000 inhabitants2002: 16.3 Per 1 000 inhabitants2003: 16.6 Per 1 000 inhabitants2004: 17 Per 1 000 inhabitants2005: 17.4 Per 1 000 inhabitants2006: 17.7 Per 1 000 inhabitants2007: 18 Per 1 000 inhabitants2008: 18.3 Per 1 000 inhabitants2009: 18.5 Per 1 000 inhabitants2010: 18.8 Per 1 000 inhabitants2011: 19 Per 1 000 inhabitants2012: 19.2 Per 1 000 inhabitants2013: 19.4 Per 1 000 inhabitants2014: 19.5 Per 1 000 inhabitants2015: 19.7 Per 1 000 inhabitants2016: 19.8 Per 1 000 inhabitants2017: 19.9 Per 1 000 inhabitants2018: 20 Per 1 000 inhabitants2019: 20.1 Per 1 000 inhabitants2020: 20.3 Per 1 000 inhabitants2021: 20.5 Per 1 000 inhabitants2022: 20.7 Per 1 000 inhabitants2023: 20.9 Per 1 000 inhabitants2024: 21.1 Per 1 000 inhabitants

Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Per 1 000 inhabitants.

Analysis

The most recent figure for nurses — health and social employment in Sweden is 21.08 Per 1 000 inhabitants, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.

That represents a change of up 1.0% on the previous year and up 7.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, nurses — health and social employment in Sweden peaked at 21.08 Per 1 000 inhabitants in 2024 and was at its lowest, 8.4 Per 1 000 inhabitants, in 1980.

Sweden ranks 5th of 24 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.

Nurses — Health and social employment in Sweden, year by year

Annual values for Nurses — Health and social employment in Sweden, 1980 to 2024.
Year Per 1 000 inhabitants Change
1980 8.4 Per 1 000 inhabitants
1981 8.89 Per 1 000 inhabitants +5.8%
1982 9.51 Per 1 000 inhabitants +7.0%
1983 9.83 Per 1 000 inhabitants +3.4%
1984 10.11 Per 1 000 inhabitants +2.8%
1985 10.48 Per 1 000 inhabitants +3.7%
1986 11.11 Per 1 000 inhabitants +6.0%
1987 11.59 Per 1 000 inhabitants +4.3%
1988 11.93 Per 1 000 inhabitants +2.9%
1989 12.23 Per 1 000 inhabitants +2.5%
1990 12.55 Per 1 000 inhabitants +2.6%
1991 12.88 Per 1 000 inhabitants +2.6%
1992 13.27 Per 1 000 inhabitants +3.0%
1993 13.62 Per 1 000 inhabitants +2.6%
1994 13.96 Per 1 000 inhabitants +2.5%
1995 14.08 Per 1 000 inhabitants +0.9%
1996 14.34 Per 1 000 inhabitants +1.8%
1997 14.68 Per 1 000 inhabitants +2.4%
1998 15.02 Per 1 000 inhabitants +2.3%
1999 15.36 Per 1 000 inhabitants +2.3%
2000 15.68 Per 1 000 inhabitants +2.1%
2001 15.98 Per 1 000 inhabitants +1.9%
2002 16.29 Per 1 000 inhabitants +1.9%
2003 16.62 Per 1 000 inhabitants +2.0%
2004 16.97 Per 1 000 inhabitants +2.1%
2005 17.38 Per 1 000 inhabitants +2.4%
2006 17.74 Per 1 000 inhabitants +2.1%
2007 18.04 Per 1 000 inhabitants +1.7%
2008 18.31 Per 1 000 inhabitants +1.5%
2009 18.53 Per 1 000 inhabitants +1.2%
2010 18.75 Per 1 000 inhabitants +1.2%
2011 19.01 Per 1 000 inhabitants +1.4%
2012 19.22 Per 1 000 inhabitants +1.1%
2013 19.39 Per 1 000 inhabitants +0.9%
2014 19.54 Per 1 000 inhabitants +0.8%
2015 19.69 Per 1 000 inhabitants +0.8%
2016 19.79 Per 1 000 inhabitants +0.5%
2017 19.87 Per 1 000 inhabitants +0.4%
2018 19.98 Per 1 000 inhabitants +0.6%
2019 20.11 Per 1 000 inhabitants +0.7%
2020 20.3 Per 1 000 inhabitants +0.9%
2021 20.5 Per 1 000 inhabitants +1.0%
2022 20.67 Per 1 000 inhabitants +0.8%
2023 20.87 Per 1 000 inhabitants +1.0%
2024 21.08 Per 1 000 inhabitants +1.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 10.41 Per 1 000 inhabitants 8.4 Per 1 000 inhabitants 12.23 Per 1 000 inhabitants 10
1990s 13.98 Per 1 000 inhabitants 12.55 Per 1 000 inhabitants 15.36 Per 1 000 inhabitants 10
2000s 17.15 Per 1 000 inhabitants 15.68 Per 1 000 inhabitants 18.53 Per 1 000 inhabitants 10
2010s 19.54 Per 1 000 inhabitants 18.75 Per 1 000 inhabitants 20.11 Per 1 000 inhabitants 10
2020s 20.68 Per 1 000 inhabitants 20.3 Per 1 000 inhabitants 21.08 Per 1 000 inhabitants 5

Countries ranked near Sweden

  1. 2 Norway 29.13 Per 1 000 inhabitants compare
  2. 3 Luxembourg 22.33 Per 1 000 inhabitants compare
  3. 4 Finland 21.14 Per 1 000 inhabitants compare
  4. 6 Belgium 20.26 Per 1 000 inhabitants compare
  5. 7 United States of America 20.22 Per 1 000 inhabitants compare
  6. 8 Denmark 19.67 Per 1 000 inhabitants compare

See the full ranking of 31 places →

More work & labour data for Sweden

All data for Sweden →

Frequently asked questions

What is nurses — health and social employment in Sweden?
Nurses — health and social employment in Sweden was 21.08 Per 1 000 inhabitants in 2024, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
What is the highest nurses — health and social employment recorded in Sweden?
The highest recorded value was 21.08 Per 1 000 inhabitants in 2024.
What is the lowest nurses — health and social employment recorded in Sweden?
The lowest recorded value was 8.4 Per 1 000 inhabitants in 1980.
How does Sweden rank for nurses — health and social employment?
Sweden ranks 5th out of 24 countries with data for 2024.
Is nurses — health and social employment rising or falling in Sweden?
Over the last ten years it is up 7.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Sweden data come from?
The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Nurses — Health and social employment. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Nurses — Health and social employment in Sweden. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 24 August 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/nurses-health-and-social-employment/sweden/

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About this data

Indicator
Nurses — Health and social employment
Unit
Per 1 000 inhabitants
Source
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Licence
OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
31 places, 714 data points, 1980–2025
Last refreshed

This dataset provides data on the number of nurses by status (ie. practising nurses, professionally active nurses, and nurses licenced to practice) and category (ie. Professional nurses and associate professional nurses). Practising nurses provide services directly to patients. Professionally active nurses include practising nurses and other nurses for whom their education is a prerequisite for the execution of the job. A nurse licensed to practice has completed a programme of nursing education and is qualified and authorised in his/her country to practice nursing. They include practising and other (non-practising) nurses. Professional nurses assume responsibility for the planning and management of the care of patients, including the supervision of other healthcare workers, working autonomously or in teams with medical doctors and others in the practical application of preventive and curative measures. Associate professional nurses generally work under the supervision of, and in support of implementation of healthcare, treatment and referrals plans established by medical, nursing and other health professionals. Please refer to the Sources and Methods for detailed country-specific information.