Unemployment rate in Sweden
Sweden: Unemployment rate was 8.69 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
8.69
Change on year
up 3.5%
World rank
48th
of 186 countries
All-time high
10.36
in 1997
All-time low
3.24
in 1991
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Unemployment rate in Sweden, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment rate in Sweden is 8.69, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 3.5% on the previous year and up 17.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Sweden peaked at 10.36 in 1997 and was at its lowest, 3.24, in 1991.
That places Sweden 48th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment rate in Sweden, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 3.24 | — |
| 1992 | 5.72 | +76.4% |
| 1993 | 9.33 | +63.1% |
| 1994 | 9.58 | +2.7% |
| 1995 | 8.9 | -7.1% |
| 1996 | 9.55 | +7.3% |
| 1997 | 10.36 | +8.5% |
| 1998 | 8.94 | -13.7% |
| 1999 | 7.61 | -14.9% |
| 2000 | 5.47 | -28.1% |
| 2001 | 4.73 | -13.5% |
| 2002 | 4.96 | +5.0% |
| 2003 | 5.55 | +11.9% |
| 2004 | 6.69 | +20.5% |
| 2005 | 7.81 | +16.7% |
| 2006 | 7.07 | -9.5% |
| 2007 | 6.16 | -12.8% |
| 2008 | 6.24 | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 8.35 | +33.9% |
| 2010 | 8.61 | +3.1% |
| 2011 | 7.8 | -9.4% |
| 2012 | 7.98 | +2.2% |
| 2013 | 8.05 | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 7.95 | -1.2% |
| 2015 | 7.43 | -6.6% |
| 2016 | 6.99 | -5.9% |
| 2017 | 6.72 | -3.9% |
| 2018 | 6.37 | -5.3% |
| 2019 | 6.83 | +7.4% |
| 2020 | 8.29 | +21.3% |
| 2021 | 8.8 | +6.2% |
| 2022 | 7.42 | -15.7% |
| 2023 | 7.61 | +2.6% |
| 2024 | 8.4 | +10.4% |
| 2025 | 8.69 | +3.5% |
Sweden compared with similar countries
- Sweden's 8.69 is above the median for high income countries, which is 5.04, 1.7× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Sweden's 8.69 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 5.56, 1.6× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 8.14 | 3.24 | 10.36 | 9 |
| 2000s | 6.3 | 4.73 | 8.35 | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.47 | 6.37 | 8.61 | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.2 | 7.42 | 8.8 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sweden
More work & labour data for Sweden
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.0422 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.0602 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.0243 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.29 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.5427 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 10,837 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 788.88 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 5,587 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 5,780 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 11,367 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rate in Sweden?
- Unemployment rate in Sweden was 8.69 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in Sweden?
- The highest recorded value was 10.36 in 1997.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Sweden?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.24 in 1991.
- How does Sweden rank for unemployment rate?
- Sweden ranks 48th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Sweden?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sweden data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).