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Literate and illiterate world population in Sweden

Sweden: Literate and illiterate world population was 1.5% in 1950. ◆ Volatile

Latest (1950)
1.5%
World rank
105th
of 128 countries
All-time high
99.0%
in 1475
All-time low
1.5%
in 1950
Years of data
5
1475–1950

Literate and illiterate world population in Sweden, 1475–1950

0204060801001475171219501475: 99 %1550: 99 %1650: 77 %1750: 52 %1950: 1.5 %

Source: UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Sweden recorded 1.5% for literate and illiterate world population in 1950. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.

Over the whole period, literate and illiterate world population in Sweden peaked at 99.0% in 1475 and was at its lowest, 1.5%, in 1950.

That places Sweden 105th out of 128 countries with data for 1950, putting it in the bottom quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1470s 99.0% 99.0% 99.0% 1
1550s 99.0% 99.0% 99.0% 1
1650s 77.0% 77.0% 77.0% 1
1750s 52.0% 52.0% 52.0% 1
1950s 1.5% 1.5% 1.5% 1

Countries ranked near Sweden

  1. 102 Maldives 1.8% compare
  2. 103 Bulgaria 1.6% compare
  3. 104 Philippines 1.5% compare
  4. 105 Finland 1.5% compare
  5. 105 Germany 1.5% compare
  6. 105 Ireland 1.5% compare
  7. 105 Netherlands 1.5% compare
  8. 105 United Kingdom 1.5% compare

See the full ranking of 128 places →

More population data for Sweden

All data for Sweden →

Frequently asked questions

What is literate and illiterate world population in Sweden?
Literate and illiterate world population in Sweden was 1.5% in 1950, according to UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest literate and illiterate world population recorded in Sweden?
The highest recorded value was 99.0% in 1475.
What is the lowest literate and illiterate world population recorded in Sweden?
The lowest recorded value was 1.5% in 1950.
How does Sweden rank for literate and illiterate world population?
Sweden ranks 105th out of 128 countries with data for 1950.
Where does this Sweden data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Literate and illiterate world population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Literate and illiterate world population
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
128 places, 1,272 data points, 1475–2024
Last refreshed

Share of adults who cannot read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life.