Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Sweden

Sweden: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income was 11.0% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
11.0%
Change on year
down 3.5%
World rank
71st
of 130 countries
All-time high
11.4%
in 2022
All-time low
5.2%
in 1987
Years of data
29
1975–2023

Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Sweden, 1975–2023

02.557.51012.51975199920231975: 5.31981: 6.51987: 5.21992: 6.21995: 6.92000: 62001: 5.52002: 6.32003: 7.22004: 6.82005: 8.52006: 7.32007: 8.22008: 8.92009: 9.22010: 8.92011: 9.42012: 9.62013: 10.12014: 9.32015: 9.62016: 10.42017: 10.12018: 10.82019: 10.22020: 10.12021: 11.12022: 11.42023: 11

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.

Analysis

Sweden recorded 11.0% for proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.5% on the previous year and up 8.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Sweden peaked at 11.4% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 5.2%, in 1987.

That places Sweden 71st out of 130 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 29 years of available data.

Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Sweden, year by year

Annual values for Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (%) in Sweden, 1975 to 2023.
Year Value Change
1975 5.3%
1981 6.5% +22.6%
1987 5.2% -20.0%
1992 6.2% +19.2%
1995 6.9% +11.3%
2000 6.0% -13.0%
2001 5.5% -8.3%
2002 6.3% +14.5%
2003 7.2% +14.3%
2004 6.8% -5.6%
2005 8.5% +25.0%
2006 7.3% -14.1%
2007 8.2% +12.3%
2008 8.9% +8.5%
2009 9.2% +3.4%
2010 8.9% -3.3%
2011 9.4% +5.6%
2012 9.6% +2.1%
2013 10.1% +5.2%
2014 9.3% -7.9%
2015 9.6% +3.2%
2016 10.4% +8.3%
2017 10.1% -2.9%
2018 10.8% +6.9%
2019 10.2% -5.6%
2020 10.1% -1.0%
2021 11.1% +9.9%
2022 11.4% +2.7%
2023 11.0% -3.5%

Sweden compared with similar countries

  • Sweden's 11.0% is below the median for high income countries, which is 11.7%, 94% of the median. (41 countries reporting)
  • Sweden's 11.0% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 11.0%, 1.0× the median. (46 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 5.3% 5.3% 5.3% 1
1980s 5.8% 5.2% 6.5% 2
1990s 6.6% 6.2% 6.9% 2
2000s 7.4% 5.5% 9.2% 10
2010s 9.8% 8.9% 10.8% 10
2020s 10.9% 10.1% 11.4% 4

Countries ranked near Sweden

  1. 68 Senegal 11.2% compare
  2. 69 Madagascar 11.1% compare
  3. 69 Malawi 11.1% compare
  4. 71 Austria 11.0% compare
  5. 71 Portugal 11.0% compare
  6. 74 Canada 10.9% compare

See the full ranking of 131 places →

More infrastructure data for Sweden

All data for Sweden →

Frequently asked questions

What is proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Sweden?
Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Sweden was 11.0% in 2023, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
What is the highest proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income recorded in Sweden?
The highest recorded value was 11.4% in 2022.
What is the lowest proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income recorded in Sweden?
The lowest recorded value was 5.2% in 1987.
How does Sweden rank for proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income?
Sweden ranks 71st out of 130 countries with data for 2023.
Is proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income rising or falling in Sweden?
Over the last ten years it is up 8.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Sweden data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Sweden. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://infrastructure.statizoid.com/stat/proportion-of-people-living-below-50-percent-of-median-income-percent-2/sweden/

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About this data

Indicator
Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (%)
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
131 places, 2,510 data points, 1963–2025
Last refreshed