The Swedish term glädjebetyg (“happy grades”) refers to the gap between pupils’ national test results and their final grades. We have analysed 1516 primary schools where data for both merit rating and national tests in year 9 is available.
At 60% of independent schools, final grades exceed NP results, compared with 49% of municipal schools. At 12% of independent schools, the gap is more than a full grade step — versus 10% for municipal schools.
What is grade inflation?
National tests are marked according to central assessment guidelines and serve as an external reference point. Our inflation score compares the grade point per subject (merit rating / 17) with the NP average in Swedish, maths and English — both on the 0–20 scale where A=20, B=17.5, C=15, etc.
Share of schools with higher grades than NP
Independent schools
60%
have higher final grades than NP
12% with >1 grade step • 450 schools
Municipal schools
49%
have higher final grades than NP
10% with >1 grade step • 1066 schools
NP results vs final grades — all 1516 schools
Each dot is a school. Schools above the dashed line award higher grades than what the NP results suggest. Blue = independent, yellow = municipal.
How do the elite schools compare?
Stockholm’s most sought-after schools often have high merit ratings. But how do they look when we compare with NP results?
| School | Municipality | Infl. | NP avg | Grade/subj |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Campus Manilla | Stockholm | 0.7 | 17.0 | 17.7 |
| Viktor Rydbergs skola Sundbyberg | Sundbyberg | 0.7 | 15.7 | 16.4 |
| Carlssons skola | Stockholm | 0.5 | 17.3 | 17.8 |
| Viktor Rydbergs samskola Djursholm | Danderyd | -0.2 | 17.0 | 16.8 |
| Viktor Rydbergs skola Jarlaplan | Stockholm | -0.2 | 17.0 | 16.8 |
A low inflation score at an elite school means the pupils perform just as well on national tests as their final grades suggest — the grades are well-earned.
The IES schools
Internationella Engelska Skolan (IES) operates 42 of the primary schools in our analysis. Average inflation score: -0.1. The table shows the 10 with the highest score.
| School | Municipality | Infl. | NP avg | Grade/subj |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Internationella Engelska Skolan Länna | Huddinge | 1.2 | 13.5 | 14.7 |
| Internationella Engelska Skolan Landskrona | Landskrona | 1.1 | 14.8 | 15.9 |
| Internationella Engelska Skolan Gävle | Gävle | 0.8 | 13.3 | 14.0 |
| Internationella Engelska Skolan Sundbyberg | Sundbyberg | 0.8 | 13.7 | 14.5 |
| Internationella Engelska Skolan Halmstad | Halmstad | 0.5 | 14.2 | 14.7 |
| Internationella Engelska Skolan Trelleborg | Trelleborg | 0.5 | 14.8 | 15.3 |
| Internationella Engelska Skolan Årsta | Stockholm | 0.5 | 15.2 | 15.8 |
| Internationella Engelska Skolan Huddinge | Huddinge | 0.4 | 14.0 | 14.4 |
| Internationella Engelska Skolan Tyresö | Tyresö | 0.4 | 14.8 | 15.2 |
| Internationella Engelska Skolan Älvsjö | Stockholm | 0.4 | 15.3 | 15.7 |
Top 20 — schools with the highest inflation score
| # | School | Municipality | Inflation score | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fridaskolan Helsingborg | Helsingborg | 4.6 | Independent |
| 2 | Sverigefinska skolan, Botkyrka | Botkyrka | 3.0 | Independent |
| 3 | Vialundskolan | Kumla | 2.9 | Municipal |
| 4 | JENSEN grundskola Linköping | Linköping | 2.8 | Independent |
| 5 | Lammhults skola | Växjö | 2.7 | Municipal |
| 6 | Bergby Centralskola 1-9 | Gävle | 2.6 | Municipal |
| 7 | Freinetskolan Kastanjen | Botkyrka | 2.6 | Independent |
| 8 | Viljaskolan Angered | Göteborg | 2.6 | Independent |
| 9 | Fryshuset Grundskola Husby | Stockholm | 2.5 | Independent |
| 10 | Innovitaskolan Södertälje | Södertälje | 2.5 | Independent |
| 11 | Nya Skolan, Lilla Edet | Lilla Edet | 2.5 | Independent |
| 12 | Rosenholmsskolan | Nässjö | 2.3 | Municipal |
| 13 | Bjursåsskolan | Falun | 2.2 | Municipal |
| 14 | Brageskolan | Sollentuna | 2.2 | Municipal |
| 15 | Hansåkerskolan | Ragunda | 2.2 | Municipal |
| 16 | Raoul Wallenbergskolan Bromma | Stockholm | 2.2 | Independent |
| 17 | Munkhätteskolan | Malmö | 2.1 | Municipal |
| 18 | Rinkebyskolan | Stockholm | 2.1 | Municipal |
| 19 | Skälbyskolan | Västerås | 2.1 | Independent |
| 20 | Vattudalsskolan | Strömsund | 2.1 | Municipal |
A high inflation score does not necessarily indicate cheating, but it indicates that the school awards grades that deviate markedly upwards from test results.
Top 10 — municipalities with the highest average inflation
| # | Municipality | Avg inflation | Schools |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kumla | 1.3 | 3 |
| 2 | Söderhamn | 1.0 | 4 |
| 3 | Ystad | 0.9 | 4 |
| 4 | Landskrona | 0.8 | 10 |
| 5 | Botkyrka | 0.7 | 18 |
| 6 | Strömsund | 0.7 | 3 |
| 7 | Huddinge | 0.7 | 15 |
| 8 | Upplands Väsby | 0.7 | 9 |
| 9 | Mörbylånga | 0.7 | 4 |
| 10 | Sävsjö | 0.7 | 3 |
Conclusion
Grade inflation occurs across the entire school system, but the degree varies considerably between individual schools and municipalities. Independent schools as a group have somewhat higher inflation, but the spread within each group is greater than the difference between groups. Individual schools with high inflation scores warrant closer scrutiny, but the score alone is not proof — it should be seen as an indicator that calls for deeper analysis.
See the story about independent and municipal schools for more comparisons between school types.
Cite this analysis
Skolkoll (2026). Grade inflation 2026 — which schools inflate the most? skolkoll.se/en/analyses/gladjebetyg-2026/. Retrieved 2026-04-13.