The teacher shortage is one of the most discussed challenges in the Swedish school system. But where is it worst? We have analysed the share of certified teachers in 287 municipalities with sufficient data. The national average (municipality mean) is 71%, but the spread is enormous — from below 40% to above 94%.
5 municipalities have less than 50% certified teachers — in practice, this means more than every other teacher lacks full certification. At the same time, 1 municipalities exceed 90%.
15 municipalities with the lowest teacher certification
| # | Municipality | Certified | Avg merit | Schools | Independent share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Överkalix | 40% | 204 | 5 | 20% |
| 2 | Ragunda | 44% | 203 | 6 | 0% |
| 3 | Åsele | 45% | 199 | 5 | 0% |
| 4 | Högsby | 48% | 193 | 5 | 0% |
| 5 | Älvdalen | 50% | 216 | 5 | 20% |
| 6 | Strömsund | 51% | 207 | 11 | 0% |
| 7 | Övertorneå | 52% | 201 | 6 | 17% |
| 8 | Flen | 54% | 221 | 15 | 20% |
| 9 | Gällivare | 54% | 228 | 19 | 5% |
| 10 | Pajala | 54% | 233 | 11 | 9% |
| 11 | Nordanstig | 55% | 195 | 9 | 22% |
| 12 | Arjeplog | 55% | 203 | 4 | 0% |
| 13 | Skinnskatteberg | 55% | 203 | 1 | 0% |
| 14 | Hylte | 56% | 216 | 14 | 14% |
| 15 | Ludvika | 57% | 211 | 23 | 9% |
The list is dominated by rural municipalities and smaller towns without higher education institutions. Recruitment problems are compounded by geographical location, salary competition and housing availability.
15 municipalities with the highest teacher certification
| # | Municipality | Certified | Avg merit | Schools | Independent share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vadstena | 94% | 207 | 4 | 25% |
| 2 | Nordmaling | 88% | 222 | 8 | 0% |
| 3 | Torsås | 87% | 217 | 8 | 0% |
| 4 | Svedala | 86% | 234 | 13 | 15% |
| 5 | Vännäs | 85% | 230 | 17 | 12% |
| 6 | Stenungsund | 84% | 214 | 24 | 4% |
| 7 | Båstad | 84% | 223 | 11 | 18% |
| 8 | Kalmar | 84% | 227 | 39 | 28% |
| 9 | Hammarö | 84% | 228 | 12 | 0% |
| 10 | Habo | 83% | 230 | 8 | 0% |
| 11 | Grums | 83% | 194 | 7 | 29% |
| 12 | Piteå | 82% | 224 | 42 | 7% |
| 13 | Karlsborg | 82% | 218 | 5 | 20% |
| 14 | Kävlinge | 82% | 252 | 19 | 11% |
| 15 | Öckerö | 82% | 229 | 14 | 7% |
University cities and metropolitan municipalities dominate the top. Proximity to teacher education programmes and a broader labour market make it easier to attract certified teachers.
Does teacher certification correlate with results?
Municipalities <70% certified
212
Avg merit score
112 municipalities
Municipalities ≥70% certified
221
Avg merit score
175 municipalities
Municipalities with lower teacher certification have on average 9 points lower merit scores. However, the relationship is not straightforward — socioeconomic factors such as parental education level and income explain a large part of the variation in both measures.
The teacher shortage in numbers
- 5 municipalities have less than 50% certified teachers
- 112 municipalities have less than 70%
- 1 municipalities exceed 90%
- National average (municipality mean): 71%
See the teacher shortage ranking for more data, or explore each municipality in detail via the municipality comparison.
Cite this analysis
Skolkoll (2026). Teacher certification 2026. skolkoll.se/en/analyses/lararbehorighet-trend/. Retrieved 2026-04-13.