Regional differences in Swedish education
At the county level, clear regional patterns emerge. Stockholm County, Skane and Vastra Gotaland have the most schools and the greatest variation, while the Norrland counties have fewer schools but often more even results.
The university counties — Uppsala, Ostergotland, Skane — tend to have a higher share of certified teachers. This is partly due to proximity to teacher training programmes, but also because these regions attract highly educated families whose children statistically perform better.
Teacher certification varies from over 80 % in the best counties to under 65 % in the most disadvantaged. The difference means that children in different parts of Sweden do not receive an equivalent education — despite that being the fundamental mission of the school system.
Select different metrics and see how the picture shifts. A county that scores well in merit value can score poorly in teacher certification, and vice versa. It shows that regional strengths and weaknesses in the school system are complex.
Statistics: academic year 2023/24. Source: Skolverket open data, Kolada and SCB. Processed by Skolkoll. Glossary · About the data.