Where are the independent schools in Sweden?
Since the independent school reform of 1992, the number of independent operators has grown steadily. The map shows that independent schools are not evenly distributed across the country — they are concentrated in urban regions where the pupil base is large enough.
In the major cities of Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmo, as well as in larger university towns, there is a high share of independent schools. In rural municipalities, municipal schools dominate almost entirely. This means that access to independent alternatives varies dramatically depending on where in the country you live.
The uneven distribution is part of the broader debate about equity in Swedish education. Official inquiries have pointed out that the free school choice functions differently in urban and rural areas, and that municipal schools can be affected when independent alternatives establish themselves in the same catchment area.
Compare the two map layers and see the pattern in your municipality. In some municipalities the split is almost 50/50; in others there is not a single independent school.
Statistics: academic year 2023/24. Source: Skolverket open data, Kolada and SCB. Processed by Skolkoll. Glossary · About the data.