Sweden - At Risk of Poverty rate was 14.80% in December of 2024, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Sweden - At Risk of Poverty rate - last updated from the EUROSTAT on April of 2025. Historically, Sweden - At Risk of Poverty rate reached a record high of 17.10% in December of 2019 and a record low of 9.50% in December of 2005.

In Sweden, the at-risk-of-poverty rate between 2013 and 2023 was highest among citizens born outside of the EU. It usually lay between 30 and 40 percent. The rates were significantly lower for people born in the EU or in Sweden, between 15 and 20 percent and around 11 percent, respectively.

Sweden - At Risk of Poverty rate: From 50 to 64 years was 11.50% in December of 2024, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Sweden - At Risk of Poverty rate: From 50 to 64 years - last updated from the EUROSTAT on June of 2025. Historically, Sweden - At Risk of Poverty rate: From 50 to 64 years reached a record high of 12.00% in December of 2021 and a record low of 6.70% in December of 2010.

Of the Nordic countries, Sweden has had the highest at-risk-of-poverty rate in the entire documented time period. In 2023, 15 percent of Sweden's population lived at risk of poverty. Since 2015, Norway, Denmark, and Finland all have similar at-risk-of-poverty rates, around 12 percent, although since 2022, Norway's rate has reached below 12 percent. Iceland had the lowest rate, below 10 percent, except for 2017.

Sweden - At Risk of Poverty rate: From 25 to 49 years was 14.80% in December of 2024, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Sweden - At Risk of Poverty rate: From 25 to 49 years - last updated from the EUROSTAT on June of 2025. Historically, Sweden - At Risk of Poverty rate: From 25 to 49 years reached a record high of 16.20% in December of 2019 and a record low of 13.40% in December of 2010.

Sweden SE: Poverty Headcount Ratio at National Poverty Lines: % of Population data was reported at 16.100 % in 2022. This records an increase from the previous number of 16.000 % for 2021. Sweden SE: Poverty Headcount Ratio at National Poverty Lines: % of Population data is updated yearly, averaging 15.900 % from Dec 2007 (Median) to 2022, with 16 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 17.100 % in 2018 and a record low of 13.500 % in 2007. Sweden SE: Poverty Headcount Ratio at National Poverty Lines: % of Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Sweden – Table SE.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. National poverty headcount ratio is the percentage of the population living below the national poverty line(s). National estimates are based on population-weighted subgroup estimates from household surveys. For economies for which the data are from EU-SILC, the reported year is the income reference year, which is the year before the survey year.;World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are compiled from official government sources or are computed by World Bank staff using national (i.e. country–specific) poverty lines.;;This series only includes estimates that to the best of our knowledge are reasonably comparable over time for a country. Due to differences in estimation methodologies and poverty lines, estimates should not be compared across countries.

Of the Nordic countries, the highest at-risk-of-poverty rate among both women and men is found in Sweden, with rates of 16.7 and 15.3 percent, respectively. Moreover, while the at-risk-of-poverty rate of women was one percentage point or more higher than that of men in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, it was roughly the same in Finland and Iceland in 2021. Over the past 10 years, the rate remained more or less unchanged in Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden, while increasing slightly in Norway and falling somewhat in Finland.

Sweden - At Risk of Poverty rate after social transfers: Females was 14.60% in December of 2024, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Sweden - At Risk of Poverty rate after social transfers: Females - last updated from the EUROSTAT on June of 2025. Historically, Sweden - At Risk of Poverty rate after social transfers: Females reached a record high of 17.80% in December of 2019 and a record low of 14.60% in December of 2024.

Sweden: Poverty ratio, percent living on less than 5.50 USD a day: The latest value from 2021 is 1.4 percent, an increase from 0.9 percent in 2020. In comparison, the world average is 25.11 percent, based on data from 71 countries. Historically, the average for Sweden from 1975 to 2021 is 1.05 percent. The minimum value, 0.5 percent, was reached in 2000 while the maximum of 1.8 percent was recorded in 2005.

0.30 (%) in 2019. Population below $1.9 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $1.9 a day at 2005 international prices. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.

In 2023, 18.3 percent of the residents born in the EU were at risk of poverty or social exclusion in Sweden, whereas the rate for people born in Sweden was at 12.3 percent. The rate of residents born in the EU facing social or economic risk in Sweden has steadily declined over the documented period.

Sweden Poverty Headcount Ratio at Societal Poverty Lines: % of Population data was reported at 12.100 % in 2021. This records an increase from the previous number of 11.000 % for 2020. Sweden Poverty Headcount Ratio at Societal Poverty Lines: % of Population data is updated yearly, averaging 10.000 % from Dec 1975 (Median) to 2021, with 27 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 12.100 % in 2021 and a record low of 6.700 % in 1987. Sweden Poverty Headcount Ratio at Societal Poverty Lines: % of Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Sweden – Table SE.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. The poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line is the percentage of a population living in poverty according to the World Bank's Societal Poverty Line. The Societal Poverty Line is expressed in purchasing power adjusted 2017 U.S. dollars and defined as max($2.15, $1.15 + 0.5*Median). This means that when the national median is sufficiently low, the Societal Poverty line is equivalent to the extreme poverty line, $2.15. For countries with a sufficiently high national median, the Societal Poverty Line grows as countries’ median income grows.;World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are mostly from the Luxembourg Income Study database. For more information and methodology, please see http://pip.worldbank.org.;;The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from more than 2000 household surveys across 169 countries. See the Poverty and Inequality Platform (PIP) for details (www.pip.worldbank.org).

Sweden - At Risk of Poverty rate: Less than 18 years was 18.20% in December of 2024, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Sweden - At Risk of Poverty rate: Less than 18 years - last updated from the EUROSTAT on May of 2025. Historically, Sweden - At Risk of Poverty rate: Less than 18 years reached a record high of 21.50% in December of 2019 and a record low of 17.10% in December of 2010.

Sweden - At Risk of Poverty rate: From 25 to 54 years was 14.30% in December of 2024, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Sweden - At Risk of Poverty rate: From 25 to 54 years - last updated from the EUROSTAT on June of 2025. Historically, Sweden - At Risk of Poverty rate: From 25 to 54 years reached a record high of 15.40% in December of 2019 and a record low of 12.50% in December of 2010.

Sweden SE: Proportion of People Living Below 50 Percent Of Median Income: % data was reported at 11.100 % in 2021. This records an increase from the previous number of 10.100 % for 2020. Sweden SE: Proportion of People Living Below 50 Percent Of Median Income: % data is updated yearly, averaging 8.900 % from Dec 1975 (Median) to 2021, with 27 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 11.100 % in 2021 and a record low of 5.200 % in 1987. Sweden SE: Proportion of People Living Below 50 Percent Of Median Income: % data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Sweden – Table SE.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. The percentage of people in the population who live in households whose per capita income or consumption is below half of the median income or consumption per capita. The median is measured at 2017 Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) using the Poverty and Inequality Platform (http://www.pip.worldbank.org). For some countries, medians are not reported due to grouped and/or confidential data. The reference year is the year in which the underlying household survey data was collected. In cases for which the data collection period bridged two calendar years, the first year in which data were collected is reported.;World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are mostly from the Luxembourg Income Study database. For more information and methodology, please see http://pip.worldbank.org.;;The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from more than 2000 household surveys across 169 countries. See the Poverty and Inequality Platform (PIP) for details (www.pip.worldbank.org).

Sweden - At Risk of Poverty rate of older people was 10.90% in December of 2024, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Sweden - At Risk of Poverty rate of older people - last updated from the EUROSTAT on April of 2025. Historically, Sweden - At Risk of Poverty rate of older people reached a record high of 16.80% in December of 2016 and a record low of 10.90% in December of 2024.

Out of all OECD countries, Cost Rica had the highest poverty rate as of 2022, at over 20 percent. The country with the second highest poverty rate was the United States, with 18 percent. On the other end of the scale, Czechia had the lowest poverty rate at 6.4 percent, followed by Denmark.

The significance of the OECD

The OECD, or the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, was founded in 1948 and is made up of 38 member countries. It seeks to improve the economic and social well-being of countries and their populations. The OECD looks at issues that impact people’s everyday lives and proposes policies that can help to improve the quality of life.

Poverty in the United States

In 2022, there were nearly 38 million people living below the poverty line in the U.S.. About one fourth of the Native American population lived in poverty in 2022, the most out of any ethnicity. In addition, the rate was higher among young women than young men. It is clear that poverty in the United States is a complex, multi-faceted issue that affects millions of people and is even more complex to solve.

Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: World Bank: % of total population data was reported at 1.500 % in 2021. This records a decrease from the previous number of 2.400 % for 2020. Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: World Bank: % of total population data is updated yearly, averaging 1.450 % from Dec 2008 (Median) to 2021, with 14 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2.500 % in 2019 and a record low of 1.300 % in 2017. Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: World Bank: % of total population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Sweden – Table SE.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. The multidimensional poverty headcount ratio (World Bank) is the percentage of a population living in poverty according to the World Bank's Multidimensional Poverty Measure. The Multidimensional Poverty Measure includes three dimensions – monetary poverty, education, and basic infrastructure services – to capture a more complete picture of poverty.;World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are mostly from the Luxembourg Income Study database. For more information and methodology, please see http://pip.worldbank.org.;;The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from more than 2000 household surveys across 169 countries. See the Poverty and Inequality Platform (PIP) for details (www.pip.worldbank.org).

In 2020, the annual rate of material deprivation in Sweden was approximately 1.8 percent which stayed constant from the percentage in the previous year. This represents the people not being able to pay rent or utility bills; to keep their home adequately warm and to pay unexpected expenses.

Sweden SE: Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: Female: % of female population data was reported at 18.200 % in 2021. This records a decrease from the previous number of 19.000 % for 2020. Sweden SE: Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: Female: % of female population data is updated yearly, averaging 19.300 % from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2021, with 12 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 20.000 % in 2011 and a record low of 18.200 % in 2021. Sweden SE: Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: Female: % of female population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Sweden – Table SE.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. ;Government statistical agencies. Data for EU countires are from the EUROSTAT;;