Human Development & Quality of Life in Sweden
HDI 0.959 · UNDP rank 5 · latest published data
In UNDP's 2023 index data, Sweden has HDI 0.959 and rank 5, which corresponds to very high human development. The page therefore does not stop at the composite. A separate life-satisfaction observation of 7.50/10 for 2023 is available, so experienced well-being can be shown without folding it into HDI. It also keeps in view that education combines 19.0 expected years of schooling with 12.7 mean years already attained.
What sits inside Sweden's HDI
For Sweden, health contributes through life expectancy of 83.3; education through 19.0 expected and 12.7 mean years of schooling; and income through GNI per capita of $66,102 in 2021 PPP dollars. Those are the published inputs behind the 2023 HDI.
Inequality changes the headline
The inequality-adjusted measure for Sweden applies a distribution penalty to the same three HDI dimensions. It should therefore be read alongside HDI, not as a separate life-satisfaction score.
Gender and planetary-pressure adjustments
The broader UNDP dashboard for Sweden adds GDI 0.988, GII 0.007, PHDI 0.810 to the HDI result. Their scopes differ, which is why the page presents them side by side rather than blending them.
A separate quality-of-life signal
A comparable OECD life-satisfaction observation is available for Sweden: 7.50/10 for 2023. The page treats life satisfaction as a separate experience-based measure, not part of the UNDP index.
What Sweden's numbers say together
Sweden's additional indicators read as IHDI 0.886 with a 7.6% loss; PHDI 0.810 after a 15.5% adjustment; GDI 0.988; life satisfaction 7.50/10 (2023). These measures answer different questions, so they are kept separate.
In the figures presented here, the headline UNDP result for Sweden is HDI 0.959, rank 5, for 2023. Broader quality-of-life indicators remain outside that index.
The IHDI is 0.886, and UNDP reports an overall loss of 7.6% relative to the headline index.
The GDI value is 0.988 in group 1; it should be read alongside, not merged into, HDI.
The dated life-satisfaction observation used for Sweden is 7.50/10 for 2023. Life satisfaction adds a different perspective and is therefore not folded into HDI.
Frequently asked questions
What is Sweden's HDI?
Sweden's 2023 Human Development Index is 0.959, corresponding to UNDP rank 5 in the 2025 report.
How does inequality affect Sweden's HDI?
The UNDP inequality adjustment gives Sweden an IHDI of 0.886, with an overall loss of 7.6% from the unadjusted HDI.
What is the life satisfaction score shown for Sweden?
The comparable OECD observation for Sweden is 7.50/10, dated 2023. Life satisfaction is shown only as a separate subjective well-being measure.
Is HDI the same as quality of life?
No. Quality of life is broader than the HDI framework, which centres on health, education and income. A life-satisfaction result is not an input to HDI and remains a separate quality-of-life signal.
Sources & methodology
Sources for the development indicators and definitions shown above.
View sources used for this page
Primary source for 2023 HDI and its components, plus IHDI, GDI, GII and PHDI where reported.
Report edition underlying the 2023 human-development indices and ranking.
Source for the dated 0-10 life-satisfaction observation. This separate measure is not part of HDI.
Data note: Reference years are shown with each indicator; unavailable observations remain unfilled.