Denmark vs Sweden: Share of births outside marriage

Denmark
54.2
in 2020
Sweden
55.2
in 2020
Denmark rank
11th
Sweden rank
10th

Share of births outside marriage over time

  • Denmark
  • Sweden
102030405060196019902020

How they compare

Sweden currently reports 55.2 against 54.2 in Denmark, a difference of 1.

Across all 61 years both countries report, Sweden has been ahead every year.

Denmark ranks 11th and Sweden ranks 10th of 42 countries.

Sweden has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Denmark Sweden Difference Ahead
1960s 9.55 13.69 4.14 Sweden
1970s 20.38 30.06 9.68 Sweden
1980s 41.19 45.85 4.66 Sweden
1990s 46.06 51.77 5.71 Sweden
2000s 45.53 55.3 9.77 Sweden
2010s 52.12 54.51 2.39 Sweden
2020s 54.2 55.2 1 Sweden

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher share of births outside marriage, Denmark or Sweden?
Sweden, at 55.2 against 54.2 in Denmark as of 2020.
What is the difference in share of births outside marriage between Denmark and Sweden?
1, with Sweden ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Denmark and Sweden?
61 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2020.
How do Denmark and Sweden rank globally for share of births outside marriage?
Denmark ranks 11th and Sweden ranks 10th of 42 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Our World in Data, published as Share of births outside marriage. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Denmark vs Sweden: Share of births outside marriage. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 27 August 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/compare/share-of-births-outside-marriage/denmark/sweden/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of births outside marriage
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
42 places, 2,139 data points, 1960–2021
Last refreshed