Sweden vs United States of America: Compensation of employees

Sweden
9.2%
in 2022
United States of America
8.1%
in 2023
Sweden rank
145th
United States of America rank
147th

Compensation of employees over time

  • Sweden
  • United States of America
5101520197219972023

How they compare

Sweden currently reports 9.2% against 8.1% in United States of America, a difference of 1.1%.

That makes Sweden's figure about 1.1 times United States of America's.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 51 shared years of data; in 1972 it was United States of America ahead.

Sweden ranks 145th and United States of America ranks 147th of 155 countries.

Across the 6 decades both report, Sweden averaged higher in 1 and United States of America in 5.

Head to head by decade

Decade Sweden United States of America Difference Ahead
1970s 10.8% 15.1% 4.3% United States of America
1980s 6.7% 10.8% 4.2% United States of America
1990s 7.0% 9.1% 2.1% United States of America
2000s 9.2% 10.3% 1.0% United States of America
2010s 9.2% 9.8% 0.6% United States of America
2020s 9.1% 7.2% 1.9% Sweden

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher compensation of employees, Sweden or United States of America?
Sweden, at 9.2% against 8.1% in United States of America as of 2022.
What is the difference in compensation of employees between Sweden and United States of America?
1.1%, with Sweden ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Sweden and United States of America?
51 years are reported by both, from 1972 to 2022.
How do Sweden and United States of America rank globally for compensation of employees?
Sweden ranks 145th and United States of America ranks 147th of 155 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as Compensation of employees (% of expense). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Sweden vs United States of America: Compensation of employees. Statizoid, drawing on Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 11 September 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/compare/compensation-of-employees-percent-of-expense/sweden/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator
Compensation of employees (% of expense)
Unit
% of expense
Source
Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
196 places, 5,286 data points, 1972–2024
Last refreshed

Compensation of employees is defined as the total remuneration, in cash or in kind, payable by an enterprise to an employee in return for work done by the latter during the accounting period. This indicator is expressed as percentage of total expenses which is any decrease in net worth resulting from a transaction.