The government's STEM strategy contains goals to strengthen STEM education in Sweden. In addition, a new STEM delegation will work to ensure that more people are educated in mathematics, science and technology. 

Sweden's mathematics results have declined in recent years. In PISA 2022, the proportion of students who are high-achieving in mathematics has decreased compared to the results in 2018. In order to get more people to apply for and complete STEM education, it is important that more students are high-achieving in mathematics. Therefore, the government has set a goal that at least 15 percent of students should be high-achieving in mathematics in PISA 2033.  

The foundation for further study in STEM is laid is in the science and technology programmes in upper secondary school. In recent years, the proportion of students in these programmes has decreased. Therefore, the government's goal is to increase the proportion of students in science and technology programmes, reaching 25 percent of students in national programmes by 2035.  

Today, not enough people are studying a STEM education at university level. The number of full-time students in these fields currently stands at just over 80,000. The government's goal is for the number of full-time students in higher education to reach at least 90,000 in science and technology, including foundation year programmes, by 2035.  

The delegation will strengthen coordination and collaboration between public actors and the business community so that more people want and can take part in STEM education. The work will focus in particular on increasing girls' and women's interest in science and technology.  

For more information: https://www.government.se/press-releases/2025/02/a-stem-strategy-for-sweden--from-preschool-to-postgraduate-study/  

Source: Eurydice Unit Sweden