Study associations 2023
Increased participation in adult education offered by study associations in 2023
Statistical news from Statistics Sweden 2024-03-26 8.00
The number of unique participants in study circles and other adult education has long remained at just under one million. Participation fell by more than half during the pandemic years of 2020/2021 (62%) but recovered during 2022. As of 2023, there were 627,000 participants.
– The post-pandemic recovery observed in 2022 has tapered off. This applies especially for study circles that have hardly changed from the previous year,” says Åza Törnkvist at Statistics Sweden.
Study circles are small groups that meet for learning and self-improvement, while ‘Other adult education’ refers to educational activities that cannot be classified as study circles because, e.g., groups are too large or meet overly long. Both types of activity must have a study leader and a syllabus.
More women participate than men (65 versus 35%). This distribution has only changed slightly over time.
Most participants in Västerbotten County
A review of the proportion of the population participating in adult education offered by study associations shows that, in 2023, municipalities in Västerbotten and Gotland counties had most participants. The highest rate of participation was in Vilhelmina, where 21 percent of inhabitants participated in adult education. This includes study circles as well as other adult education.
Study circles most popular among the elderly
One third of those participating in adult education are 65 or older. In study circles, 40 percent of participants are 65 or older. The oldest group of participants, those who are older than 94 years of age, amounted to almost 1,000 in 2023. The age group with the lowest rate of participation was 20–24-year-olds.
Definitions and explanations
Definitions of the various educational forms are retrieved from the website of the Swedish National Council of Adult Education https://www.folkbildningsradet.se/om-folkbildningsradet/translations/english/the-study-associations/
Study circle: A study circle is a small group of people who meet regularly, to learn something new together or to increase their knowledge beyond their current level. Study circles are open to all, and there are no mandatory prerequisites. Participants can help determine the content and the form of the study circle, and conversation and discussion are an important aspect of learning.
Other adult education is adult education in a more free and flexible form, giving the study association the possibility to try new things and develop creative adult education. However, the education must meet the same quality standards as study circles and cultural activities.
Study associations: The following 10 study associations are eligible for direct government grants and are included in the statistics:
- Arbetarnas bildningsförbund
- Bilda
- Folkuniversitetet
- Studiefrämjandet
- Studieförbundet vuxenskolan
- Nykterhetsrörelsens bildningsverksamhet
- Medborgarskolan
- Sensus
- Ibn Rushd
- Kulturens bildningsverksamhet
Next publishing will be
Tables with distribution of education levels to be published 29/04/2024 at 8 a.m.
Feel free to use the facts from this statistical news but remember to state Source: Statistics Sweden.