Average nitrate concentration in freshwater in Sweden

Sweden: Average nitrate concentration in freshwater was 4.31 milligrams per litre in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
4.31 milligrams per litre
Change on year
down 3.6%
World rank
31st
of 34 countries
All-time high
6.08 milligrams per litre
in 2012
All-time low
2.46 milligrams per litre
in 2010
Years of data
16
2006–2021

Average nitrate concentration in freshwater in Sweden, 2006–2021

02462006201320212006: 4.8 milligrams per litre2007: 4.5 milligrams per litre2008: 4.5 milligrams per litre2009: 2.6 milligrams per litre2010: 2.5 milligrams per litre2011: 5.4 milligrams per litre2012: 6.1 milligrams per litre2013: 5.8 milligrams per litre2014: 3.9 milligrams per litre2015: 4 milligrams per litre2016: 4.2 milligrams per litre2017: 4.5 milligrams per litre2018: 4.7 milligrams per litre2019: 4.5 milligrams per litre2020: 4.5 milligrams per litre2021: 4.3 milligrams per litre

Source: European Environment Agency (2023) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in milligrams per litre.

Analysis

The most recent figure for average nitrate concentration in freshwater in Sweden is 4.31 milligrams per litre, measured in 2021.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.6% on the previous year and down 20.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, average nitrate concentration in freshwater in Sweden peaked at 6.08 milligrams per litre in 2012 and was at its lowest, 2.46 milligrams per litre, in 2010.

Sweden ranks 31st of 34 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 16 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 4.1 milligrams per litre 2.58 milligrams per litre 4.76 milligrams per litre 4
2010s 4.55 milligrams per litre 2.46 milligrams per litre 6.08 milligrams per litre 10
2020s 4.39 milligrams per litre 4.31 milligrams per litre 4.47 milligrams per litre 2

Countries ranked near Sweden

  1. 28 Norway 5.26 milligrams per litre compare
  2. 29 Finland 5.19 milligrams per litre compare
  3. 32 Latvia 2.76 milligrams per litre compare
  4. 33 Bosnia and Herzegovina 0.5434 milligrams per litre compare
  5. 34 Iceland 0.24 milligrams per litre compare

See the full ranking of 34 places →

More environment data for Sweden

All data for Sweden →

Frequently asked questions

What is average nitrate concentration in freshwater in Sweden?
Average nitrate concentration in freshwater in Sweden was 4.31 milligrams per litre in 2021, according to European Environment Agency (2023) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest average nitrate concentration in freshwater recorded in Sweden?
The highest recorded value was 6.08 milligrams per litre in 2012.
What is the lowest average nitrate concentration in freshwater recorded in Sweden?
The lowest recorded value was 2.46 milligrams per litre in 2010.
How does Sweden rank for average nitrate concentration in freshwater?
Sweden ranks 31st out of 34 countries with data for 2021.
Is average nitrate concentration in freshwater rising or falling in Sweden?
Over the last ten years it is down 20.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Sweden data come from?
The figures come from European Environment Agency (2023) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Average nitrate concentration in freshwater. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 16 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Average nitrate concentration in freshwater
Unit
milligrams per litre
Source
European Environment Agency (2023) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
34 places, 655 data points, 1992–2021
Last refreshed

Average annual concentration of nitrate in groundwater.