Sweden

Code: SW | Region: Europe

Introduction

Background

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A military power during the 17th century, Sweden maintained a policy of military non-alignment until it applied to join NATO in 2022. Sweden has not participated in any war for two centuries. Stockholm preserved an armed neutrality in both World Wars. Since then, Sweden has pursued a successful economic formula consisting of a capitalist system intermixed with substantial welfare elements. Sweden joined the EU in 1995, but the public rejected the introduction of the euro in a 2003 referendum. The share of Sweden’s population born abroad increased from 11.3% in 2000 to 20% in 2022.

Geography

Location

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Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, Kattegat, and Skagerrak, between Finland and Norway

Geographic coordinates

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62 00 N, 15 00 E

Map references

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Europe

Area

total

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450,295 sq km

land

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410,335 sq km

water

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39,960 sq km

Area - comparative

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almost three times the size of Georgia; slightly larger than California

Land boundaries

total

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2,211 km

border countries

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Finland 545 km; Norway 1,666 km

Coastline

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3,218 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea

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12 nm (adjustments made to return a portion of straits to high seas)

exclusive economic zone

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agreed boundaries or midlines

continental shelf

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200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate

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temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly cloudy summers; subarctic in north

Terrain

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mostly flat or gently rolling lowlands; mountains in west

Elevation

highest point

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Kebnekaise South 2,100 m

lowest point

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reclaimed bay of Lake Hammarsjon, near Kristianstad -2.4 m

mean elevation

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320 m

Natural resources

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iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver, tungsten, uranium, arsenic, feldspar, timber, hydropower

Land use

agricultural land

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7.3% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

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arable land: 6.2% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

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permanent crops: 0% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

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permanent pasture: 1.1% (2023 est.)

forest

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68.6% (2023 est.)

other

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23.8% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land

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510 sq km (2016)

Major lakes (area sq km)

fresh water lake(s)

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Vanern - 5,580 sq km; Vattern - 1,910 sq km; Malaren - 1,140 sq km

Population distribution

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most of the population lives in the south where the climate is milder and there is better connectivity to mainland Europe; population clusters are found along the Baltic coast in the east; the interior areas of the north remain sparsely populated

Natural hazards

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ice floes in the surrounding waters, especially in the Gulf of Bothnia, can interfere with maritime traffic

Geography - note

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strategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic and North Seas; Sweden has almost 100,000 lakes, the largest of which, Vanern, is the third-largest in Europe

People and Society

Population

total

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10,643,745 (2025 est.)

male

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5,360,755

female

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5,282,990

Nationality

noun

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Swede(s)

adjective

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Swedish

Ethnic groups

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Swedish 79.6%, Syrian 1.9%, Iraqi 1.4%, Finnish 1.3%, other 15.8% (2022 est.)

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note: data represent the population by country of birth; the indigenous Sami people are estimated to number between 20,000 and 40,000

Languages

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Swedish (official)

major-language sample(s)

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The World Factbook, den obestridliga källan för grundläggande information. (Swedish) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

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note: Finnish, Sami, Romani, Yiddish, and Meankieli are official minority languages

Religions

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Church of Sweden (Lutheran) 53.9%, other (includes Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Muslim, Jewish, and Buddhist) 8.9%, none or unspecified 37.2% (2021 est.)

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note: estimates reflect registered members of faith communities eligible for state funding (not all religions are state-funded and not all people who identify with a particular religion are registered members) and the Church of Sweden

Age structure

0-14 years

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17.1% (male 934,668/female 880,310)

15-64 years

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62.1% (male 3,365,754/female 3,208,248)

65 years and over

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20.8% (2024 est.) (male 1,032,279/female 1,168,576)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio

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60.9 (2025 est.)

youth dependency ratio

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27.3 (2025 est.)

elderly dependency ratio

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33.6 (2025 est.)

potential support ratio

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3 (2025 est.)

Median age

total

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41.2 years (2025 est.)

male

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40.1 years

female

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42.1 years

Population growth rate

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0.51% (2025 est.)

Birth rate

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10.56 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Death rate

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9.63 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Net migration rate

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4.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Population distribution

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Urbanization

urban population

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88.7% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization

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0.89% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas - population

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1.700 million STOCKHOLM (capital) (2023)

Sex ratio

at birth

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1.06 male(s)/female

0-14 years

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1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years

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1.05 male(s)/female

65 years and over

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0.88 male(s)/female

total population

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1.01 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

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29.7 years (2020 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio

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4 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total

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2.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

male

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2.5 deaths/1,000 live births

female

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2 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth

total population

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82.9 years (2024 est.)

male

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81.2 years

female

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84.7 years

Total fertility rate

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1.66 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

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0.8 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: urban

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urban: 99.8% of population (2022 est.)

improved: rural

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rural: 99.6% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

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total: 99.7% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

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urban: 0.2% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

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rural: 0.4% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

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total: 0.3% of population (2022 est.)

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

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10.7% of GDP (2022)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

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19% of national budget (2022 est.)

Physician density

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4.41 physicians/1,000 population (2021)

Hospital bed density

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2 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban

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urban: 99.6% of population (2022 est.)

improved: rural

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rural: 99.5% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

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total: 99.6% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

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urban: 0.4% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

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rural: 0.5% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

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total: 0.4% of population (2022 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

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20.6% (2016)

Alcohol consumption per capita

total

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7.1 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer

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2.6 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

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3.4 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

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1 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

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0.1 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use

total

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19.9% (2025 est.)

male

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25.8% (2025 est.)

female

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13.9% (2025 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

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53.6% (2023 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP)

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7.3% of GDP (2022 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

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15.3% national budget (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total

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19 years (2023 est.)

male

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17 years (2023 est.)

female

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20 years (2023 est.)

Environment

Environmental issues

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marine pollution (Baltic Sea and North Sea); acid rain damage to soil and lakes; air pollution; poor timber-harvesting practices

International environmental agreements

party to

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Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

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none of the selected agreements

Climate

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temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly cloudy summers; subarctic in north

Land use

agricultural land

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7.3% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

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arable land: 6.2% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

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permanent crops: 0% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

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permanent pasture: 1.1% (2023 est.)

forest

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68.6% (2023 est.)

other

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23.8% (2023 est.)

Urbanization

urban population

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88.7% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization

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0.89% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

total emissions

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43.96 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from coal and metallurgical coke

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5.324 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

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36.768 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from consumed natural gas

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1.868 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

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6 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Methane emissions

energy

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39.6 kt (2022-2024 est.)

agriculture

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127.8 kt (2019-2021 est.)

waste

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112.7 kt (2019-2021 est.)

other

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9.8 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

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4.618 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

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39.7% (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

municipal

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699 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial

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1.267 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

agricultural

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102 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total renewable water resources

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174 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Geoparks

total global geoparks and regional networks

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global geoparks and regional networks

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Platåbergens (2023)

Government

Country name

conventional long form

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Kingdom of Sweden

conventional short form

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Sweden

local long form

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Konungariket Sverige

local short form

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Sverige

etymology

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name derives from the North Germanic Svea tribe that inhabited central Sweden; the tribe's name probably comes from the Old German word sweba, meaning "independent;" the local form of the country's name, Sverige, means "kingdom of the Svea"

Government type

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parliamentary constitutional monarchy

Capital

name

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Stockholm

geographic coordinates

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59 20 N, 18 03 E

time difference

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UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

daylight saving time

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+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

etymology

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the name of the city probably comes from the Swedish words stak (bay) or stock (stake or pole) and holm (island); it was built in the mid-13th century on the site of a fishing village, so the name may refer to building over earlier foundations

Administrative divisions

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21 counties (lan, singular and plural); Blekinge, Dalarna, Gavleborg, Gotland, Halland, Jamtland, Jonkoping, Kalmar, Kronoberg, Norrbotten, Orebro, Ostergotland, Skane, Sodermanland, Stockholm, Uppsala, Varmland, Vasterbotten, Vasternorrland, Vastmanland, Vastra Gotaland

Legal system

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civil law system influenced by Roman-Germanic law and customary law

Constitution

history

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Sweden has four fundamental laws which together make up the Constitution: The Instrument of Government (several previous; latest 1974); The Act of Succession (enacted 1810; changed in 1937 and 1980); The Freedom of the Press Act (many previous; latest in 1949); The Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression (adopted 1991)

amendment process

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proposed by Parliament; passage requires simple majority vote in two consecutive parliamentary terms with an intervening general election; passage also requires approval by simple majority vote in a referendum if Parliament approves a motion for a referendum by one third of its members; the results of such a referendum are only binding if a majority vote against the proposal

International law organization participation

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accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

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citizenship by descent only

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the father must be a citizen of Sweden; in the case of a child born out of wedlock, the mother must be a citizen of Sweden and the father unknown

dual citizenship recognized

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no, unless the other citizenship was acquired involuntarily

residency requirement for naturalization

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5 years

Suffrage

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18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state

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King CARL XVI GUSTAF (since 15 September 1973)

head of government

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Prime Minister Ulf KRISTERSSON (since 18 October 2022)

cabinet

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Cabinet appointed by the prime minister

election/appointment process

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the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually becomes the prime minister

Legislative branch

legislature name

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Parliament (Riksdagen)

legislative structure

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unicameral

number of seats

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349 (all directly elected)

electoral system

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proportional representation

scope of elections

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full renewal

term in office

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4 years

most recent election date

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9/11/2022

parties elected and seats per party

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Social Democratic Party (SAP) (107); Sweden Democrats (SD) (73); Moderate Party (M) (68); Left Party (VP) (24); Centre Party (CP) (24); Christian Democrats (KD) (19); Green Party (Mpg) (18); Other (16)

percentage of women in chamber

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45%

expected date of next election

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September 2026

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

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Supreme Court of Sweden (consists of 16 justices, including the court chairman); Supreme Administrative Court (consists of 18 justices, including the court president)

judge selection and term of office

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Supreme Court and Supreme Administrative Court justices nominated by the Judges Proposal Board, a 9-member nominating body consisting of high-level judges, prosecutors, and members of Parliament; justices appointed by the government; after a probationary period, justices' appointments are permanent

subordinate courts

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first instance, appellate, general, and administrative courts; specialized courts that handle cases such as land and environment, immigration, labor, markets, and patents

Political parties

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Center Party (Centerpartiet) or C Christian Democrats (Kristdemokraterna) or KD Green Party (Miljopartiet de Grona) or MP Left Party (Vansterpartiet) or V Moderate Party (Moderaterna) or M Sweden Democrats (Sverigedemokraterna) or SD Swedish Social Democratic Party (Socialdemokraterna) or S/SAP The Liberals (Liberalerna) or L

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission

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Ambassador Urban AHLIN (since 15 September 2023)

chancery

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2900 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20007

telephone

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[1] (202) 467-2600

FAX

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[1] (202) 467-2699

email address and website

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ambassaden.washington@gov.se https://www.swedenabroad.se/en/embassies/usa-washington/

consulate(s) general

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New York, San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

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Ambassador Christine TORETTI (since 21 October 2025)

embassy

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Dag Hammarskjolds Vag 31, SE-115 89 Stockholm

mailing address

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5750 Stockholm Place, Washington, DC  20521-5750

telephone

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[46] (08) 783-53-00

FAX

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[46] (08) 661-19-64

email address and website

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STKACSinfo@state.gov https://se.usembassy.gov/

International organization participation

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ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CD, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-9, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMISS, UNMOGIP, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UN Security Council (temporary), UNSOM, UNTSO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Independence

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6 June 1523 (Gustav VASA elected king of Sweden, marking the abolishment of the Kalmar Union of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden)

National holiday

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National Day, 6 June (1983)

note

note: celebrated as Swedish Flag Day from 1916 to 1982

Flag

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description: blue with a golden yellow cross extending to the edges of the flag; the cross is shifted to the left side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag) meaning: the colors come from the Swedish coat of arms

National symbol(s)

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three crowns, lion

National color(s)

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blue, yellow

National anthem(s)

title

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"Kungssangen" (Royal Song)

lyrics/music

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Carl Wilhelm August Strandberg/Otto Lindblad

history

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adopted 1844 as the royal anthem, but also used as the national anthem until 1893; only the first verse is sung if the monarch is present 

National heritage

total World Heritage Sites

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15 (13 cultural, 1 natural, 1 mixed)

selected World Heritage Site locales

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Royal Domain of Drottningholm (c); Laponian Area (m); High Coast/Kvarken Archipelago (n); Birka and Hovgården (c); Hanseatic Town of Visby (c); Church Town of Gammelstad, Luleå (c); Naval Port of Karlskrona (c); Rock Carvings in Tanum (c); Engelsberg Ironworks (c); Mining Area of the Great Copper Mountain in Falun (c)

Economy

Economic overview

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high-income, largest Nordic economy; EU member but does not use the euro; export-oriented, led by automotive, electronics, machinery, and pharmaceuticals; highly ranked for competitiveness, R&D investments and governance; recovery, with falling inflation and real wage growth balanced by risks from trade uncertainty

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

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$668.628 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

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$662.18 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

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$662.937 billion (2022 est.)

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note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2024

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1% (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

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-0.1% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

text

1.5% (2022 est.)

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note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2024

text

$63,300 (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

text

$62,800 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

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$63,200 (2022 est.)

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note: data in 2021 dollars

GDP (official exchange rate)

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$610.118 billion (2024 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

text

2.8% (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

text

8.5% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

text

8.4% (2022 est.)

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note: annual % change based on consumer prices

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

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1.1% (2024 est.)

industry

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22.6% (2024 est.)

services

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65.9% (2024 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption

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43.7% (2023 est.)

government consumption

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26% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

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25% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories

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-0.1% (2023 est.)

exports of goods and services

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55.4% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

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-51.4% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Agricultural products

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milk, wheat, sugar beets, barley, potatoes, oats, rapeseed, pork, chicken, beef (2023)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Industries

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iron and steel, precision equipment (bearings, radio and telephone parts, armaments), wood pulp and paper products, processed foods, motor vehicles

Industrial production growth rate

text

0.3% (2024 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Labor force

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5.699 million (2024 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2024

text

8.6% (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

text

7.7% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

text

7.4% (2022 est.)

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total

text

23.8% (2024 est.)

male

text

24.3% (2024 est.)

female

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23.2% (2024 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Population below poverty line

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16.1% (2022 est.)

note

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2022

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31.6 (2022 est.)

note

note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

Average household expenditures

on food

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13% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on alcohol and tobacco

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3.1% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%

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2.5% (2022 est.)

highest 10%

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24.7% (2022 est.)

note

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Remittances

Remittances 2024

text

0.8% of GDP (2024 est.)

Remittances 2023

text

0.7% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances 2022

text

0.6% of GDP (2022 est.)

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Budget

revenues

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$195.468 billion (2022 est.)

expenditures

text

$191.095 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Public debt

Public debt 2022

text

36.9% of GDP (2022 est.)

note

note: central government debt as a % of GDP

Taxes and other revenues

text

27.6% (of GDP) (2022 est.)

note

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Current account balance

Current account balance 2024

text

$45.274 billion (2024 est.)

Current account balance 2023

text

$40.819 billion (2023 est.)

Current account balance 2022

text

$27.404 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Exports

Exports 2024

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$338.852 billion (2024 est.)

Exports 2023

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$329.332 billion (2023 est.)

Exports 2022

text

$318.203 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - partners

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Germany 10%, USA 10%, Denmark 8%, Norway 6%, Netherlands 5% (2023)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

Exports - commodities

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cars, refined petroleum, packaged medicine, paper, vehicle parts/accessories (2023)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports

Imports 2024

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$309.526 billion (2024 est.)

Imports 2023

text

$304.194 billion (2023 est.)

Imports 2022

text

$304.101 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - partners

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Germany 17%, Netherlands 10%, Norway 9%, Denmark 6%, China 6% (2023)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Imports - commodities

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cars, crude petroleum, refined petroleum, vehicle parts/accessories, garments (2023)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024

text

$62.569 billion (2024 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

text

$60.863 billion (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

text

$64.289 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Exchange rates

Currency

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Swedish kronor (SEK) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2024

text

10.568 (2024 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

text

10.61 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

text

10.114 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

text

8.577 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

text

9.21 (2020 est.)

Energy

Electricity access

electrification - total population

text

100% (2022 est.)

Electricity

installed generating capacity

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55.307 million kW (2023 est.)

consumption

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125.273 billion kWh (2023 est.)

exports

text

36.151 billion kWh (2023 est.)

imports

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7.335 billion kWh (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

text

9.109 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels

text

0.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

nuclear

text

28.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar

text

1.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

wind

text

21% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectricity

text

40.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

biomass and waste

text

7.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Nuclear energy

Number of operational nuclear reactors

text

6 (2025)

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors

text

7.01GW (2025 est.)

Percent of total electricity production

text

28.6% (2023 est.)

Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down

text

7 (2025)

Coal

production

text

1.042 million metric tons (2023 est.)

consumption

text

3.17 million metric tons (2023 est.)

exports

text

23,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

imports

text

2.078 million metric tons (2023 est.)

proven reserves

text

5 million metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum

total petroleum production

text

11,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

text

270,000 bbl/day (2024 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

text

896.109 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

exports

text

10.625 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

imports

text

897.487 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

text

142.102 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Communications

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions

text

898,000 (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

text

9 (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions

text

14.9 million (2024 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

text

141 (2024 est.)

Broadcast media

text

publicly owned TV broadcaster has 2 terrestrial networks plus regional stations; multiple privately owned TV broadcasters operating nationally, regionally, and locally; about 50 local TV stations; widespread access to pan-Nordic and international broadcasters through multi-channel cable and satellite TV; publicly owned radio broadcaster has 3 national stations and a network of 25 regional channels; roughly 100 privately owned local radio stations, with some consolidating into near-national networks; an estimated 900 community and neighborhood radio stations broadcast intermittently

Internet country code

text

.se

Internet users

percent of population

text

96% (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total

text

4.3 million (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

text

41 (2023 est.)

Transportation

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

text

Airports

text

206 (2025)

Heliports

text

11 (2025)

Railways

total

text

10,910 km (2020) 8,184 km electrified

narrow gauge

text

65 km

Merchant marine

total

text

361 (2023)

by type

text

general cargo 44, oil tanker 18, other 299

Ports

total ports

text

92 (2024)

large

text

medium

text

small

text

very small

text

ports with oil terminals

text

key ports

text

Falkenberg, Goteborg, Helsingborg, Karlsborg, Karlshamn, Lulea, Malmo, Norrkoping, Stockholm, Sundsvall, Uddevalla, Varberg, Vasteras

Military and Security

Military and security forces

text

Swedish Armed Forces (Försvarsmakten): Army, Navy, Air Force, Home Guard (202)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2025

text

2.5% of GDP (2025 est.)

Military Expenditures 2024

text

2.3% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

text

1.7% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

text

1.5% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

text

1.4% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military and security service personnel strengths

text

approximately 25,000 active military personnel; approximately 21,000 Home Guard (2025)

note

note 1: SAF personnel are divided into continuously serving (full-time) and temporary service troops (part-timers who serve periodically and have another main employer or attend school); additional personnel have signed service agreements with the SAF and mostly serve in the Home Guard note 2: in 2021, Sweden announced plans that increase the total size of the armed forces to about 100,000 personnel by 2030

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

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the SAF's inventory is comprised of mostly domestically produced armaments alongside smaller amounts of imported Western systems; Sweden's defense industry produces a range of air, land, and naval systems, including armored vehicles, combat aircraft, and submarines; it also produces weapons systems jointly with other countries (2025)

Military service age and obligation

text

18 years of age for voluntary and selective conscripted service for men and women; conscript service obligation typically 9-15 months depending on the branch of service and position, with a reserve commitment up to age 45 (2026)

Military deployments

text

approximately 600 Latvia (NATO) (2025)

Military - note

text

the Swedish military is responsible for deterrence and the defense of the country and its territories against armed attack, supporting Sweden’s national security interests, providing societal support, such as humanitarian aid, and contributing to international peacekeeping and peacemaking operations; the military has a relatively small active duty force that is designed to be rapidly mobilized in a crisis with a trained reserve and a Home Guard Sweden maintained a policy of military non-alignment for over 200 years before applying for NATO membership in May 2022 following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine; it became a NATO member in March 2024; prior to membership, Stockholm joined NATO’s Partnership for Peace program in 1994 and contributed to NATO-led missions, including those in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Kosovo; the military cooperates closely with the forces of other Nordic countries through the Nordic Defense Cooperation (NORDEFCO; established 2009), which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden; Sweden is a signatory of the EU’s Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) and contributes to CSDP missions and operations, including EU battlegroups; it also participates in UN-led missions; Sweden has close bilateral security relations with some individual NATO member states, particularly Finland, Germany, Norway, the UK, and the US (2025)

Space

Space agency/agencies

text

Swedish National Space Agency (SNSA; established 1972; known until 2018 as the Swedish National Space Board) (2025)

Space launch site(s)

text

Esrange Space Center (Kiruna) (2025)

Space program overview

text

aims to have one of Europe's leading space programs; produces and operates satellites; builds and launches sounding rockets; involved in the research, development, production, and operations of a variety of other space-related areas, including astronomy, atmospheric monitoring, geographic information systems, infrared imaging, meteorology, propulsion systems, remote sensing, satellite subsystems, spacecraft systems and structures, research, and telecommunications; member of the ESA and program is integrated into its framework; works extensively with foreign space agencies, in particular through the ESA and EU and their member states, as well as with the US; participates in programs such as Europe's Copernicus Earth observation and the Galileo global navigation satellite system, France's Pleiades project, and the Square Kilometer Array Project; has a large commercial space industry, including state-owned enterprises (2025)

Key space-program milestones

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1950s - space program initiated with the establishment of a space observatory and the Swedish Space Research Committee 1961 - launched first sounding rocket 1986 - first scientific satellite (Viking) launched on European rocket 1989 - first communications satellite (Tele-X) launched on European rocket 2006 - first astronaut into space on US Space Shuttle 2019 - established a space data lab for artificial intelligence-based analysis of imagery data 2024 - signed US-led Artemis Accords for space and lunar exploration; launched first military communications satellite (GNA-3); adopted its first defense and security space strategy

Terrorism

Terrorist group(s)

text

Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)

note

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

Transnational Issues

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees

text

168,519 (2024 est.)

stateless persons

text

6,835 (2024 est.)