Sweden
Sweden claims the 3rd spot worldwide for renewable energy. That 51.3% figure is hard to beat. How well do you really know Sweden?
Sweden is a country in Europe with a population of 10.64M and an area of 450,295 km². Life expectancy is 83.3 years.
At a Glance
The numbers that define this country
Human Development Index
0.96The Human Development Index (HDI), combining life expectancy, education, and income into a single score from 0 to 1.
Life Expectancy
83.3 yearsHow many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
Life Expectancy
83.3 yearsHow many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
GDP Per Capita
$63.3KGDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
University Enrollment Rate
81.4%Total university and college enrollment as a percentage of the typical college-age population.
Internet Users (%)
95.5%The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
Where They Stand Out
Global rankings worth knowing
🚀Human Development Index
0.96The Human Development Index (HDI), combining life expectancy, education, and income into a single score from 0 to 1.
🚀R&D Spending (% GDP)
3.4%Spending on research and development as a percentage of GDP.
🌱Renewable Energy (%)
51.3%The percentage of energy consumption that comes from renewable sources.
🤝Women in Parliament (%)
46.7%The percentage of parliament seats held by women.
❤️Life Expectancy
83.3 yearsHow many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
Did You Know?
Facts that catch players off guard
Has one of the highest rates of air pollution (pm2.5)
Air Pollution (PM2.5): 5.64
The average level of fine particle air pollution (PM2.5) that people are exposed to.
World Bank 2023Ranks #6 globally in human development index
Human Development Index: 0.96
The Human Development Index (HDI), combining life expectancy, education, and income into a single score from 0 to 1.
Our World in Data 2023Ranks #8 globally in women in parliament (%)
Women in Parliament (%): 46.7%
The percentage of parliament seats held by women.
World Bank 2023Has one of the highest rates of child mortality
Child Mortality: 2.50
The probability that a newborn will die before age 5, per 1,000 live births.
World Bank 2023Has one of the highest rates of infant mortality
Infant Mortality: 2.00
The number of babies who die before their first birthday, per 1,000 live births.
World Bank 2023Surprised? See how you stack up.
Play NowHow Sweden Compares
Country vs continent vs world averages
GDP per Capita
Above avgGDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
World Bank 2023Life Expectancy
Above avgHow many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
World Bank 2023Human Development Index
Above avgThe Human Development Index (HDI), combining life expectancy, education, and income into a single score from 0 to 1.
Our World in Data 2023Internet Users
Above avgThe percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
World Bank 2023Think you can guess which countries rank higher?
Test Your IntuitionAbout Sweden
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.
- Location
- Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, Kattegat, and Skagerrak, between Finland and Norway
- Climate
- temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly cloudy summers; subarctic in north
- Terrain
- mostly flat or gently rolling lowlands; mountains in west
- Natural Resources
- iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver, tungsten, uranium, arsenic, feldspar, timber, hydropower
- Natural Hazards
- ice floes in the surrounding waters, especially in the Gulf of Bothnia, can interfere with maritime traffic
- Size Comparison
- almost three times the size of Georgia; slightly larger than California
- Languages
- Swedish (official)
- Religions
- 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.)
- Ethnic Groups
- Swedish 79.6%, Syrian 1.9%, Iraqi 1.4%, Finnish 1.3%, other 15.8% (2022 est.)
- Major Cities
- 1.700 million STOCKHOLM (capital) (2023)
- Government Type
- parliamentary constitutional monarchy
- Capital
- Stockholm
- Capital Coordinates
- 59 20 N, 18 03 E
- Capital Timezone
- UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Official Name
- Kingdom of Sweden
- Name Origin
- 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"
- Independence
- 6 June 1523 (Gustav VASA elected king of Sweden, marking the abolishment of the Kalmar Union of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden)
- National Symbols
- three crowns, lion
- National Anthem
- "Kungssangen" (Royal Song)
- UNESCO Heritage
- 15 (13 cultural, 1 natural, 1 mixed)
- Overview
- 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
- Industries
- iron and steel, precision equipment (bearings, radio and telephone parts, armaments), wood pulp and paper products, processed foods, motor vehicles
- Agricultural Products
- milk, wheat, sugar beets, barley, potatoes, oats, rapeseed, pork, chicken, beef (2023)
- Export Partners
- Germany 10%, USA 10%, Denmark 8%, Norway 6%, Netherlands 5% (2023)
- Export Commodities
- cars, refined petroleum, packaged medicine, paper, vehicle parts/accessories (2023)
- Import Partners
- Germany 17%, Netherlands 10%, Norway 9%, Denmark 6%, China 6% (2023)
- Import Commodities
- cars, crude petroleum, refined petroleum, vehicle parts/accessories, garments (2023)
- Military Forces
- Swedish Armed Forces (Försvarsmakten): Army, Navy, Air Force, Home Guard (202)
- Military Service
- 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)
- Energy Mix
- fossil fuels: 0.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); nuclear: 28.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 1.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); wind: 21% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 40.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); biomass and waste: 7.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Broadcast Media
- 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
- Space Program
- 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)
Deep Dive
78 of 151 metricsEvery stat we track, organized by category
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Share something surprising about Sweden!
The Human Development Index (HDI), combining life expectancy, education, and income into a single score from 0 to 1.
Frequently Asked Questions about Sweden
Sweden has a population of 10.64M, ranking #88 globally by population.
Sweden is located in Europe. It has an area of 450,295 km².
Life expectancy in Sweden is 83.3 years, ranking #15 globally.
Sweden's GDP per capita (PPP) is 71.0K, ranking #27 globally.
Sweden ranks particularly high in Human Development Index (#6), Life Expectancy (#15), Life Expectancy (#21).
Sweden has an HDI of 0.959, ranking #6 globally. The HDI combines life expectancy, education, and income indicators.
Sweden has a population density of 25.9 people per km², ranking #179 globally.
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