Geography
Natural resources include iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, and more.
CIA 2026
Data as of May 5, 2026
Sweden
EuropeGlobal Leader
Sweden claims the 3rd spot worldwide for renewable energy. How well do you really know 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?
62.0, 15.0 - Europe
Area
450K km²
Pop.
10.64M
Stats
191
Reality brief
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.
Short factual summary generated from the same country data used in game rounds.
Core numbers
Stats worth knowing
Fast scan first, deep dive later.
Human Development Index
0.96#6globally
Composite 0-1 index of life expectancy, education, and income, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Life Expectancy
83.3 years#15globally
How many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
GDP Per Capita
$63,258.91#23globally
GDP per person adjusted for purchasing power in constant 2017 international dollars, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
University Enrollment Rate
81.4%#21globally
Total university and college enrollment as a percentage of the typical college-age population.
Internet Users (%)
95.53%#30globally
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
Country briefing
Grounded facts about Sweden
A quick real-world briefing before you dive deeper into rankings, surprises, and matchups.
Culture
Major languages include Swedish (official).
CIA 2026
Identity
Formal name: Kingdom of Sweden.
CIA 2026
Cities
Cities in Sweden
Browse this country's cities before City Detective asks you to guess.
Stockholm
Sweden
Famous100/100
Open city guide
Malmö
Skane, Sweden
Famous67/100
Open city guide
Gothenburg
Vaestra Goetaland, Sweden
Famous63/100
Open city guide
Sundsvall
Vaesternorrland, Sweden
Famous62/100
Open city guide
Luleå
Norrbotten, Sweden
Notable61/100
Open city guide
Uppsala
Sweden
Notable59/100
Open city guide
Linköping
OEstergoetland, Sweden
Notable58/100
Open city guide
Jönköping
Joenkoeping, Sweden
Notable57/100
Open city guide
Top stats
Where They Stand Out
The strongest source-backed stats before the deeper data table.
R&D Spending (% GDP)
3.4% of GDP#4globallyTop stat
Research and development spending as a share of GDP, from World Bank Open Data.
Renewable Energy (%)
51.32%#3globallyTop stat
Share of final energy consumption supplied by renewable energy, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Women in Parliament (%)
46.7%#8globallyTop stat
The percentage of parliament seats held by women.
Employment Rate (%)
84.23% of adults 25-64#4globallyTop stat
Share of adults aged 25-64 who are employed, from OECD How's Life / Well-Being.
Health Spending (% GDP)
10.89% of GDP#17globallyTop stat
Current health expenditure as a share of GDP, from World Bank Open Data.
Reality checks
Did You Know?
The stats that tend to surprise players in real rounds.
Keeps air pollution (pm2.5) unusually low
#1985.6 µg/m³Air Pollution (PM2.5)
The average level of fine particle air pollution (PM2.5) that people are exposed to.
Keeps child mortality unusually low
#1862.5 per 1k birthsChild Mortality
Deaths before age 5 per 1,000 live births, from World Bank Open Data.
Ranks #11 globally in education spending (% gdp)
#117.3% of GDPEducation Spending (% GDP)
Government education spending as a share of GDP, from World Bank Open Data.
Only ranks #203 in teen birth rate
#2031.8 per 1kTeen Birth Rate
The number of births per 1,000 women aged 15-19.
Keeps road deaths unusually low
#342.2 per 100kRoad Deaths
Road traffic deaths per 100,000 people, from OECD How's Life / Well-Being.
Compared with the region
How Sweden Compares
Country vs continent vs world averages
Sweden
Europe avg
World avg
GDP per Capita
GDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
- Country
- $71,030.46
- Region avg
- $57,483.02
- World avg
- $31,844.55
Sweden$71,030.46
Europe$57,483.02
World$31,844.55
+123% above worldWB 2023
Life Expectancy
How many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
- Country
- 83.3 years
- Region avg
- 80.0 years
- World avg
- 73.7 years
Sweden83.3 years
Europe80.0 years
World73.7 years
+13% above worldWB 2023
Human Development Index
Composite 0-1 index of life expectancy, education, and income, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
- Country
- 0.96
- Region avg
- 0.89
- World avg
- 0.74
Sweden0.96
Europe0.89
World0.74
+29% above worldOWID 2023
Internet Users
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
- Country
- 95.53%
- Region avg
- 90.13%
- World avg
- 70.29%
Sweden95.53%
Europe90.13%
World70.29%
+36% above worldWB 2023
Think you can guess which countries rank higher?
Play this countryFactbook notes
About Sweden
Country briefing
A military power during the 17th century, Sweden maintained a policy of military non-alignment until it applied to join NATO in 2022.
Read the full Factbook note
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 & Climate6 facts
- 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
People & Culture4 facts
- 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 & History10 facts
- 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)
Economy & Trade7 facts
- 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)
Infrastructure & Defense5 facts
- 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)
Source:World Factbook archive 2026
Data vault
Deep Dive
Every tracked stat, grouped for fast scanning.
Environment9 statsBest: #3
Renewable Energy (%)
Forest Coverage (%)
Forest Area
Total CO2 Emissions
CO2 Per Capita
Electricity Access (%)
Irrigated Land
510 km²#109
Protected Land (%)
Air Pollution (PM2.5)
Wealth & Economy13 statsBest: #4
Employment Rate (%)
GDP Per Capita
GDP (Nominal)
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
Youth Unemployment Rate
FDI Inflows (% GDP)
High-Tech Exports (%)
Unemployment Rate
Long-Term Unemployment
Inflation Rate
Government Debt (% GDP)
Gender Pay Gap (%)
GDP Growth Rate
Education & Future7 statsBest: #4
Society & Equality6 statsBest: #8
Energy2 statsBest: #14
Electric Generating Capacity
55.31M kW#28
Nuclear Electricity Share
28.6%#14
Health & Survival9 statsBest: #15
Life Expectancy
Health Spending (% GDP)
Doctors (per 1,000)
Suicide Rate
Smoking Rate
Hospital Beds (per 1,000)
Obesity Rate
Child Mortality
Infant Mortality
Infrastructure3 statsBest: #22
Demographics12 statsBest: #26
Elderly Population (%)
Urban Population (%)
Death Rate
Median Age
Land Area
Dependency Ratio
Population
Fertility Rate
Youth Population (%)
Birth Rate
Population Density
Teen Birth Rate
Technology3 statsBest: #30
Lifestyle5 statsBest: #35
Land & Sea4 statsBest: #38
Coastline Length
3.2K km#38
Land Border Length
2.2K km#85
Highest Elevation
2.1K m#118
Lowest Elevation
-2.4 m#210
Keep exploring
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Where Sweden leads
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Sweden
#6 in Human Development Index
Composite 0-1 index of life expectancy, education, and income, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Top 5% globally
0.96
Frequently Asked Questions about Sweden
What is the population of Sweden?
Sweden has a population of 10.64M, ranking #88 globally by population.
What continent is Sweden in?
Sweden is located in Europe. It has an area of 450,295 km².
What is the life expectancy in Sweden?
Life expectancy in Sweden is 83.3 years, ranking #15 globally.
What is the GDP per capita of Sweden?
Sweden's GDP per capita (PPP) is $71,030.46, ranking #27 globally.
What is Sweden known for in global statistics?
Sweden ranks particularly high in Human Development Index (#6), Life Expectancy (#15), Life Expectancy (#21).
What is Sweden's Human Development Index?
Sweden has an HDI of 0.959, ranking #6 globally. The HDI combines life expectancy, education, and income indicators.
How densely populated is Sweden?
Sweden has a population density of 25.9 people per km², ranking #179 globally.