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Europe
Page last updated: July 25, 2023
A military power during the 17th century, Sweden maintained a policy of military non-alignment until it applied to join NATO in May 2022. Stockholm preserved and 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 2021.
Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, Kattegat, and Skagerrak, between Finland and Norway
62 00 N, 15 00 E
Europe
Total: 450,295 sq km
Land: 410,335 sq km
Water: 39,960 sq km
Almost three times the size of Georgia; slightly larger than California
Area comparison map:
Total: 2,211 km
Border countries (2): Finland 545 km; Norway 1,666 km
3,218 km
Territorial sea: 12 nm (adjustments made to return a portion of straits to high seas)
Exclusive economic zone: agreed boundaries or midlines
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly cloudy summers; subarctic in north
Mostly flat or gently rolling lowlands; mountains in west
Highest point: Kebnekaise South 2,100 m
Lowest point: reclaimed bay of Lake Hammarsjon, near Kristianstad -2.4 m
Mean elevation: 320 m
Iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver, tungsten, uranium, arsenic, feldspar, timber, hydropower
Agricultural land: 7.5% (2018 est.)
Arable land: 6.4% (2018 est.)
Permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)
Permanent pasture: 1.1% (2018 est.)
Forest: 68.7% (2018 est.)
Other: 23.8% (2018 est.)
519 sq km (2013)
Fresh water lake(s): Vanern - 5,580 sq km; Vattern - 1,910 sq km; Malaren - 1,140 sq km
Most Swedes live in the south where the climate is milder and there is better connectivity to mainland Europe; population clusters are found all along the Baltic coast in the east; the interior areas of the north remain sparsely populated
Ice floes in the surrounding waters, especially in the Gulf of Bothnia, can interfere with maritime traffic
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
10,536,338 (2023 est.)
Noun: Swede(s)
Adjective: Swedish
Swedish 80.3%, Syrian 1.9%, Iraqi 1.4%, Finnish 1.4%, other 15%
(2020 est.)
Note: data represent the population by country of birth; the indigenous Sami people are estimated to number between 20,000 and 40,000
Swedish (official)
Major-language sample(s):
The World Factbook, den obestridliga källan för grundläggande information. (Swedish)
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Note: Finnish, Sami, Romani, Yiddish, and Meankieli are official minority languages
Swedish audio sample:
Church of Sweden (Lutheran) 57.6%, other (includes Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Muslim, Jewish, and Buddhist) 8.9%, none or unspecified 33.5% (2019 est.)
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
Sweden, the largest Nordic country in terms of size and population, is also Europe’s most sparsely populated. Most Swedish men and women agree that both partners should contribute to household income. Swedish society is very gender equal, which is reflected in the country’s public policies. A generous leave policy and high-quality subsidized childcare allows mothers and fathers to balance work and family life. Sweden’s income-replacement-based parental leave policy encourages women to establish themselves in the workforce before having children. In fact, Swedish women have one of the highest labor participation rates in Europe and one of its highest total fertility rates (TFR), the number of children women have in their lifetime. Postponement of parenthood has increased steadily. Since the late 1960s, marriage and divorce rates have declined, while non-marital cohabitation and births out of wedlock have increased rapidly. Sweden’s TFR has hovered for decades around 2, which is close to replacement level and among Europe’s highest.
Sweden experienced “the great emigration” between 1850 and the 1930s when, faced with famines, approximately 1.5 million Swedes sought a better life in the Americas and Australia. However, since World War II, Sweden has been a country of immigration. During World War II, thousands of refugees from neighboring countries worked in Swedish factories, agriculture, and forestry, replacing Swedish men who were called up for military service. During the 1950s and 1960s, Sweden joined the Geneva Convention and granted permanent residence to refugees from the USSR and the Warsaw Pact countries. During this period, Sweden also welcomed labor migrants, mainly from Finland and other Nordic countries, who bolstered the tax base needed to fund the country’s welfare programs.
Until 1971, labor migrants, particularly from Finland, southern Europe (including then Yugoslavia, Italy, and Greece) the Baltics, and Turkey, came to Sweden as its industries flourished. Companies recruited many of the workers, but others came on their own. Sweden’s labor demand eventually decreased, and the job market became saturated. The government restricted the flow of labor migrants, putting an end to labor migration from non-Nordic countries in 1972. From then until the 1990s, inflows consisted largely of asylum seekers from the Middle East, the Balkans, and South America, as well as persons looking to reunite with family members already in Sweden. The country began a new era of labor immigration in 2008, as companies were encouraged to hire non-EU workers. Among the largest source countries have been India, Thailand, and China. As of 2020, over a quarter of Sweden’s population had a migrant background.
0-14 years: 17.26% (male 936,274/female 882,347)
15-64 years: 62.05% (male 3,346,891/female 3,190,608)
65 years and over: 20.69% (2023 est.) (male 1,021,707/female 1,158,511)
2023 population pyramid:
Total dependency ratio: 60.8
Youth dependency ratio: 28.5
Elderly dependency ratio: 32.3
Potential support ratio: 3.1 (2021 est.)
Total: 41.1 years
Male: 40.1 years
Female: 42.1 years (2020 est.)
0.51% (2023 est.)
10.76 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)
9.5 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)
3.79 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)
Most Swedes live in the south where the climate is milder and there is better connectivity to mainland Europe; population clusters are found all along the Baltic coast in the east; the interior areas of the north remain sparsely populated
Urban population: 88.7% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 0.89% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030
1.700 million STOCKHOLM (capital) (2023)
At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
29.7 years (2020 est.)
5 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
Total: 2.28 deaths/1,000 live births
Male: 2.5 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 2.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
Total population: 82.8 years
Male: 81.05 years
Female: 84.66 years (2023 est.)
1.67 children born/woman (2023 est.)
0.81 (2023 est.)
70.3% (2017)
Note: percent of women aged 16-49
Improved: urban: 99.8% of population
Rural: 99.7% of population
Total: 99.8% of population
Unimproved: urban: 0.2% of population
Rural: 0.3% of population
Total: 0.2% of population (2020 est.)
11.4% of GDP (2020)
7.09 physicians/1,000 population (2019)
2.1 beds/1,000 population (2018)
Improved: urban: 100% of population
Rural: 100% of population
Total: 100% of population
Unimproved: urban: 0% of population
Rural: 0% of population
Total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
20.6% (2016)
Total: 7.1 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Beer: 2.6 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Wine: 3.4 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Spirits: 1 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Other alcohols: 0.1 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Total: 24% (2020 est.)
Male: 29.8% (2020 est.)
Female: 18.2% (2020 est.)
NA
53.4% (2023 est.)
7.2% of GDP (2020 est.)
Total population: NA
Male: NA
Female: NA
Total: 20 years
Male: 18 years
Female: 21 years (2020)
Total: 24.5%
Male: 26.1%
Female: 23% (2021 est.)
Marine pollution (Baltic Sea and North Sea); acid rain damage to soils and lakes; air pollution; inappropriate timber harvesting practices
Party to: 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: none of the selected agreements
Temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly cloudy summers; subarctic in north
Agricultural land: 7.5% (2018 est.)
Arable land: 6.4% (2018 est.)
Permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)
Permanent pasture: 1.1% (2018 est.)
Forest: 68.7% (2018 est.)
Other: 23.8% (2018 est.)
Urban population: 88.7% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 0.89% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030
0.21% of GDP (2018 est.)
0% of GDP (2018 est.)
Particulate matter emissions: 5.89 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 43.25 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 4.42 megatons (2020 est.)
Municipal solid waste generated annually: 4.377 million tons (2015 est.)
Municipal solid waste recycled annually: 1,416,835 tons (2015 est.)
Percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 32.4% (2015 est.)
Fresh water lake(s): Vanern - 5,580 sq km; Vattern - 1,910 sq km; Malaren - 1,140 sq km
Municipal: 700 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Industrial: 1.27 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Agricultural: 100 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
174 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Conventional long form: Kingdom of Sweden
Conventional short form: Sweden
Local long form: Konungariket Sverige
Local short form: Sverige
Etymology: name ultimately derives from the North Germanic Svear tribe, which inhabited central Sweden and is first mentioned in the first centuries A.D.
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Name: Stockholm
Geographic coordinates: 59 20 N, 18 03 E
Time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Etymology: stock and holm literally mean "log" and "islet" in Swedish, but there is no consensus as to what the words refer to
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
6 June 1523 (Gustav VASA elected king of Sweden, marking the abolishment of the Kalmar Union between Denmark, Norway, and Sweden)
National Day, 6 June (1983); note - from 1916 to 1982 this date was celebrated as Swedish Flag Day
History: 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)
Amendments: 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 Instrument of Government - amended several times, last in 2018; The Act of Succession - changed in 1937, 1980; The Freedom of the Press Act - amended several times, last in 2019; The Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression - amended several times, last in 2018
Civil law system influenced by Roman-Germanic law and customary law
Accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: 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: no, unless the other citizenship was acquired involuntarily
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years
18 years of age; universal
Chief of state: King CARL XVI GUSTAF (since 15 September 1973); Heir Apparent Princess VICTORIA Ingrid Alice Desiree (daughter of the monarch, born 14 July 1977)
Head of government: Prime Minister Ulf KRISTERSSON (since 18 October 2022); Deputy Prime Minister Ebba BUSCH (since 18 October 2022)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister
Elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually becomes the prime minister
Description: unicameral Parliament or Riksdag (349 seats; 310 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by open party-list proportional representation vote and 39 members in "at-large" seats directly elected by open party-list proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms)
Elections: last held on 11 September 2022
Election results: percent of vote by party - S/SAP 30.3%, M 19.1%, SD 20.5%, C 6.7%, V 6.7%, KD 5.3%, L 4.6%, MP 5.1%, other 1.7%; seats by party - S/SAP 107, M 68, SD 73, C 24, V 24, KD 19, L 16, MP 18; composition as of mid-2022 - men 188, women 161, percent of women 46%
Highest court(s): 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: 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; following a probationary period, justices' appointments are permanent
Subordinate courts: first instance, appellate, general, and administrative courts; specialized courts that handle cases such as land and environment, immigration, labor, markets, and patents
Center Party (Centerpartiet) or C [Muharrem DEMIROK]
Christian Democrats (Kristdemokraterna) or KD [Ebba BUSCH]
Green Party (Miljopartiet de Grona) or MP [Marta STEVENI and Per BOLUND]
Left Party (Vansterpartiet) or V [Nooshi DADGOSTAR]
Moderate Party (Moderaterna) or M [Ulf KRISTERSSON]
Sweden Democrats (Sverigedemokraterna) or SD [Jimmie AKESSON]
Swedish Social Democratic Party (Socialdemokraterna) or S/SAP [Magdalena ANDERSSON]
The Liberals (Liberalerna) or L [Johan PEHRSON]
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, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMISS, UNMOGIP, UNRWA, UN Security Council (temporary), UNSOM, UNTSO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Blue with a golden yellow cross extending to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag); the colors reflect those of the Swedish coat of arms - three gold crowns on a blue field
Three crowns, lion; national colors: blue, yellow
Name: "Du Gamla, Du Fria" (Thou Ancient, Thou Free)
Lyrics/music: Richard DYBECK/traditional
Note: in use since 1844; also known as "Sang till Norden" (Song of the North), is based on a Swedish folk tune; it has never been officially adopted by the government; "Kungssangen" (The King's Song) serves as the royal anthem and is played in the presence of the royal family and during certain state ceremonies
Total World Heritage Sites: 15 (13 cultural, 1 natural, 1 mixed)
Selected World Heritage Site locales: Royal Domain of Drottningholm (c); Laponian Area (m); High Coast/Kvarken Archipelago (n); Birka and HovgĂĄrden (c); Hanseatic Town of Visby (c); Church Town of Gammelstad, LuleĂĄ (c); Naval Port of Karlskrona (c); Rock Carvings in Tanum (c); Engelsberg Ironworks (c); Mining Area of the Great Copper Mountain in Falun (c)
Small, open, competitive, and thriving economy that remains outside of the euro zone; has achieved an enviable standard of living, with its combination of free-market capitalism and extensive welfare benefits
$558.427 billion (2021 est.)
$531.455 billion (2020 est.)
$543.245 billion (2019 est.)
Note: data are in 2017 dollars
5.08% (2021 est.)
-2.17% (2020 est.)
1.99% (2019 est.)
$53,600 (2021 est.)
$51,300 (2020 est.)
$52,900 (2019 est.)
Note: data are in 2017 dollars
$531.35 billion (2019 est.)
2.16% (2021 est.)
0.5% (2020 est.)
1.78% (2019 est.)
Fitch rating: AAA (2004)
Moody's rating: Aaa (2002)
Standard & Poors rating: AAA (2004)
Note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
Agriculture: 1.6% (2017 est.)
Industry: 33% (2017 est.)
Services: 65.4% (2017 est.)
Comparison rankings: agriculture 186; industry 58; services 93
Household consumption: 44.1% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 26% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 24.9% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0.8% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 45.3% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -41.1% (2017 est.)
Wheat, milk, sugar beets, barley, potatoes, oats, rapeseed, pork, rye, triticale
Iron and steel, precision equipment (bearings, radio and telephone parts, armaments), wood pulp and paper products, processed foods, motor vehicles
5.72% (2021 est.)
5.556 million (2021 est.)
Agriculture: 2%
Industry: 12%
Services: 86% (2014 est.)
8.66% (2021 est.)
8.29% (2020 est.)
6.83% (2019 est.)
Total: 24.5%
Male: 26.1%
Female: 23% (2021 est.)
17.1% (2018 est.)
29.3 (2019 est.)
On food: 12.4% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
On alcohol and tobacco: 3.4% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
Lowest 10%: 3.4%
Highest 10%: 24% (2012)
Revenues: $259.17 billion (2019 est.)
Expenditures: $256.454 billion (2019 est.)
1.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
44% of GDP (2020 est.)
38.69% of GDP (2019 est.)
42.28% of GDP (2018 est.)
Note: data cover general government debt and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions
26.58% (of GDP) (2020 est.)
Calendar year
$34.075 billion (2021 est.)
$32.372 billion (2020 est.)
$29.361 billion (2019 est.)
$290.793 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$241.94 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$257.293 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Germany 10%, Norway 9%, United States 8%, Denmark 8%, Finland 6% (2021)
Cars and vehicle parts, refined petroleum, packaged medicines, lumber, iron, broadcasting equipment (2021)
$263.269 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$217.165 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$233.648 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Germany 18%, Netherlands 9%, Norway 8%, China 7%, Denmark 7% (2021)
Cars and vehicle parts, crude petroleum, refined petroleum, broadcasting equipment, computers (2021)
$62.053 billion (31 December 2021 est.)
$58.26 billion (31 December 2020 est.)
$55.51 billion (31 December 2019 est.)
$911.317 billion (2019 est.)
$1,012,171,000,000 (2018 est.)
Swedish kronor (SEK) per US dollar -
8.577 (2021 est.)
9.21 (2020 est.)
9.458 (2019 est.)
8.693 (2018 est.)
8.549 (2017 est.)
Electrification - total population: 100% (2021)
Installed generating capacity: 43.499 million kW (2020 est.)
Consumption: 124.609 billion kWh (2020 est.)
Exports: 36.824 billion kWh (2020 est.)
Imports: 11.827 billion kWh (2020 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 10.434 billion kWh (2020 est.)
Comparison rankings: installed generating capacity 28; consumption 27; exports 4; imports 22; transmission/distribution losses 30
Fossil fuels: 1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Nuclear: 29.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Solar: 0.7% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Wind: 17.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Hydroelectricity: 44.7% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Biomass and waste: 6.9% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Number of operational nuclear reactors: 6 (2023)
Number of nuclear reactors under construction: 0
Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors: 6.94GW (2023)
Percent of total electricity production: 30.8% (2021)
Percent of total energy produced: 34% (2021)
Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down: 4
Production: 1.07 million metric tons (2020 est.)
Consumption: 3.328 million metric tons (2020 est.)
Exports: 24,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
Imports: 2.144 million metric tons (2020 est.)
Proven reserves: 1 million metric tons (2019 est.)
Total petroleum production: 10,600 bbl/day (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 295,800 bbl/day (2019 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate imports: 403,200 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)
413,200 bbl/day (2017 est.)
371,100 bbl/day (2017 est.)
229,600 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Consumption: 1,275,785,000 cubic meters (2020 est.)
Exports: 34.886 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Imports: 1,310,671,000 cubic meters (2020 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
48.144 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 7.38 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 38.406 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 2.359 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
210.882 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
Total subscriptions: 1,382,146 (2021 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 13 (2021 est.)
Total subscriptions: 12,843,683 (2021 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 123 (2021 est.)
General assessment: Sweden’s telecom market includes mature mobile and broadband sectors which have been stimulated by the progressive investment of the main telcos in developing new technologies; the country retains one of the best developed LTE infrastructures in the region, while its MNOs have benefited from the January 2021 auction of spectrum in the 3.5GHz band which will enable them to expand services nationally; the country also has one of the highest fiber broadband penetration rates in Europe; the focus of FttP is aimed at fulfilling the government’s target of providing a 1Gb/s service to 98% of the population by 2025; the methodology to achieve this has rested on regulatory measures supported by public funds, as well as on the auction of spectrum in different bands; in the fixed-line broadband segment, the number of DSL subscribers is falling steadily as customers continue to migrate to fiber networks; there is also competition from HFC infrastructure, offering fiber-based broadband and investing in services based on the DOCSIS3.1 standard; this report assesses key aspects of the Swedish telecom market, providing data on fixed network services and profiling the main players; it also reviews the key regulatory issues, including interconnection, local loop unbundling, number portability, carrier preselection and NGN open access; the report also analyses the mobile market, providing data on network operators and their strategies in a highly competitive environment; in addition, the report considers the fixed and fixed-wireless broadband markets, including analyses of market dynamics and the main operators, as well as providing subscriber forecasts (2021)
Domestic: fixed-line is 13 per 100 and mobile-cellular is 123 per 100 (2021)
International: country code - 46; landing points for Botina, SFL, SFS-4, Baltic Sea Submarine Cable, Eastern Light, Sweden-Latvia, BCS North-Phase1, EE-S1, LV-SE1, BCS East-West Interlink, NordBalt, Baltica, Denmark-Sweden-15,-17,-18, Scandinavian Ring -North,-South, IP-Only Denmark-Sweden, Donica North, Kattegate-1,-2, Energinet Laeso-Varberg and GC2 submarine cables providing links to other Nordic countries and Europe; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Sweden shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Norway) (2019)
Publicly owned TV broadcaster operates 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 operates 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
.se
Total: 8.8 million (2021 est.)
Percent of population: 88% (2021 est.)
Total: 4,179,574 (2020 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 41 (2020 est.)
Number of registered air carriers: 11 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 316
SE
231 (2021)
149
Note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
82
Note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control
2 (2021)
1626 km gas (2013)
Total: 10,910 km (2020) 8,184 km electrified
Narrow gauge: 65 km
Total: 573,134 km (2016) (includes 2,050 km of expressways)
Paved: 140,100 km (2016)
Unpaved: 433,034 km (2016)
Note: includes 98,500 km of state roads, 433,034 km of private roads, and 41,600 km of municipal roads
2,052 km (2010)
Total: 368
By type: general cargo 46, oil tanker 21, other 301 (2022)
Major seaport(s): Brofjorden, Goteborg, Helsingborg, Karlshamn, Lulea, Malmo, Stockholm, Trelleborg, Visby
LNG terminal(s) (import): Brunnsviksholme, Lysekil
Sweden operates four PC 3 or 4 class medium icebreakers in the Baltic Sea
Note - PC indicates a Polar Class vessel: PC 3 - year-round operation in second-year ice which may include multi-year ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 2.5 m); PC 4 - year-round operation in thick first-year ice which may include old ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 120 cm)
Swedish Armed Forces (Forsvarsmakten): Army, Navy, Air Force, Home Guard (2023)
1.3% of GDP (2022 est.)
1.3% of GDP (2021)
1.2% of GDP (2020)
1.1% of GDP (2019)
1% of GDP (2018)
The SAF has about 46,000 military personnel: approximately 14,000 continuous service/full-time; approximately 11,000 temporary service; approximately 21,000 Home Guard (some on active duty) (2023)
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; the SAF also has about 9,000 civilian employees
Note 2: in 2021, Sweden announced plans that increase the total size of the armed forces to about 100,000 personnel by 2030
The SAF's inventory is comprised of domestically produced and imported Western weapons systems; in recent years, the US has been the leading supplier of military hardware to Sweden; Sweden's defense industry produces a range of air, land, and naval systems (2023)
18-47 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; service obligation: 7.5 months (Army), 7-15 months (Navy), 8-12 months (Air Force); after completing initial service, soldiers have a reserve commitment until age 47; compulsory military service, abolished in 2010, was reinstated in January 2018; conscription is selective, includes both men and women (age 18), and requires 9-12 months of service (2023)
Note 1: Sweden conscripts about 5,500 men and women each year; it plans to increase this number to 8,000 by 2025
Note 2: as of 2021, women made up about 11% of the military's full-time personnel
Note 3: conscientious objectors in Sweden have the right to choose alternative service (called vapenfri tjänst); after completing alternative service, the conscript then belongs to the civilian reserve
Note: the Swedish military has small numbers of personnel deployed on multiple EU-, NATO-, and UN-led missions
Sweden maintained a policy of military non-alignment for over 200 years before applying for NATO membership in May 2022; before then, Stockholm joined NATO’s Partnership for Peace program in 1994 and contributed to NATO-led missions, including those in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Kosovo
The Swedish military cooperates closely with the military forces of other Nordic countries through the Nordic Defense Cooperation (NORDEFCO), which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden; areas of cooperation include armaments, education, human resources, training and exercises, and operations; NORDEFCO was established in 2009
Sweden is a signatory of the EU’s Common Security and Defense Policy and contributes to CSDP missions and operations (2023)
Terrorist group(s): Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)
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 Appendix-T
None identified
Refugees (country of origin): 113,213 (Syria), 26,857 (Afghanistan), 25,849 (Eritrea), 10,464 (Iraq), 9,315 (Somalia), 7,146 (Iran) (mid-year 2022); 55,288 (Ukraine) (as of 18 May 2023)
Stateless persons: 46,515 (2022); note - the majority of stateless people are from the Middle East and Somalia