Country Information Database


Sweden Country Information

Flag of Sweden
Map of Sweden
Introduction Sweden
Geography Sweden
Geographic coordinates:
62 00 N, 15 00 E
Map references:
total: 449,964 sq km
land: 410,934 sq km
water: 39,030 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than California
Land boundaries:
total: 2,233 km
border countries: Finland 614 km, Norway 1,619 km
3,218 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: agreed boundaries or midlines
mostly flat or gently rolling lowlands; mountains in west
Elevation extremes:
highest point: Kebnekaise 2,111 m
Natural resources:
Land use:
arable land: 5.93%
permanent crops: 0.01%
other: 94.06% (2005)
Irrigated land:
1,150 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
179 cu km (2005)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 2.68 cu km/yr (37%/54%/9%)
per capita: 296 cu m/yr (2002)
Natural hazards:
Environment - current issues:
Environment - international agreements:
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
strategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic and North Seas
People Sweden
9,045,389 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 16% (male 745,110/female 703,857)
15-64 years: 65.6% (male 3,008,148/female 2,928,930)
65 years and over: 18.3% (male 729,500/female 929,844) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 41.3 years
male: 40.2 years
female: 42.4 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.157% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
10.15 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
10.24 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
1.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
Infant mortality rate:
total: 2.75 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 2.91 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 2.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 80.74 years
male: 78.49 years
female: 83.13 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.67 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
3,600 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 100 (2003 est.)
noun: Swede(s)
adjective: Swedish
Ethnic groups:
Swedish, small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 16 years
male: 15 years
female: 17 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
7.1% of GDP (2005)
Government Sweden
Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Sweden
conventional short form: Sweden
local long form: Konungariket Sverige
local short form: Sverige
Government type:
constitutional monarchy
name: Stockholm
geographic coordinates: 59 20 N, 18 03 E
Administrative divisions:
21 counties (lan, singular and plural); Blekinge, Dalarnas, Gavleborgs, Gotlands, Hallands, Jamtlands, Jonkopings, Kalmar, Kronobergs, Norrbottens, Orebro, Ostergotlands, Skane, Sodermanlands, Stockholm, Uppsala, Varmlands, Vasterbottens, Vasternorrlands, Vastmanlands, Vastra Gotalands
6 June 1523 (Gustav VASA elected king)
National holiday:
1 January 1975
Legal system:
civil law system influenced by customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister
elections: the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the prime minister is elected by the parliament; election last held on 17 September 2006 (next to be held in September 2010)
Legislative branch:
elections: last held on 17 September 2006 (next to be held in September 2010)
election results: percent of vote by party - Social Democrats 37.2%, Moderates 27.8%, Center Party 8.3%, Liberal People's Party 8.0%, Christian Democrats 6.9%, Left Party 6.3%, Greens 5.4%; seats by party - Social Democrats 130, Moderates 97, Center Party 29, Liberal People's Party 28, Christian Democrats 24, Left Party 22, Greens 19
Judicial branch:
Political parties and leaders:
Center Party [Maud OLOFSSON]; Christian Democratic Party [Goran HAGGLUND]; Environment Party the Greens [no formal leader but party spokespersons are Maria WETTERSTRAND and Peter ERIKSSON]; Left Party or V (formerly Communist) [Lars OHLY]; Liberal People's Party [Jan BJORKLUND]; Moderate Party (conservative) [Fredrik REINFELDT]; Social Democratic Party [Mona SAHLIN]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Children's Rights in Society; Central Association of Salarited Emplyees or TCO; Swedish Federation of Trade Unions or LO
other: media
International organization participation:
ADB (nonregional members), AfDB (nonregional members), Arctic Council, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, G-9, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURCAT, NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, Schengen Convention, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jonas HAFSTROM
chancery: 2900 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone: [1] (202) 467-2600
FAX: [1] (202) 467-2699
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Michael M. WOOD
embassy: Dag Hammarskjolds Vag 31, SE-11589 Stockholm
telephone: [46] (08) 783 53 00
FAX: [46] (08) 661 19 64
Flag description:
Economy Sweden
Economy - overview:
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$338.5 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$455.3 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2.7% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$37,500 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1.5%
industry: 28.8%
services: 69.7% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
4.839 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 2%
industry: 24%
services: 74% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate:
6.1% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.6%
highest 10%: 22.2% (2000)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
23 (2005)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.2% (2007 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
19% of GDP (2007 est.)
revenues: $249.1 billion
expenditures: $233.5 billion (2007 est.)
Public debt:
41.7% of GDP (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products:
barley, wheat, sugar beets; meat, milk
Industrial production growth rate:
3% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production:
153.2 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 4%
hydro: 50.8%
nuclear: 43%
other: 2.3% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:
134.1 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports:
21.97 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports:
14.58 billion kWh (2005)
Oil - production:
2,350 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption:
363,200 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - exports:
231,100 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - imports:
580,600 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
893.9 million cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
893.9 million cu m (2005)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Current account balance:
$37.97 billion (2007 est.)
$170.1 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
Exports - partners:
Germany 10.4%, Norway 9.4%, US 7.6%, Denmark 7.4%, UK 7.1%, Finland 6.4%, Netherlands 5.1%, France 5%, Belgium 4.6% (2007)
$151.4 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
Imports - partners:
Germany 18.4%, Denmark 9.2%, Norway 8.3%, UK 6.8%, Finland 6.1%, Netherlands 5.8%, France 5%, China 4.3%, Belgium 4.1% (2007)
Economic aid - donor:
ODA, $3.955 billion (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$31.04 billion (2006 est.)
Debt - external:
$598.2 billion (30 June 2006)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$216.6 billion (2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$261.5 billion (2007 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$403.9 billion (2005)
Currency (code):
Swedish krona (SEK)
Currency code:
Exchange rates:
Swedish kronor per US dollar - 6.7629 (2007), 7.3731 (2006), 7.4731 (2005), 7.3489 (2004), 8.0863 (2003)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications Sweden
Telephones - main lines in use:
5.506 million (2007)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
10.371 million (2007)
Telephone system:
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 265, shortwave 1 (1998)
8.25 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
169 (plus 1,299 repeaters) (1995)
4.6 million (1997)
Internet country code:
Internet hosts:
3.318 million (2007)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
29 (2000)
Internet users:
7 million (2007)
Transportation Sweden
250 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 152
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 12
1,524 to 2,437 m: 75
914 to 1,523 m: 24
under 914 m: 38 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 98
914 to 1,523 m: 6
under 914 m: 92 (2007)
2 (2007)
gas 798 km (2007)
total: 11,528 km
standard gauge: 11,528 km 1.435-m gauge (7,527 km electrified) (2006)
total: 425,300 km
paved: 139,300 km (includes 1,740 km of expressways)
unpaved: 286,000 km (2008)
2,052 km (2005)
Merchant marine:
total: 195 ships (1000 GRT or over) 3,987,610 GRT/2,374,430 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 6, cargo 23, carrier 1, chemical tanker 47, passenger 4, passenger/cargo 36, petroleum tanker 15, roll on/roll off 37, specialized tanker 3, vehicle carrier 23
foreign-owned: 40 (Denmark 4, Estonia 3, Finland 12, Germany 4, Italy 8, Norway 7, UK 2)
registered in other countries: 201 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Bahamas 4, Barbados 7, Bermuda 20, Cook Islands 9, Cyprus 2, Denmark 4, Finland 2, France 9, Germany 1, Gibraltar 12, Isle of Man 2, Italy 1, Liberia 10, Malaysia 3, Malta 2, Marshall Islands 1, Netherlands 27, Netherlands Antilles 1, Norway 30, Panama 6, Portugal 3, Singapore 19, St Vincent and the Grenadines 2, Tuvalu 1, UK 17, US 5) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Brofjorden, Goteborg, Helsingborg, Lulea, Malmo, Stenungsund, Stockholm, Trelleborg, Visby
Military Sweden
Military branches:
Military service age and obligation:
19 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation: 7-15 months (Navy), 8-12 months (Air Force); after completing initial service, soldiers have a reserve commitment until age 47 (2006)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,052,890
females age 16-49: 1,980,550 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,699,115
females age 16-49: 1,637,868 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 64,605
female: 61,110 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.5% of GDP (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues Sweden
Disputes - international:

This page was last updated on 2 October, 2008 Access Time: Sun, 17 Feb 2019 06:10:32 +0000