Sweden

fresh water lake(s):

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

• 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

• 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

noun:

Swede(s)

adjective:

Swedish

total:

41.2 years (2025 est.)

male:

40.1 years

female:

42.1 years

• 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

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 (2024 est.)

total:

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

male:

2.5 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

2 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

82.9 years (2024 est.)

male:

81.2 years

female:

84.7 years

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:

19.9% (2025 est.)

male:

25.8% (2025 est.)

female:

13.9% (2025 est.)

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

urban population:

88.7% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

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

energy:

39.6 kt (2022-2024 est.)

agriculture:

127.8 kt (2019-2021 est.)

waste:

112.7 kt (2019-2021 est.)

other:

9.8 kt (2019-2021 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually:

4.618 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

39.7% (2022 est.)

municipal:

699 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial:

1.267 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

agricultural:

102 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

total global geoparks and regional networks:

1

global geoparks and regional networks:

Platåbergens (2023)

conventional long form:

Kingdom of Sweden

conventional short form:

Sweden

local long form:

Konungariket Sverige

local short form:

Sverige

etymology:

• 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"

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:

• 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

• 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

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)

amendment process:

• 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

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

chief of state:

King CARL XVI GUSTAF (since 15 September 1973)

head of government:

Prime Minister Ulf KRISTERSSON (since 18 October 2022)

cabinet:

Cabinet appointed by the prime minister

election/appointment process:

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

legislature name:

Parliament (Riksdagen)

legislative structure:

unicameral

number of seats:

349 (all directly elected)

electoral system:

proportional representation

scope of elections:

full renewal

term in office:

4 years

most recent election date:

9/11/2022

parties elected and seats per party:

• 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:

45%

expected date of next election:

September 2026

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;
• after 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
• 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

chief of mission:

Ambassador Urban AHLIN (since 15 September 2023)

chancery:

2900 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20007

telephone:

[1] (202) 467-2600

FAX:

[1] (202) 467-2699

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://www.swedenabroad.se/en/embassies/usa-washington/

consulate(s) general:

New York, San Francisco

chief of mission:

Ambassador Christine TORETTI (since 21 October 2025)

embassy:

Dag Hammarskjolds Vag 31, SE-115 89 Stockholm

mailing address:

5750 Stockholm Place, Washington, DC 20521-5750

telephone:

[46] (08) 783-53-00

FAX:

[46] (08) 661-19-64

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://se.usembassy.gov/

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

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 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)

• 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

agriculture:

1.1% (2024 est.)

industry:

22.6% (2024 est.)

services:

65.9% (2024 est.)

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

total:

23.8% (2024 est.)

male:

24.3% (2024 est.)

female:

23.2% (2024 est.)

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

on food:

13% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on alcohol and tobacco:

3.1% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

lowest 10%:

2.5% (2022 est.)

highest 10%:

24.7% (2022 est.)

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

Number of operational nuclear reactors:

6 (2025)

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors:

7.01GW (2025 est.)

Percent of total electricity production:

28.6% (2023 est.)

Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down:

7 (2025)

production:

1.042 million metric tons (2023 est.)

consumption:

3.17 million metric tons (2023 est.)

exports:

23,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

imports:

2.078 million metric tons (2023 est.)

proven reserves:

5 million metric tons (2023 est.)

total petroleum production:

11,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption:

270,000 bbl/day (2024 est.)

consumption:

896.109 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

exports:

10.625 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

imports:

897.487 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

• 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

total:

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

narrow gauge:

65 km

total ports:

92 (2024)

large:

3

medium:

10

small:

30

very small:

49

ports with oil terminals:

49

key ports:

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

• 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)

• 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)

• 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)

• 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

refugees:

168,519 (2024 est.)

stateless persons:

6,835 (2024 est.)