Sweden

constitutional monarchyIndependence 6 June 1809, constitutional monarchy established

Sweden as the 1991 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 68 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalStockholm

Area449,964 km2

Populationas each edition published it

8.56 million July 1991 · 8.53m in 1990

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 0.58% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 40.1 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 78.08 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

1.9 children per woman 1991 · 1.9 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

6 deaths per 1,000 live births 1991 · 6 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $16,900 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition -1.7% in 1993

Geography

10 fields

Total area

449,964km2

land area: 410,928 km2Comparative area: slightly smaller than California

Land boundaries

2,205km total

Finland 586 km, Norway 1,619 km

Coastline

3,218 km Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm

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

zinc, iron ore, lead, copper, silver, timber, uranium, hydropower potential

Land use

arable land 7%;
permanent crops 0%;
meadows and pastures 2%;
forest and woodland 64%;
other 27%;
includes irrigated NEGL%

Note

strategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic and North Seas

People

14 fields

Population

8,564,317

(July 1991), growth rate 0.4% (1991)

Per 1,000 population(1991)

Birth

13Death

11Net migration

Religion(1987)

Evangelical Lutheran 94%Roman Catholic 1.5%Pentecostal 1%other 3.5% (1987)

Literacy

99%

(male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1979 est.)

Ethnic divisions

homogeneous white population;
small Lappish minority;
foreign born or first-generation immigrants (Finns, Yugoslavs, Danes, Norwegians, Greeks, Turks) about 12%

Language

Swedish, small Lapp- and Finnish-speaking minorities; immigrants speak native languages

4,572,000 (October 1990); government services 37.4%, mining, manufacturing, electricity, and water service 23.1%, private services 22.2%, transportation and communications 7%, construction 6.3%, agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting 3.8%, other 0.2% (1988)

Organized labor

80% of labor force (1990 est.)

Government

Constitutional monarchy

16 fields

Riksdag, 349 seats, elected 15 September 1991seats by party

Social Democratic 138Moderate (conservative) 80Liberal People's Party 33Center Party 31Christian Democrats 26New Democracy 25Left Party (Communist) 16

Percent of vote

Social Democratic 37.6%Moderate (conservative) 21.9%Liberal People's Party 9.1%Center Party 8.5%Christian Democrats 7.1%New Democracy 6.7%Left Party (Communist) 4.5%Green Party 3.4%other 1.2%

Long-form name

Kingdom of Sweden

Type

constitutional monarchy

Capital

Stockholm

Administrative divisions

24 provinces (lan, singular and plural); Alvsborgs Lan, Blekinge Lan, Gavleborgs Lan, Goteborgs och Bohus Lan, Gotlands Lan, Hallands Lan, Jamtlands Lan, Jonkopings Lan, Kalmar Lan, Kopparbergs Lan, Kristianstads Lan, Kronobergs Lan, Malmohus Lan, Norrbottens Lan, Orebro Lan, Ostergotlands Lan, Skaraborgs Lan, Sodermanlands Lan, Stockholms Lan, Uppsala Lan, Varmlands Lan, Vasterbottens Lan, Vasternorrlands Lan, Vastmanlands Lan

Independence

6 June 1809, constitutional monarchy established

Constitution

1 January 1975

Legal system

civil law system influenced by customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

National holiday

Day of the Swedish Flag, 6 June

Executive branch

monarch, prime minister, Cabinet

Legislative branch

unicameral Parliament (Riksdag)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (Hogsta Domstolen) Chief of State--King CARL XVI Gustaf (since 19 September 1973);
Heir Apparent Princess VICTORIA Ingrid Alice Desiree, daughter of the King (born 14 July 1977);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Carl BILDT (since 3 October 1991) ruling four-party coalition consists of the Moderate Party (conservative), Carl BILDT;
Liberal People's Party, Bengt WESTERBERG;
Center Party, Olof JOHANSSON;
and the Christian Democratic Party, Alf SVENSSON;
Social Democratic Party, Ingvar CARLSSON;
New Democracy Party, Count Ian WACHMEISTER;
Left Party (VP; Communist), Lars WERNER;
Swedish Communist Party (SKP), Rune PETTERSSON;
Communist Workers' Party, Rolf HAGEL;
Green Party, no formal leader

Suffrage

universal at age 18 Riksdag--last held 15 September 1991 (next to be held September 1994);
results--Social Democratic 37.6%, Moderate (conservative) 21.9%, Liberal People's Party 9.1%, Center Party 8.5%, Christian Democrats 7.1%, New Democracy 6.7%, Left Party (Communist) 4.5%, Green Party 3.4%, other 1.2%;
seats--(349 total) Social Democratic 138, Moderate (conservative) 80, Liberal People's Party 33, Center Party 31, Christian Democrats 26, New Democracy 25, Left Party (Communist) 16;
note: the Green Party leaves the Riksdag because it received less than the required 4% of the vote

Communists

VP and SKP;
VP, formerly the Left Party-Communists, is reported to have roughly 17,800 members and attracted 5.8% of the vote in the 1988 election;
VP dropped the Communist label in 1990, but maintains a Marxist ideology

Member of

AfDB, AG (observer) AsDB, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA, FAO, G-6, G-8, G-9, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTERPOL, INTELSAT, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIIMOG, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Anders THUNBORG;
Chancery at Suite 1200, 600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20037;
telephone (202) 944-5600;
there are Swedish Consulates General in Chicago, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and New York;
US--Ambassador Charles E. REDMAN;
Embassy at Strandvagen 101, S-115 89 Stockholm;
telephone [46] (8) 783-5300

Flag

blue with a yellow cross that extends 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)

Economy

16 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$137.8billion

per capita $16,200; real growth rate 0.3% (1990)

Inflation, consumer prices

10.9%

(1990)

Unemployment rate

1.6%

(1990)

External debt

$14.1billion

(December 1990)

Budget

Revenues

$60.1 billionExpenditures

$56.7 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY89)

Overview

Aided by a long period of peace and neutrality during World War I through World War II, Sweden has achieved an enviable standard of living under a mixed system of high-tech capitalism and extensive welfare benefits. It has essentially full employment, a modern distribution system, excellent internal and external communications, and a skilled labor force.

Timber, hydropower, and iron ore constitute the resource base of an economy that is heavily oriented toward foreign trade. Privately owned firms account for about 90% of industrial output, of which the engineering sector accounts for 50% of output and exports. For some observers, the Swedish model has succeeded in making economic efficiency and social egalitarianism complementary, rather than competitive, goals.

Others argue that the Swedish model is on the verge of collapsing by pointing to the serious economic problems Sweden faces in 1991: high inflation and absenteeism, growing unemployment and deficits, and declining international competitiveness. In 1990, to improve the economy, the government approved a mandate for Sweden to seek EC membership and an austerity and privatization package and implemented a major tax reform. These reforms may succeed in turning the economy around in 1992.

Exports

$57.5 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities--machinery, motor vehicles, paper products, pulp and wood, iron and steel products, chemicals, petroleum and petroleum products;
partners--EC 54.4%, (FRG 14.2%, UK 10.1%, Denmark 6.6%), US 8.6%, Norway 8.2%

Imports

$54.7 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities--machinery, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, motor vehicles, foodstuffs, iron and steel, clothing;
partners--EC 55.3%, US 8.4%

Industrial production

growth rate - 2.0% (1990)

Electricity

39,716,000 kW capacity; 142,000 million kWh produced, 16,700 kWh per capita (1990)

Industries

iron and steel, precision equipment (bearings, radio and telephone parts, armaments), wood pulp and paper products, processed foods, motor vehicles

Agriculture

animal husbandry predominates, with milk and dairy products accounting for 37% of farm income;
main crops--grains, sugar beets, potatoes;
100% self-sufficient in grains and potatoes, 85% self-sufficient in sugar beets

Economic aid

donor--ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $10.3 billion

Currency

Swedish krona (plural--kronor); 1 Swedish krona (SKr) = 100 ore

Exchange rates

Swedish kronor (SKr) per US$1--5.6402 (January 1991), 5.9188 (1990), 6.4469 (1989), 6.1272 (1988), 6.3404 (1987), 7.1236 (1986), 8.6039 (1985)

Fiscal year

1 July-30 June

Communications

9 fields

Merchant marine, 182 ships by type

short-sea passenger 9cargo 29container 3roll-on/roll-off cargo 45vehicle carrier 11railcar carrier 2petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker 28chemical tanker 27specialized tanker 6liquefied gas 1combination ore/oil 8bulk 12combination bulk 1182 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,226,923 GRT/2,879,057 DWT

Airports, 256 total, 254 usable

permanent-surface runways

137runways over 3,659 m

nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m

10runways 1,220-2,439 m

Networkskm

Highways

97,400Pipelines

Highways: (51,899 km paved, 20,659 km gravel, 24,842 km unimproved earth)

Railroads

12,000 km total;
Swedish State Railways (SJ)--10,819 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 6,955 km electrified and 1,152 km double track;
182 km 0.891-meter gauge;
117 km rail ferry service;
privately owned railways--511 km 1.435-meter standard gauge (332 km electrified);
371 km 0.891-meter gauge (all electrified)

excellent domestic and international facilities;
8,200,000 telephones;
stations--4 AM, 56 (321 relays) FM, 111 (925 relays) TV;
5 submarine coaxial cables;
communication satellite earth stations operating in the INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean) and EUTELSAT systems