Sweden

constitutional monarchyIndependence 6 June 1809, constitutional monarchy established

Sweden as the 1992 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 74 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

8.6 million July 1992 · 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 1992 · 1.9 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

6 deaths per 1,000 live births 1992 · 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

13 fields

Total area

449,964km2

Comparative area: slightly smaller than California

Coastline

3,218km

Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitationExclusive fishing zone: 200 nmTerritorial sea: 12 nm

Land boundaries

2,205km total

Finland 586 km, Norway 1,619 km

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

8,602,157

(July 1992), growth rate 0.4% (1992)

Per 1,000 population(1992)

Birth

13Death

11Net migration

Religions(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%

Languages

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

4,552,000 community, social and personal services 38.3%, mining and manufacturing 21.2%, commerce, hotels, and restaurants 14.1%, banking, insurance 9.0%, communications 7.2%, construction 7.0%, agriculture, fishing, and forestry 3.2% (1991)

Organized labor

80% of labor force (1990 est.)

Government

Constitutional monarchy

19 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

37.6%

Social Democratic Party 37.6%Moderate Party (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)

Leaders

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)

Political parties and leaders

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 WACHTMEISTER;
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

Elections

Riksdag:: last held 15 September 1991 (next to be held NA September 1994);
results - Social Democratic Party 37.6%, Moderate Party (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 Party (conservative) 80, Liberal People's Party 33, Center Party 31, Christian Democrats 26, New Democracy 25, Left Party (Communist) 16;
note - the Green Party has no seats in 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;
FAX [46] (8) 661-1964

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

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.

16 fields

Inflation, consumer prices

8.0%

(1991)

Unemployment rate

2.7%

(1991)

External debt

$10.7billion

(November 1991)

Budget

Revenues

$67.5 billionExpenditures

$78.7 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92 est.)

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. In the last few years, however, this extraordinarily favorable picture has been clouded by inflation, growing absenteeism, and a gradual loss of competitiveness in international markets. The new center-right government, facing a sagging economic situation which is unlikely to improve until 1993, is pushing full steam ahead with economic reform proposals to end Sweden's recession and to prepare for possible EC membership in 1995. The free-market-oriented reforms are designed to spur growth, maintain price stability, lower unemployment, create a more efficient welfare state, and further adapt to EC standards. The measures; include: cutting taxes, particularly the value-added tax (VAT) and levies on new and small business; privatization; liberalizing foreign ownership restrictions; and opening the welfare system to competition and private alternatives, which the government will still finance. Growth is expected to remain flat in 1992, but increase slightly in 1993, while inflation should remain around 3% for the next few years. On the down side, unemployment may climb to slightly over 4% in 1993, and the budget deficit will reach nearly $9 billion in 1992.

GDP

purchasing power equivalent - $147.6 billion, per capita $17,200; real growth rate -1.1% (1991)

Exports

$54.5 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)

commodities:: machinery, motor vehicles, paper products, pulp and wood, iron and steel products, chemicals, petroleum and petroleum products
partners:: EC, (FRG, UK, Denmark), US, Norway

Imports

$50.2 billion (c.i.f., 1991 est.)

commodities:: machinery, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, motor vehicles, foodstuffs, iron and steel, clothing
partners:: EC 55.3%, US 8.4% (1990)

Industrial production

growth rate -5.3% (1991)

Electricity

39,716,000 kW capacity; 142,000 million kWh produced, 16,700 kWh per capita (1991)

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 - 6.0259 (March 1992), 6.0475 (1991) 5.9188 (1990), 6.4469 (1989), 6.1272 (1988), 6.3404 (1987)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

Communications

9 fields

Merchant marine, 186 ships by type

short-sea passenger 10cargo 29container 3roll-on/roll-off cargo 43vehicle carrier 12railcar carrier 2petroleum tanker 33chemical tanker 28specialized tanker 4liquefied gas 1combination ore/oil 7bulk 12combination bulk 1refrigerated cargo 1186 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,665,902 GRT/3,646,165 DWT

Airports, 254 total, 252 usable

permanent-surface runways

139runways | over 3,659 m

nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m

10runways 1,220-2,439 m

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;
mainly coaxial and multiconductor cables carry long-distance network;
parallel microwave network carries primarily radio, TV and some telephone channels;
automatic system;
broadcast stations - 5 AM, 360 (mostly repeaters) FM, 880 (mostly repeaters) TV;
5 submarine coaxial cables;
satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 EUTELSAT