Sweden

Kingdom of SwedenKonungariket Sverige

constitutional monarchy

Sweden as the 1993 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 78 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

LocationNorthern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Norway and Finland

Populationas each edition published it

8.73 million July 1993 est. · 8.53m in 1990

Population growth% a year

0.58% 1993 est. · 0.51% in 2025

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 40.1 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

78.08 years 1993 est. · 82.9 yrs in 2025

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.04 children per woman 1993 est. · 1.9 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

5.8 deaths per 1,000 live births 1993 est. · 6 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$16,900 1992 · $63,300 in 2025

GDP real growth% a year

-1.7% 1992 · 1% in 2025

Geography

Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Norway and Finland

14 fields

Land useshare of 449,964 km2

arable land 7%permanent crops 0%meadows and pastures 2%forest and woodland 64%other 27%irrigated 1,120 km2 (1989 est.)

Area

449,964km2

land area: 410,928 km2comparative 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

Location

Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Norway and Finland

Map references

Arctic Region, Asia, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World

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

Note

strategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic and North Seas

People

14 fields

Population

8,730,286

(July 1993 est.)growth rate: 0.58% (1993 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1993 est.)

Birth

13.78Death

10.96Net migration

2.97

Religions(1987)

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

Labor force

4.552million

by occupation: 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)

Literacy

15and over can read and write

age · (1979)total population: 99%male: NA%female: NA%

Infant mortality rate

5.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population:: 78.08 years
male:: 75.3 years
female:: 81.02 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.04 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Swede(s)
adjective:: Swedish

Ethnic divisions

white, Lapp, foreign born or first-generation immigrants 12% (Finns, Yugoslavs, Danes, Norwegians, Greeks, Turks)

Languages

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

Government

Constitutional monarchy

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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%

Names

conventional long form:: Kingdom of Sweden
conventional short form:: Sweden
local long form:: Konungariket Sverige
local short form:: Sverige

Digraph

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

Political parties and leaders

ruling four-party coalition consists of Moderate Party 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), Gudrun SCHYMAN;
Communist Workers' Party, Rolf HAGEL;
Green Party, no formal leader

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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

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); Deputy Prime Minister Bengt WESTERBERG (since NA)

Member of

AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australian Group, BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, CERN, COCOM (cooperating country), 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, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MTRC, NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OECD, ONUSAL, PCA, UN, UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMOGIP, UNOMOZ, UNPROFOR, UNTSO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Carl Henrik LILJEGREN
chancery:: Suite 1200 and 715, 600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037
telephone:: (202) 944-5600
FAX:: (202) 342-1319
consulates general:: Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: (vacant)
embassy:: Strandvagen 101, S-115 89 Stockholm
mailing address:: use embassy street address
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.

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GDP per capita, PPP

$16,900

(1992)

Real growth rate

-1.7%

(1992)industrial production growth: growth rate -3.0% (1992)

Inflation, consumer prices

2.3%

(1992)

Unemployment rate

5.3%

(1992)

Budget

Revenues

$70.4 billionExpenditures

$82.5 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92)

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 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 unemployment, and a gradual loss of competitiveness in international markets.

Although Prime Minister BILDT'S center-right minority coalition had hoped to charge ahead with free-market-oriented reforms, a skyrocketing budget deficit - almost 13% of GDP in FY94 projections - and record unemployment have forestalled many of the plans. Unemployment in 1993 is forecast at around 7% with another 5% in job training.

Continued heavy foreign exchange speculation forced the government to cooperate in late 1992 with the opposition Social Democrats on two crisis packages - one a severe austerity pact and the other a program to spur industrial competitiveness - which basically set economic policy through 1997.

In November 1992, Sweden broke its tie to the EC's ECU, and the krona has since depreciated around 2.5% against the dollar. The government hopes the boost in export competitiveness from the depreciation will help lift Sweden out of its 3-year recession. To curb the budget deficit and bolster confidence in the economy, BILDT continues to propose cuts in welfare benefits, subsidies, defense, and foreign aid. Sweden continues to harmonize its economic policies with those of the EC in preparation for concluding its EC membership bid by 1995.

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $145.6 billion (1992)

Exports

$56 billion (f.o.b., 1992)

commodities:: machinery, motor vehicles, paper products, pulp and wood, iron and steel products, chemicals, petroleum and petroleum products
partners:: EC 55.8% (Germany 15%, UK 9.7%, Denmark 7.2%, France 5.8%), EFTA 17.4% (Norway 8.4%, Finland 5.1%), US 8.2%, Central and Eastern Europe 2.5% (1992)

Imports

$51.7 billion (c.i.f., 1992)

commodities:: machinery, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, motor vehicles, foodstuffs, iron and steel, clothing
partners:: EC 53.6% (Germany 17.9%, UK 6.3%, Denmark 7.5%, France 4.9%), EFTA (Norway 6.6%, Finland 6%), US 8.4%, Central and Eastern Europe 3% (1992)

External debt

$19.5 billion (1992 est.)

Electricity

39,716,000 kW capacity; 142,500 million kWh produced, 16,560 kWh per capita (1992)

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;
Sweden is about 50% self-sufficient in most products;
farming accounted for 1.2% of GDP and 1.9% of jobs in 1990

Illicit drugs

increasingly used as transshipment point for Latin American cocaine to Europe and gateway for Asian heroin shipped via the CIS and Baltic states for the European market

Economic aid

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

Currency

1 Swedish krona (SKr) = 100 ore

Exchange rates

Swedish kronor (SKr) per US$1 - 6.8812 (December 1992), 5.8238 (1992), 6.0475 (1991) 5.9188 (1990), 6.4469 (1989), 6.1272 (1988)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

Communications

8 fields

Merchant marine, 179 ships by type

short-sea passenger 10cargo 29container 3roll-on/roll-off cargo 43vehicle carrier 13railcar carrier 2oil tanker 32chemical tanker 27specialized tanker 4liquefied gas 2combination ore/oil 2bulk 10combination bulk 1refrigerated cargo 1179 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,473,769 GRT/3,227,366 DWT

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) and 371 km 0.891-meter gauge (all electrified)

total:: 253
usable:: 250
with permanent-surface runways:: 139
with runways over 3,659 m:: 0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:: 12
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:: 94

Telecommunications

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