Country Overview
Sweden is a Nordic constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy on the Scandinavian Peninsula. Stockholm is the capital. The country combines a manufacturing, technology and services economy with extensive forests, lakes and northern Arctic territories. Sweden joined the European Union in 1995 and NATO in 2024, while retaining the Swedish krona instead of adopting the euro. In November 2026 it is governed by a caretaker cabinet following the September parliamentary election. [6]
Identity and State Formation
- Official name
- Kingdom of Sweden (Konungariket Sverige)
- Capital
- Stockholm
- UN M49 classification
- Europe / Northern Europe [3]
- Early political formation
- Swedish medieval kingdom consolidated over the early medieval period; no single modern independence date
- Modern state landmarks
- 1523 accession of Gustav Vasa marks separation from the Kalmar Union; constitutional reforms in 1809 and 1974
- Present constitutional order
- Instrument of Government of 1974 (in force 1975), one of the four fundamental laws
- National day
- 6 June (commemorates Gustav Vasa’s election in 1523 and the 1809 constitution)
- ISO 3166-1 identifiers
- SE, SWE, 752
- Country-code top-level domain
- .se
Historical context: Swedish polities developed during the Viking and medieval periods, culminating in a consolidated kingdom and northern European maritime power. Sweden entered the Kalmar Union in 1397 and left the union following Gustav Vasa’s elevation in 1523. In the seventeenth century the Swedish state expanded across the Baltic region, but its great-power position declined after the Great Northern War. Sweden and Norway were united under one crown from 1814 to 1905. Sweden avoided direct combat in both world wars, built a comprehensive welfare state during the twentieth century, and entered the EU in 1995. The Russian invasion of Ukraine and a reassessment of neutrality contributed to Sweden’s NATO accession on 7 March 2024. [6]
Geography and Population
- Total geographic area
- 447,424 km² (European Commission/Eurostat 2026; national surface including inland waters)
- Land area
- 407,270 km² (World Bank/FAO, 2024; excludes inland waters) [2]
- Population, World Bank
- 10,596,620 (2025; internationally comparable series)
- Population, national register
- 10,605,529 (31 December 2025, Statistics Sweden; year-end, not midyear)
- Latest national monthly population
- 10,621,103 (August 2026, Statistics Sweden; monthly register figure)
- Annual population growth
- 0.3% (World Bank, 2025) [1]
- Borders
- Norway and Finland; maritime connections across the Baltic Sea to Denmark and other states
- Natural landscape
- Scandinavian Mountains, Lake Vänern, Lake Vättern, Baltic archipelagos, boreal forests and northern tundra
- Major cities
- Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö, Uppsala, Västerås and Örebro
- Administrative divisions
- 21 counties (län) and 290 municipalities
Data interpretation: The World Bank population estimate relates to 2025 and is distinct from the Swedish register count on 31 December 2025 and the August 2026 update. Eurostat geographical area and FAO land area use different definitions. The country has 21 administrative counties (län); consult national law for changes in regional governance. [1]
Economy and International Trade
- Economic structure
- Advanced services, manufacturing, automotive and heavy vehicles, machinery, electronics, mining, forestry, pharmaceuticals and technology
- Nominal GDP
- US$669.00 billion (World Bank, 2025 current dollars) [1]
- GDP per capita
- US$63,133.2 (World Bank, 2025 current dollars) [1]
- Real GDP growth
- 1.5% (World Bank, 2025) [1]
- Currency
- Swedish krona (SEK); no euro adoption [6]
- Merchandise exports
- SEK 2,042.8 billion (2025, Statistics Sweden preliminary figures)
- Merchandise imports
- SEK 1,968.7 billion (2025, same reporting basis)
- Goods trade balance
- SEK 74.1 billion surplus (2025 preliminary Statistics Sweden)
- Principal export markets
- Germany, Norway, United States, Denmark, Netherlands and other European partners
- Economic linkages
- Single-market access as EU member; trade remains open across Europe and globally
Principal Merchandise Export Categories (2025, Statistics Sweden foreign trade in goods)
| Category | Illustrative exported products |
|---|---|
| Machinery and transport equipment | Passenger cars, trucks, components and machinery |
| Electrical and telecom equipment | Communications equipment, electronics and industrial electrical products |
| Chemicals and medicines | Pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals and plastics |
| Forest products | Paper, pulp, timber and wood products |
| Metals and iron ore | Steel, non-ferrous metals, ores and fabricated products |
GDP is not wages: Nominal GDP is aggregate economic output; GDP per capita divides that output by population. Neither measure represents average or median personal earnings. [1]
People and Society
- Principal language
- Swedish (the main language under the 2009 Language Act)
- National minority languages
- Finnish, Meänkieli, Sami, Romani Chib and Yiddish, with specific protected rights
- Other languages
- English is widely used; Arabic, Somali, Persian and many other migrant languages are spoken
- Church of Sweden membership
- 5,365,542 members, approximately 50.7% of population, at end-2025; affiliation rather than religious practice
- Other faith communities
- Muslim, Catholic, Orthodox, free-church Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist and other communities
- Nonreligious population
- Substantial and diverse nonreligious identification; church membership is not a census of belief
- Demographic notes
- Highly urbanized population with growing elderly share, migration and Indigenous Sámi cultural and political rights
Demographic interpretation: Church of Sweden membership is administrative affiliation, not a national measure of religion practiced or believed; it does not quantify all Christian communities. Sweden has no current religion census directly comparable to those of some other European states. [11]
Government and Institutions
- Political system
- Unitary parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy
- Head of state
- King Carl XVI Gustaf (ceremonial constitutional monarch)
- Caretaker prime minister
- Ulf Kristersson; caretaker administration since 17 September 2026, pending formation of a new government (status 6 November 2026)
- Parliament
- Unicameral Riksdag, 349 elected members
- Executive
- Prime minister and cabinet accountable to Riksdag
- Constitutional framework
- Four fundamental laws: Instrument of Government, Act of Succession, Freedom of the Press Act and Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression
- Territorial government
- 21 counties and 290 municipalities
- 2026 government formation
- After the September 2026 election no successor cabinet had yet taken office as of the editorial cutoff; the Riksdag rejected a proposed prime minister on 3 November 2026
International Profile
- United Nations
- Member since 19 November 1946 [5]
- European Union
- Member since 1 January 1995 [6]
- Euro area
- Not a member; currency is Swedish krona [6]
- Schengen area
- Member since 25 March 2001 [6]
- NATO
- Member since 7 March 2024
- Other organizations
- OECD, Council of Europe, OSCE and WTO
- UNESCO World Heritage
- 15 properties, including Drottningholm, Birka and Hovgården, High Coast/Kvarken Archipelago and Laponian Area [4]
- International dialing code
- +46
- Time zone
- Central European Time UTC+1; summer UTC+2
Sources and Verification
Editorial cutoff: November 6, 2026. Most headline population and economic indicators are World Bank 2025 data. Separate national releases and census figures have different statistical coverage and dates; figures may be updated retrospectively.
- World Bank, World Development Indicators: country data — Population, nominal GDP, GDP per capita and annual GDP growth (2025 reference data).
- World Bank/FAO, land area, 2024 — Land area excluding inland waters; separately defined from total surface area.
- United Nations Statistics Division, M49 classifications — Country and regional classifications and ISO 3166 codes.
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre: State Party list — World Heritage property listing as checked 6 November 2026.
- United Nations: Member States — Membership and history of UN admission.
- European Union, Sweden country profile — EU, currency, 2026 total area and governing system.
- Statistics Sweden, Sweden population in summary, 1960–2025 — 2025 year-end population and national register series.
- Statistics Sweden, population statistics — August 2026 registered population.
- Statistics Sweden, December 2025 foreign goods trade release — 2025 merchandise exports, imports and trade balance.
- Statistics Sweden, exports by commodity groups — Main commodity group classifications.
- Church of Sweden, statistics — Membership records; 2025 affiliation figures.
- Sveriges Riksdag, government formation and caretaker cabinet — Caretaker cabinet since 17 September 2026.
- Riksdag, 3 November 2026 prime-ministerial vote — Rejected November 2026 proposed premier.
- NATO, Sweden’s accession — Date of Sweden’s NATO membership.
Methodology: Population is the World Bank 2025 country series; GDP and GDP per capita are in current U.S. dollars and real GDP growth is a volume change, not an exchange-rate change. Land area excludes inland waters under the FAO definition, whereas the country-specific total area can be a distinct national or regional surface measure. Export tables are illustrative merchandise categories, not services data or a harmonized ranking. Religious figures identify their census or survey reference year and denominator.