Sweden
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Official:
Kingdom of Sweden
Local name:
Sverige
Region:
Northern Europe
Surface area:
447,430 km²
Capital:
Stockholm
Geography
Sweden is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula and borders Norway to the west. The border with Finland stretches for 614 km in the far north-east. In the south-east, Sweden is connected to Denmark via bridges at Helsingborg and Malmö. Most of the 3,218 km of coastline borders the Baltic Sea. With a total of 221,831 islands, Sweden is one of the countries with the most islands in the world.The landscape is characterized by extensive forests, numerous lakes and rugged coastlines. Over 30 national parks and nature reserves are spread over vast areas covering more than 40,000 km². The best known is the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Laponia, which consists of several national parks in the Swedish part of Lapland. Along the border with Norway are mountain ranges such as the Skanden and the Fjällgebirge. The highest mountain in Sweden is Kebnekaise, which is 2,106 meters high.
On further pages:
Current time in Sweden:
The countrywide time in Sweden is Central European Time (CET), which is currently 6 hours ahead of New York.
As in many countries far away from the equator, there is a daylight savings time in the summer. Related to GMT, the time difference is usually +1 hours in summer and +2 hours in winter. The next time change will be on October 27 at 2:00 am (local time).
Time zones and clock changesPublic Holidays in SwedenSunrise + Sunset00:00
July 2024
The countrywide time in Sweden is Central European Time (CET), which is currently 6 hours ahead of New York.
As in many countries far away from the equator, there is a daylight savings time in the summer. Related to GMT, the time difference is usually +1 hours in summer and +2 hours in winter. The next time change will be on October 27 at 2:00 am (local time).
Population
Population:10,487,000
Population per km²:23.44
Life expectancy males:Ø 81.5 years
Life expectancy females:
Ø 84.8 yearsBirth rate:
11.0 ‰Death rate:
9.0 ‰Males/Females:
50.4% : 49.6%Population pyramid
The currency in Sweden is the Swedish krone (SEK).
1 Krone is divided into 100 Öre.
Status: 07/05/2024
1 Krone is divided into 100 Öre.
Status: 07/05/2024
1 US dollar = 10.49 Krones
100 Krones = 9.53 US dollar
100 Krones = 9.53 US dollar
Climate in Sweden
Sweden's climate varies from north to south. Warm winds caused by the Gulf Stream influence large parts of the country. Sweden's three distinct climate zones are the south with an oceanic climate, a humid continental climate in the middle, and a subarctic climate in the north. In particular, the Scandinavian mountains in the north protect the more southern regions from the cold winds of the Arctic. With typical maximum temperatures between 20°C and 25°C, summers south of the Arctic Circle are warm and pleasant. In severe winters, temperatures can sometimes drop below -30°C in the northern mountain regions.Average daytime and nighttime temperatures
Languages
Official language:
Swedish
| Mother tongue | Distribution |
|---|---|
| Swedish | 89.5 % |
| Finnish | 3.1 % |
| Arabic | 0.8 % |
| Spanish | 0.6 % |
| Norwegian | 0.5 % |
| other | 5.5 % |
Religions
| Religion | Distribution |
|---|---|
| Lutherans | 87.0% |
| Jews | 0.2% |
| other | 12.8% |
more...
Economy
| GDP: | 591.72 bn $ |
| Exportations: | 314.02 bn $ |
| Importations: | 296.55 bn $ |
| Budget surplus: | 4,323 M $ |
| › Tourism receipts: | 6.03 bn $ |
| › Debt rate: | 31.69 % |
| › Unemployment rate: | 7.74 % |
| › Inflation rate: | 8.37 % |
| › Corruption index: | 82 (good) |
| › Energy consumption: | 124.6 bn kWh |
With a Human Development Index (HDI) of 0.952, Sweden counts as one of the high developed economies by UN definition. The IMF also shares this classification.
With an average annual income of 63,500 USD Sweden is one of the high-income countries. Even considering purchasing power parity, it is still among the 20 richest countries in the world.
Land use
| 7% Urban areas: | 31,152 km² |
| 7% Agricultural areas: | 33,378 km² |
| 69% Forest: | 307,340 km² |
| 9% Water areas: | 40,120 km² |
| 17% Others: | 75,560 km² |
more...
Transport
| Roadways: | 197,964 km |
| Railways: | 10,912 km |
| Waterways: | 2,052 km |
| Reg. vehicles: | 5,637,469 |
| › Airports: |
Population
10.49 million people live in the total area of 447,430 km², i.e. only about 23.4 per km². However, as large parts of the country consist of almost untouched nature, the population is mostly concentrated in smaller towns and the few urban centers such as Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö. 88.5 percent of the population is considered urban. One in four of the country's inhabitants lives in the greater Stockholm area alone. The mountainous regions and the north of the country, especially north of the Arctic Circle, are very sparsely populated.Most important cities and regions
Sweden has 290 municipalities and is divided into 21 provinces, which can be roughly divided into the major regions of northern, central and southern Sweden.Population refers to the city proper, not metropolitan areas.
| City | Region | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Stockholm / Capital | Central Sweden | 985,000 |
| Göteborg | Southern Sweden | 603,000 |
| Malmö | Southern Sweden | 360,000 |
| Uppsala | Central Sweden | 177,000 |
| Linköping | Southern Sweden | 167,000 |
| Örebro | Central Sweden | 156,000 |
| Umeå | Northern Sweden | 130,000 |
| Västerås | Central Sweden | 128,000 |
| Norrköping | Southern Sweden | 126,000 |
| Helsingborg | Southern Sweden | 124,000 |
| Jönköping | Southern Sweden | 113,000 |
| Huddinge | Central Sweden | 90,000 |
| Gävle | Northern Sweden | 69,000 |
| Växjö | Southern Sweden | 60,000 |
| Karlstad | Central Sweden | 59,000 |
| Halmstad | Southern Sweden | 56,000 |
| Sundsvall | Northern Sweden | 48,000 |
| Luleå | Northern Sweden | 46,000 |
The difference between the urban area and the city proper alone can be considerable. Stockholm, for example, has an urban population of 2,121,000. However, the actual proper city is much smaller with only 985,000 inhabitants. The difference to metropolitan regions, i.e. conurbations with several cities, is even greater.
Political indicators
(Based on the "Worldwide Governance Indicators" project of the World Bank)
| Political stability: | ◈ |
| Rule of law: | ◈ |
| Effectivity: | ◈ |
| Regulatory quality: | ◈ |
| Voice accountability: | ◈ |
| Democratic values: | ◈ |
| Death penalty: | abolished in 1972 |
Norway: country data and statistics
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