A military power during the 17th century, Sweden has not participated in any war in almost two centuries. An armed neutrality was preserved in both World Wars. Sweden's long-successful economic formula of a capitalist system interlarded with substantial welfare elements was challenged in the 1990s by high unemployment and in 2000-02 by the global economic downturn, but fiscal discipline over the past several years has allowed the country to weather economic vagaries. Sweden joined the EU in 1995, but the public rejected the introduction of the euro in a 2003 referendum.
Location
Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, Kattegat, and Skagerrak, between Finland and Norway
Geographic coordinates
62 00 N, 15 00 E
Map references
Europe
Area
total
449,964 sq km
land
410,934 sq km
water
39,030 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly larger than California
Land boundaries
total
2,233 km
border countries
Finland 614 km, Norway 1,619 km
Coastline
3,218 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea
12 nm (adjustments made to return a portion of straits to high seas)
exclusive economic zone
agreed boundaries or midlines
continental shelf
200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
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
Elevation extremes
lowest point
reclaimed bay of Lake Hammarsjon, near Kristianstad -2.41 m
ice floes in the surrounding waters, especially in the Gulf of Bothnia, can interfere with maritime traffic
Environment - current issues
acid rain damage to soils and lakes; pollution of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea
Environment - international agreements
party to
Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified
none of the selected agreements
Geography - note
strategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic and North Seas
Population
9,031,088 (July 2007 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
16.4% (male 759,488/female 717,812)
15-64 years
65.7% (male 3,007,899/female 2,926,220)
65 years and over
17.9% (male 707,687/female 911,982) (2007 est.)
Median age
total
41.1 years
male
40 years
female
42.2 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate
0.159% (2007 est.)
Birth rate
10.2 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate
10.27 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate
1.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years
1.058 male(s)/female
15-64 years
1.028 male(s)/female
65 years and over
0.776 male(s)/female
total population
0.982 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total
2.76 deaths/1,000 live births
male
2.92 deaths/1,000 live births
female
2.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population
80.63 years
male
78.39 years
female
83 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.66 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
3,600 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths
less than 100 (2003 est.)
Nationality
noun
Swede(s)
adjective
Swedish
Ethnic groups
indigenous population: Swedes with Finnish and Sami minorities; foreign-born or first-generation immigrants: Finns, Yugoslavs, Danes, Norwegians, Greeks, Turks
Religions
Lutheran 87%, other (includes Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Muslim, Jewish, and Buddhist) 13%
Languages
Swedish, small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities
Literacy
definition
age 15 and over can read and write
total population
99%
male
99%
female
99% (2003 est.)
Country name
conventional long form
Kingdom of Sweden
conventional short form
Sweden
local long form
Konungariket Sverige
local short form
Sverige
Government type
constitutional monarchy
Capital
name
Stockholm
geographic coordinates
59 20 N, 18 03 E
time difference
UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time
+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Swedish Flag Day, 6 June (1916); National Day, 6 June (1983)
Constitution
1 January 1975
Legal system
civil law system influenced by customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state
King CARL XVI GUSTAF (since 19 September 1973); Heir Apparent Princess VICTORIA Ingrid Alice Desiree, daughter of the monarch (born 14 July 1977)
head of government
Prime Minister Fredrik REINFELDT (since 5 October 2006)
cabinet
Cabinet appointed by the prime minister
elections
the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the prime minister is elected by the parliament; election last held on 17 September 2006 (next to be held in September 2010)
election results
Fredrik REINFELDT elected prime minister with 175 out of 349 votes
Legislative branch
unicameral Parliament or Riksdag (349 seats; members are elected by popular vote on a proportional representation basis to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 17 September 2006 (next to be held in September 2010)
election results: percent of vote by party - Social Democrats 37.2%, Moderates 27.8%, Center Party 8.3%, People's Party 8.0%, Christian Democrats 6.9%, Left Party 6.3%, Greens 5.4%; seats by party - Social Democrats 130, Moderates 97, Center Party 29, People's Party 28, Christian Democrats 24, Left Party 22, Greens 19
Judicial branch
Supreme Court or Hogsta Domstolen (judges are appointed by the prime minister and the cabinet)
Political parties and leaders
Center Party [Maud OLOFSSON]; Christian Democratic Party [Goran HAGGLUND]; Environment Party the Greens [no formal leader but party spokespersons are Maria WETTERSTRAND and Peter ERIKSSON]; Left Party or V (formerly Communist) [Lars OHLY]; Moderate Party (conservative) [Fredrik REINFELDT]; People's Party [Lars LEIJONBORG]; Social Democratic Party [Mona SAHLIN]
American Embassy Stockholm, US Department of State, 5750 Stockholm Place, Washington, DC 20521-5750
telephone
[46] (08) 783 53 00
FAX
[46] (08) 661 19 64
Flag description
blue with a golden yellow cross extending 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 - overview
Aided by peace and neutrality for the whole of the 20th century, 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 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. Agriculture accounts for only 1% of GDP and 2% of employment. The government's commitment to fiscal discipline resulted in a substantial budgetary surplus in 2001, which was cut by more than half in 2002 due to the global economic slowdown, declining revenue, and increased spending. The Swedish central bank (the Riksbank) focuses on price stability with its inflation target of 2%. Growth remained sluggish in 2003 but picked up during 2004-06. Presumably because of generous sick-leave benefits, Swedish workers report in sick more often than other Europeans. In September 2003, Swedish voters turned down entry into the euro system concerned about the impact on the economy and sovereignty.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$290.6 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$373.2 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
4.7% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$32,200 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
1.1%
industry
28.1%
services
70.9% (2006 est.)
Labor force
4.59 million (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture
2%
industry
24%
services
74% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate
5.6% (2006 est.)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%
3.7%
highest 10%
20.1% (1992)
Distribution of family income - Gini index
25 (2000)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
1.4% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed)
17.6% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget
revenues
$222 billion
expenditures
$210.5 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)
Public debt
46.4% of GDP (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products
barley, wheat, sugar beets; meat, milk
Industries
iron and steel, precision equipment (bearings, radio and telephone parts, armaments), wood pulp and paper products, processed foods, motor vehicles
Industrial production growth rate
4.3% (2006 est.)
Electricity - production
150.5 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel
4%
hydro
50.8%
nuclear
43%
other
2.3% (2001)
Electricity - consumption
137.8 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports
17.8 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports
15.6 billion kWh (2004)
Oil - production
3,208 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - consumption
362,400 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - exports
203,700 bbl/day (2001)
Oil - imports
553,100 bbl/day (2001)
Natural gas - production
0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - consumption
979 million cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - exports
0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - imports
979 million cu m (2004 est.)
Current account balance
$28.61 billion (2006 est.)
Exports
$173.9 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Exports - commodities
machinery 35%, motor vehicles, paper products, pulp and wood, iron and steel products, chemicals
Exports - partners
Germany 9.7%, US 9.2%, Norway 9.1%, UK 7.1%, Denmark 6.8%, Finland 5.9%, France 4.9%, Netherlands 4.7%, Belgium 4.5% (2006)
Imports
$151.8 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Imports - commodities
machinery, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, motor vehicles, iron and steel; foodstuffs, clothing
Imports - partners
Germany 17.2%, Denmark 9%, Norway 8.1%, UK 5.9%, Netherlands 5.7%, Finland 5.6%, France 4.5%, Belgium 4% (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$22.26 billion (August 2006 est.)
Debt - external
$598.2 billion (30 June 2006)
Economic aid - donor
ODA, $1.7 billion (1997)
Currency (code)
Swedish krona (SEK)
Currency code
SEK
Exchange rates
Swedish kronor per US dollar - 7.3731 (2006), 7.4731 (2005), 7.3489 (2004), 8.0863 (2003), 9.7371 (2002)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Telephones - main lines in use
6.447 million (2004)
Telephones - mobile cellular
8.436 million (2005)
Telephone system
general assessment
excellent domestic and international facilities; automatic system
domestic
coaxial and multiconductor cables carry most of the voice traffic; parallel microwave radio relay systems carry some additional telephone channels
international
country code - 46; 5 submarine coaxial cables; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Sweden shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Norway)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 1, FM 265, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios
8.25 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations
169 (plus 1,299 repeaters) (1995)
Televisions
4.6 million (1997)
Internet country code
.se
Internet hosts
2.958 million (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
29 (2000)
Internet users
6.8 million (2005)
Airports
255 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways
total
155
over 3,047 m
3
2,438 to 3,047 m
13
1,524 to 2,437 m
80
914 to 1,523 m
23
under 914 m
36 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total
100
914 to 1,523 m
9
under 914 m
91 (2006)
Heliports
2 (2006)
Pipelines
gas 798 km (2006)
Railways
total
11,481 km
standard gauge
11,481 km 1.435-m gauge (9,400 km electrified) (2005)
Roadways
total
424,947 km
paved
129,651 km (includes 1,591 km of expressways)
unpaved
295,296 km (2004)
Waterways
2,052 km (2005)
Merchant marine
total
198 ships (1000 GRT or over) 3,703,834 GRT/2,382,754 DWT
by type
bulk carrier 8, cargo 28, chemical tanker 47, container 5, passenger 3, passenger/cargo 36, petroleum tanker 15, roll on/roll off 31, specialized tanker 4, vehicle carrier 21
foreign-owned
37 (Belgium 2, Denmark 4, Finland 11, Germany 3, Italy 7, Japan 2, Norway 7, US 1)
registered in other countries
161 (Bahamas 6, Bermuda 14, Cayman Islands 9, Cook Islands 3, Cyprus 3, Denmark 1, France 2, French Southern and Antarctic Lands 9, Gibraltar 5, Isle of Man 1, Liberia 8, Malta 3, Netherlands 26, Netherlands Antilles 5, Norway 28, Panama 5, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Singapore 12, UK 15, US 5) (2006)
Ports and terminals
Goteborg, Helsingborg, Karlshamn, Lulea, Malmo, Oxelosund, Stenungsund, Stockholm, Trelleborg
Military branches
Swedish Armed Forces (Forsvarsmakten): Army (Armen), Royal Swedish Navy (Marinen), Swedish Air Force (Svenska Flygvapnet) (2006)
Military service age and obligation
19 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 7-17 months depending on conscript role; after completing initial service, soldiers have a reserve commitment until age of 47 (2004)
