Map of Sweden | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: Having long lost its military prowess of the 17th century, Sweden has evolved into a prosperous and peaceful constitutional monarchy with a capitalist system interlarded with substantial welfare elements. As the 20th century comes to an end, this long successful formula is being undermined by high unemployment; the rising cost of a "cradle to the grave" welfare state; the decline of Sweden's competitive position in world markets; and indecision over the country's role in the political and economic integration of Europe.


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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area
Total: 449,964 km²
Land: 410,928 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than California

Land boundaries: 2,205 km total; Finland 586 km, Norway 1,619 km

Coastline: 3,218 km

Maritime claims
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: none

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

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%

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population: 8,602,157 (July 1992), growth rate 0.4% (1992)

Nationality: noun - Swede(s; adjective - Swedish

Ethnic groups:

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

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

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate: 13 births/1000 population (1992)

Death rate: 11 deaths/1000 population (1992)

Net migration rate: 2 migrants/1000 population (1992)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: water pollution; acid rain
Current issues note:

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/1000 live births (1992)

Life expectancy at birth: 75 years male, 81 years female (1992)

Total fertility rate: 1.9 children born/woman (1992)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: 99% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1979 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Kingdom of Sweden

Government type: constitutional monarchy

Capital: Stockholm

Administrative divisions:

Dependent areas

Independence: 6 June 1809, constitutional monarchy established

National holiday: Day of the Swedish Flag, 6 June

Constitution: 1 January 1975

Legal system: civil law system influenced by customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: universal at age 18
Riksdag:
Communists:

Executive branch: monarch, prime minister, Cabinet

Legislative branch: unicameral parliament (Riksdag)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Hogsta Domstolen)

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation:
Diplomatic representation:
US:

Diplomatic representation

Flag description:

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview:
The new centerright 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 freemarketoriented 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)

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: 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

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: growth rate -5.3% (1991)

Labor force: 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.)

Unemployment rate: 2.7% (1991)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $67.5 billion; expenditures $78.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $54.5 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
Commodoties: 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.)
Commodoties: machinery, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, motor vehicles, foodstuffs, iron and steel, clothing
Partners: EC 55.3%, US 8.4% (1990)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

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)


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

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $6.2 billion, about 4% of GDP (FY91)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports:

Heliports

Pipelines: natural gas 84 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: 2,052 km navigable for small steamers and barges

Merchant marine:
Civil air: 115 major transports

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs