Statistical information Sweden 1992
Sweden in the World
top of pageBackground: 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.
top of pageLocationGeographic coordinatesMap referenceAreaTotal: 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 claimsContinental 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
ElevationNatural 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 landMajor riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographytop of pagePopulation: 8,602,157 (July 1992), growth rate 0.4% (1992)
Nationality: noun - Swede(s; adjective - Swedish
Ethnic groups:
homogeneous white population; small Lappish minority; foreign born or first-generation immigrants (Finns, Yugoslavs, Danes,
Norwegians, Greeks, Turks) about 12%
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 profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rateBirth rate: 13 births/1000 population (1992)
Death rate: 11 deaths/1000 population (1992)
Net migration rate: 2 migrants/1000 population (1992)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: water pollution; acid rain
Current issues note:strategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic and North
Seas
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant 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 rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracy: 99% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1979 est.)
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional long form: Kingdom of Sweden
Government 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
Dependent areasIndependence: 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 participationCitizenshipSuffrage: universal at age 18
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
Communists:VP and SKP; VP, formerly the Left Party-Communists, is reported to have roughly 17,800 members and attracted 5.8% of the vote in the 1988 election; VP dropped the Communist label in 1990, but maintains a
Marxist ideology
Executive branch: monarch, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral parliament (Riksdag)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Hogsta Domstolen)
Political parties and leadersInternational organization participation:
AfDB, AG (observer) AsDB, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, 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 (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, OECD, PCA,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIIMOG, UNMOGIP, UNTSO,
UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:Ambassador Anders THUNBORG; Chancery at Suite 1200, 600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,037; telephone (202) 944-5,600; there are Swedish Consulates General in Chicago, Los Angeles,
Minneapolis, and New York
US:Ambassador Charles E. REDMAN; Embassy at Strandvagen 101, S-115 89
Stockholm; telephone 46 (8) 783-5,300; FAX 46 (8) 661-1964
Diplomatic representationFlag description:
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)
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy 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 essentially full employment, 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 absenteeism, and a gradual loss of competitiveness in international markets.
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 parityReal gdp growth rateReal gdp per capita pppGross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture 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 unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudget: revenues $67.5 billion; expenditures $78.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92 est.)
Public debtTaxes and other revenuesRevenueFiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
Current account balanceInflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $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 goldDebt externalStock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange 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)
top of pageElectricity accessElectricity production: 39,716,000 kW capacity; 142,000 million kWh produced, 16,700 kWh per capita (1991)
Electricity consumptionElectricity exportsElectricity importsElectricity installed generating capacityElectricity transmission distribution lossesElectricity generation sourcesPetroleumRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephones fixed linesTelephones mobile cellularTelephone systemBroadcast mediaInternet country codeInternet usersBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresPercent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $6.2 billion, about 4% of GDP (FY91)
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports:
254 total, 252 usable; 139 with permanent-surface runways; none
with runways over 3,659 m; 10
with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 94 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Airports with paved runwaysAirports with unpaved runwaysHeliportsPipelines: natural gas 84 km
RailwaysRoadwaysWaterways: 2,052 km navigable for small steamers and barges
Merchant marine:
186 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,665,902
GRT/3,646,165 DWT; includes 10 short-sea passenger, 29 cargo, 3 container, 43 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 12 vehicle carrier, 2 railcar carrier, 33 petroleum tanker, 28 chemical tanker, 4 specialized tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 7 combination ore/oil, 12 bulk, 1 combination bulk, 1 refrigerated cargo
Civil air: 115 major transports
Ports and terminalsSweden - Transnational issues 1992
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