Sweden

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Introduction

Background

A military power during the 17th century, Sweden has not participated in any war for two centuries. An armed neutrality was preserved in both World Wars. Since then, Sweden has pursued a successful economic formula consisting of a capitalist system intermixed with substantial welfare elements. Sweden joined the EU in 1995, but the public rejected the introduction of the euro in a 2003 referendum. The share of Sweden’s population born abroad increased from 11.3% in 2000 to 19.1% in 2018.

Geography

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: 450,295 sq km
land: 410,335 sq km
water: 39,960 sq km
country comparison to the world: 57

Area - comparative

almost three times the size of Georgia; slightly larger than California

Land boundaries

total: 2,211 km
border countries (2): Finland 545 km, Norway 1666 km

Coastline

3,218 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12nm (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

mean elevation: 320 m
lowest point: reclaimed bay of Lake Hammarsjon, near Kristianstad -2.4 m
highest point: Kebnekaise 2,111 m

Natural resources

iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver, tungsten, uranium, arsenic, feldspar, timber, hydropower

Land use

agricultural land: 7.5% (2011 est.)
arable land: 6.4% (2011 est.)/permanent crops: 0% (2011 est.)/permanent pasture: 1.1% (2011 est.)
forest: 68.7% (2011 est.)
other: 23.8% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land

1,640 sq km (2012)

Population distribution

most Swedes live in the south where the climate is milder and there is better connectivity to mainland Europe; population clusters are found all along the Baltic coast in the east; the interior areas of the north remain sparsely populated

Natural hazards

ice floes in the surrounding waters, especially in the Gulf of Bothnia, can interfere with maritime traffic

Environment - current issues

marine pollution (Baltic Sea and North Sea); acid rain damage to soils and lakes; air pollution; inappropriate timber harvesting practices

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; Sweden has almost 100,000 lakes, the largest of which, Vanern, is the third largest in Europe

People and Society

Population

10,040,995 (July 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 91

Nationality

noun: Swede(s)
adjective: Swedish

Ethnic groups

Swedish 80.9%, Syrian 1.8%, Finnish 1.4%, Iraqi 1.4%, other 14.5% (2018 est.)
note: data represent the population by country of birth; the indigenous Sami people are estimated to number between 20,000 and 40,000

Languages

Swedish (official)
note: Finnish, Sami, Romani, Yiddish, and Meankieli are official minority languages

Religions

Church of Sweden (Lutheran) 60.2%, other (includes Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Muslim, Jewish, and Buddhist) 8.5%, none or unspecified 31.3% (2017 est.)
note: estimates reflect registered members of faith communities eligible for state funding (not all religions are state-funded and not all people who identify with a particular religion are registered members); an estimated 57.7% of Sweden's population were members of the Church of Sweden in 2018

Age structure

0-14 years: 17.54%(male 904,957 /female 855,946)
15-24 years: 11.06%(male 573,595 /female 537,358)
25-54 years: 39.37%(male 2,005,422 /female 1,947,245)
55-64 years: 11.67%(male 588,314 /female 583,002)
65 years and over: 20.37%(male 946,170 /female 1,098,986) (2018 est.)
population pyramid:

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 58.5 (2015 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 27.4 (2015 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 31.1 (2015 est.)
potential support ratio: 3.2 (2015 est.)

Median age

total: 41.1 years (2018 est.)
male: 40.1 years
female: 42.2 years
country comparison to the world: 45

Population growth rate

0.8% (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 129

Birth rate

12.1 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 164

Death rate

9.4 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 52

Net migration rate

5.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 25

Population distribution

Urbanization

urban population: 87.7% of total population(2019)
rate of urbanization: 1.05% annual rate of change(2015-20 est.)

Major urban areas - population

1.608 million STOCKHOLM (capital) (2019)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

29.1 years (2015 est.)

Maternal mortality rate

4 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 175

Infant mortality rate

total: 2.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)
male: 2.9 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 2.3 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 216

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 82.2 years (2018 est.)
male: 80.3 years
female: 84.3 years
country comparison to the world: 17

Total fertility rate

1.87 children born/woman (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 141

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 100% of population
rural: 100% of population
total: 100% of population
unimproved: urban: 0% of population
rural: 0% of population
total: 0% of population (2015 est.)

Current Health Expenditure

10.9% (2016)

Physicians density

5.4 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

Hospital bed density

2.4 beds/1,000 population (2015)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 99.3% of population (2015 est.)
rural: 99.6% of population (2015 est.)
total: 99.3% of population (2015 est.)
unimproved: urban: 0.7% of population (2015 est.)
rural: 0.4% of population (2015 est.)
total: 0.7% of population (2015 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.2% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 113

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

11,000 (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 98

HIV/AIDS - deaths

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

20.6% (2016)
country comparison to the world: 97

Education expenditures

7.7% of GDP (2016)
country comparison to the world: 6

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 19 years
male: 18 years
female: 20 years (2016)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 17.9%
male: 18.8%
female: 17% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 78

Government

Country name

conventional long form: Kingdom of Sweden
conventional short form: Sweden
local long form: Konungariket Sverige
local short form: Sverige
etymology: name ultimately derives from the North Germanic Svear tribe, which inhabited central Sweden and is first mentioned in the first centuries A.D.

Government type

parliamentary 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
etymology: "stock" and "holm" literally mean "log" and "islet" in Swedish, but there is no consensus as to what the words refer to

Administrative divisions

21 counties (lan, singular and plural); Blekinge, Dalarna, Gavleborg, Gotland, Halland, Jamtland, Jonkoping, Kalmar, Kronoberg, Norrbotten, Orebro, Ostergotland, Skane, Sodermanland, Stockholm, Uppsala, Varmland, Vasterbotten, Vasternorrland, Vastmanland, Vastra Gotaland

Independence

6 June 1523 (Gustav VASA elected king of Sweden, marking the abolishment of the Kalmar Union between Denmark, Norway, and Sweden)

National holiday

National Day, 6 June (1983); note - from 1916 to 1982 this date was celebrated as Swedish Flag Day

Constitution

history: several previous; latest adopted 1 January 1975
amendments: proposed by Parliament; passage requires simple majority vote in two consecutive parliamentary terms with an intervening general election; passage also requires approval by simple majority vote in a referendum if Parliament approves a motion for a referendum by one third of its members; amended several times, last in 2014 (changes to the "Instrument of Government") (2016)

Legal system

civil law system influenced by Roman-Germanic law and customary law

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no
citizenship by descent only: the father must be a citizen of Sweden; in the case of a child born out of wedlock, the mother must be a citizen of Sweden and the father unknown
dual citizenship recognized: no, unless the other citizenship was acquired involuntarily
residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state: King CARL XVI GUSTAF (since 15 September 1973); Heir Apparent Princess VICTORIA Ingrid Alice Desiree (daughter of the monarch, born 14 July 1977)
head of government: Prime Minister Stefan LOFVEN (since 3 October 2014); Deputy Prime Minister Isabella LOVIN (since 25 May 2016); note - Prime Minister Stefan LOFVEN was ousted in a no-confidence vote on 25 September 2018 and headed a caretaker government until the next government was formed; LOFVEN was reelected as Prime Minister and took office on 21 January 2019
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister
elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually becomes the prime minister

Legislative branch

description: unicameral Parliament or Riksdag (349 seats; 310 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by closed, party-list proportional representation vote and 39 members in "at-large" seats directly elected by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms)
elections: last held on 9 September 2018 (next to be held in 2022)
election results: percent of vote by party - SAP 28.3%, M 19.8%, SD 17.5%, C 8.6%, V 8%, KD 6.3%, L 5.5%, MP 4.4%, other 1.6%; seats by party - SAP 100, M 70, SD 62, C 31, V 28, KD 22, L 20, MP 16; composition - men 188, women 161, percent of women 46.1%

Judicial branch

highest courts: Supreme Court of Sweden (consists of 16 justices, including the court chairman); Supreme Administrative Court (consists of 18 justices, including the court president)
judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court and Supreme Administrative Court justices nominated by the Judges Proposal Board, a 9-member nominating body consisting of high-level judges, prosecutors, and members of Parliament; justices appointed by the Government; following a probationary period, justices' appointments are permanent
subordinate courts: first instance, appellate, general, and administrative courts; specialized courts that handle cases such as land and environment, immigration, labor, markets, and patents

Political parties and leaders

Center Party (Centerpartiet) or C [Annie LOOF]
Christian Democrats (Kristdemokraterna) or KD [Ebba Busch THOR]
Green Party (Miljopartiet de Grona) or MP [Isabella LOVIN and Per BOLUND]
Left Party (Vansterpartiet) or V [Jonas SJOSTEDT]
Liberal Party (Liberalerna) or L [Jan BJORKLUND]
Moderate Party (Moderaterna) or M [Ulf KRISTERSSON]
Swedish Social Democratic Party (Socialdemokraterna) or SAP [Stefan LOFVEN]
Sweden Democrats (Sverigedemokraterna) or SD [Jimmie AKESSON]

International organization participation

ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CD, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-9, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMISS, UNMOGIP, UNRWA, UN Security Council (temporary), UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US

Ambassador Karin Ulrika OLOFSDOTTER (since 17 September 2017)
chancery: The House of Sweden, 2900 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone: [1] (202) 536-1500
FAX: [1] (202) 536-1501
consulate(s) general: New York, San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Pamela TREMONT (since April 2019)
telephone: [46] (08) 783 53 00
embassy: Dag Hammarskjolds Vag 31, SE-11589 Stockholm
mailing address: American Embassy Stockholm, US Department of State, 5750 Stockholm Place, Washington, DC 20521-5750
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); the colors reflect those of the Swedish coat of arms - three gold crowns on a blue field

National symbol(s)

three crowns, lion; national colors: blue, yellow

National anthem

name: "Du Gamla, Du Fria" (Thou Ancient, Thou Free)
lyrics/music: Richard DYBECK/traditional
note: in use since 1844; also known as "Sang till Norden" (Song of the North), is based on a Swedish folk tune; it has never been officially adopted by the government; "Kungssangen" (The King's Song) serves as the royal anthem and is played in the presence of the royal family and during certain state ceremonies

Economy

Economy - overview

Sweden’s small, open, and competitive economy has been thriving and Sweden has achieved an enviable standard of living with its combination of free-market capitalism and extensive welfare benefits. Sweden remains outside the euro zone largely out of concern that joining the European Economic and Monetary Union would diminish the country’s sovereignty over its welfare system. Timber, hydropower, and iron ore constitute the resource base of a manufacturing economy that relies heavily on foreign trade. Exports, including engines and other machines, motor vehicles, and telecommunications equipment, account for more than 44% of GDP. Sweden enjoys a current account surplus of about 5% of GDP, which is one of the highest margins in Europe. GDP grew an estimated 3.3% in 2016 and 2017 driven largely by investment in the construction sector. Swedish economists expect economic growth to ease slightly in the coming years as this investment subsides. Global economic growth boosted exports of Swedish manufactures further, helping drive domestic economic growth in 2017. The Central Bank is keeping an eye on deflationary pressures and bank observers expect it to maintain an expansionary monetary policy in 2018. Swedish prices and wages have grown only slightly over the past few years, helping to support the country’s competitiveness. In the short and medium term, Sweden’s economic challenges include providing affordable housing and successfully integrating migrants into the labor market.

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$518 billion (2017 est.)
$507.3 billion (2016 est.)
$494 billion (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 40

GDP (official exchange rate)

$535.6 billion (2017 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

2.1% (2017 est.)
2.7% (2016 est.)
4.5% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 148

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$51,200 (2017 est.)
$50,800 (2016 est.)
$50,100 (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 26

Gross national saving

28.9% of GDP (2017 est.)
28.8% of GDP (2016 est.)
28.8% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 34

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 44.1% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 26% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 24.9% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 0.8% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 45.3% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -41.1% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 1.6% (2017 est.)
industry: 33% (2017 est.)
services: 65.4% (2017 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

4.1% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 74

Labor force

5.361 million (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 77

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 2%
industry: 12%
services: 86% (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate

6.7% (2017 est.)
7% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 101

Population below poverty line

15% (2014 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 3.4%
highest 10%: 24% (2012)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

24.9 (2013)
25 (1992)
country comparison to the world: 153

Budget

revenues: 271.2 billion (2017 est.)
expenditures: 264.4 billion (2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

50.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 16

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

1.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 27

Public debt

40.8% of GDP (2017 est.)
42.3% of GDP (2016 est.)
note: data cover general government debt and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions
country comparison to the world: 124

Fiscal year

calendar year

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.9% (2017 est.)
1.1% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 100

Central bank discount rate

-0.5% (31 December 2017)
-0.5% (31 December 2016)
note: the Discount rate was abolished in 2002, and replaced by a "Reference rate" with no bearing on monetary policy; the rate quoted here is the Reference rate
country comparison to the world: 163

Commercial bank prime lending rate

1.93% (31 December 2017 est.)
2% (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 185

Stock of narrow money

$329.2 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$273.9 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 14

Stock of broad money

$329.2 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$273.9 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 14

Stock of domestic credit

$929.1 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$749.6 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 17

Market value of publicly traded shares

$560.5 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
$470.1 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
$581.2 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 21

Current account balance

$17.79 billion (2017 est.)
$21.84 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 17

Exports

$165.6 billion (2017 est.)
$151.4 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 31

Exports - partners

Germany 11%, Norway 10.2%, Finland 6.9%, US 6.9%, Denmark 6.9%, UK 6.2%, Netherlands 5.5%, China 4.5%, Belgium 4.4%, France 4.2% (2017)

Exports - commodities

machinery (26%), motor vehicles, paper products, pulp and wood, iron and steel products, chemicals (2016 est.)

Imports

$153.2 billion (2017 est.)
$140.2 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 30

Imports - commodities

machinery, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, motor vehicles, iron and steel; foodstuffs, clothing

Imports - partners

Germany 18.7%, Netherlands 8.9%, Norway 7.7%, Denmark 7.2%, China 5.5%, UK 5.1%, Finland 4.7%, Belgium 4.7% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$62.22 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$59.39 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 36

Debt - external

$939.9 billion (31 March 2016 est.)
$929.4 billion (31 March 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 16

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$458.2 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$390.5 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 19

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$523.5 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$479.3 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 16

Exchange rates

Swedish kronor (SEK) per US dollar -
8.442 (2017 est.)
8.5605 (2016 est.)
8.5605 (2015 est.)
8.4335 (2014 est.)
6.8612 (2013 est.)

Energy

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 100% (2016)

Electricity - production

152.9 billion kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 27

Electricity - consumption

133.5 billion kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 27

Electricity - exports

26.02 billion kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 6

Electricity - imports

14.29 billion kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 16

Electricity - installed generating capacity

40.29 million kW (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 26

Electricity - from fossil fuels

5% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 204

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

22% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 6

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

42% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 50

Electricity - from other renewable sources

32% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 16

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 204

Crude oil - exports

14,570 bbl/day (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 55

Crude oil - imports

400,200 bbl/day (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 23

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 200

Refined petroleum products - production

413,200 bbl/day (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 36

Refined petroleum products - consumption

323,100 bbl/day (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 42

Refined petroleum products - exports

371,100 bbl/day (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 23

Refined petroleum products - imports

229,600 bbl/day (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 29

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 204

Natural gas - consumption

764.5 million cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 97

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 193

Natural gas - imports

764.5 million cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 64

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 199

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

52.31 million Mt (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 58

Communications

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 2,794,418
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 28 (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 50

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 12,435,709
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 125 (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 74

Telephone system

general assessment: highly developed telecommunications infrastructure; ranked among leading countries for fixed-line, mobile-cellular, Internet, and broadband penetration; best developed LTE infrastructures in the region; first in the world to deliver 5G services (2018)
domestic: fixed-line 28 per 100 and mobile-cellular 125 per 100; coaxial and multiconductor cables carry most of the voice traffic; parallel microwave radio relay systems carry some additional telephone channels (2018)
international: country code - 46; landing points for Botina, SFL, SFS-4, Baltic Sea Submarine Cable, Eastern Light, Sweden-Latvia, BCS North-Phase1, EE-S1, LV-SE1, BCS East-West Interlink, NordBalt, Baltica, Denmark-Sweden-15,-17,-18, Scandinavian Ring -North,-South, IP-Only Denmark-Sweden, Donica North, Kattegate-1,-2, Energinet Laeso-Varberg and GC2 submarine cables providing links to other Nordic countries and Europe; 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) (2019)

Broadcast media

publicly owned TV broadcaster operates 2 terrestrial networks plus regional stations; multiple privately owned TV broadcasters operating nationally, regionally, and locally; about 50 local TV stations; widespread access to pan-Nordic and international broadcasters through multi-channel cable and satellite TV; publicly owned radio broadcaster operates 3 national stations and a network of 25 regional channels; roughly 100 privately owned local radio stations with some consolidating into near national networks; an estimated 900 community and neighborhood radio stations broadcast intermittently

Internet country code

.se

Internet users

total: 9,041,427
percent of population: 91.5% (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 50

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 3,735,884
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 38 (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 33

Military and Security

Military expenditures

1.04% of GDP (2018)
1.03% of GDP (2017)
1.06% of GDP (2016)
1.08% of GDP (2015)
1.14% of GDP (2014)
country comparison to the world: 114

Military and security forces

Swedish Armed Forces (Forsvarsmakten): Army, Navy, Air Force, Home Guard (2019)

Military service age and obligation

18-47 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; service obligation: 7.5 months (Army), 7-15 months (Navy), 8-12 months (Air Force); after completing initial service, soldiers have a reserve commitment until age 47; compulsory military service, abolished in 2010, was reinstated in January 2018; conscription is selective, includes both female and male (age 18), and requires 9-12 months of service (2018)

Transportation

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 8 (2015)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 219 (2015)
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 11,623,930 (2015)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 0mt-km (2015)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

SE (2016)

Airports

231 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 25

Airports - with paved runways

total: 149 (2013)
over 3,047 m: 3 (2013)
2,438 to 3,047 m: 12 (2013)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 75 (2013)
914 to 1,523 m: 22 (2013)
under 914 m: 37 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 82 (2013)
914 to 1,523 m: 5 (2013)
under 914 m: 77 (2013)

Heliports

2 (2013)

Pipelines

1626 km gas (2013)

Railways

total: 14,127 km (2016)
standard gauge: 14,062 km1.435-m gauge (12,322 km electrified) (2016)
narrow gauge: 65 km0.891-m gauge (65 km electrified) (2016)
country comparison to the world: 20

Roadways

total: 573,134 km(includes 2,050 km of expressways) (2016)
paved: 140,100 km (2016)
unpaved: 433,034 km (2016)
note: includes 98,500 km of state roads, 433,034 km of private roads, and 41,600 km of municipal roads
country comparison to the world: 13

Waterways

2,052 km (2010)
country comparison to the world: 40

Merchant marine

total: 359
by type: general cargo 66, oil tanker 22, other 271 (2018)
country comparison to the world: 47

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Brofjorden, Goteborg, Helsingborg, Karlshamn, Lulea, Malmo, Stockholm, Trelleborg, Visby
LNG terminal(s) (import): Brunnsviksholme, Lysekil

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international

none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin): 109,343 (Syria), 27,653 (Eritrea), 28,204 (Afghanistan), 21,032 (Somalia), 12,693 (Iraq), 6,485 (Iran) (2018)
stateless persons: 31,819 (2018); note - the majority of stateless people are from the Middle East and Somalia