Population Distribution
As of 2023, the latest population of Sweden is 10,202,491, based on our calculation of the current data from UN (United Nations).
| Total population | 10,202,491 |
| Population growth rate | 0.79% |
| Birth rate | 12.10 births per 1,000 people |
| Life expectancy | |
| Overall life expectancy | 81.28 years |
| Men life expectancy | 78.95 years |
| Women life expectancy | 83.75 years |
| Age structure | |
| 0-14 years | 17.54% |
| 15-64 years | 62.10% |
| 65 years and above | 20.37% |
| Median age | 41.20 years |
| Gender ratio (Male to Female) | 0.98 |
| Population density | 22.66 residents per km² |
| Urbanization | 83.40% |
| Ethnicities | |
| Sweden; approx. 500,000 Swedes and 20,000 Sámi (Sami); Proportion of foreigners 2015: 7.5% | |
| Religions | |
| Lutherans 87%; Catholics (Roman Catholic 1.7%; Orthodox, Baptists, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists | |
| Human Development Index (HDI) | 0.937 |
| HDI ranking | 8th out of 194 |
People in Sweden
Sweden has around ten million residents. However, not only Swedes live in the country.
Ten percent of the population belong to another ethnic group. This is how Finns live in Sweden. They are called Swedish Finns. Many of them speak Finnish as their mother tongue. The Swedish Finns live predominantly in central Sweden.
The original residents in the north of the Scandinavian Peninsula are the Sami. Around 20,000 Sami still live in Sweden. In addition to hunting and fishing, they mainly reared reindeer. Today only a few seeds do that.
There are also many people in Sweden who were born abroad and immigrated to the country. In addition to the Finns, these immigrants are mainly people from Iraq, the former Yugoslavia, Poland, Iran, Turkey and Syria.
By the way, 88 percent of all Swedes live in cities. The biggest cities are Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö and Uppsala.
Languages in Sweden
Swedish is spoken in Sweden. Swedish is closely related to Danish and especially to Norwegian. All three originated from Old Norse, the language of the Teutons in Scandinavia. Norwegians and Swedes can get along quite well.
Swedish has many dialects and a Swede can hear which part of the country someone comes from. In the Swedish alphabet there are not only Ä and Ö as separate letters, but also Å. It is pronounced more like an “o”. The little curl on top is an “o”. An example of a Swedish sentence: Barnet äter äpplet. That means: the child eats the apple.
In addition to Swedish, there are other languages, albeit in a minority. This includes Finnish, which is spoken by the Finnish Swedes. Tornedal Finnish, a Finnish dialect, is also spoken on the Swedish-Finnish border. It is named after the Tornedal, a valley that forms the border river there.
The Sami people usually speak Swedish, but sometimes also Sami. Sami is one of the Finnish-Ugric languages and is therefore not related to Swedish. “It’s cold” means in North Sami: lea čoaskkis.
Religions in Sweden
58 percent of Swedes are Protestant. You belong to the Swedish Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden. Until 2000 it was the state church of Sweden.
1.1 percent of the population are Catholics. About 5.1 percent belong to Islam and 1.2 percent to the Christian Orthodox Church.
Sweden Overview
Sweden, situated in Northern Europe, is renowned for its stunning natural landscapes, including vast forests, picturesque lakes, and coastal islands. The country is famous for its commitment to social welfare, innovation, and quality of life, boasting a high standard of living and progressive social policies. Additionally, Sweden is known for its rich cultural heritage, from its Viking history to modern design and music scenes, making it a captivating destination for travelers seeking a blend of history, nature, and contemporary culture.
- Capital City: Stockholm
- Population: Approximately 10.4 million
- Area: 450,295 square kilometers
- Full Country Name: Kingdom of Sweden
- Currency: Swedish krona (SEK)
- Language: Swedish
- ISO Country Codes: ISO 3166-1 alpha-2: SE, ISO 3166-1 alpha-3: SWE
Bordering Countries of Sweden
Sweden is a Scandinavian country located in the northern part of Europe, bordered by Norway, Finland and Denmark.
Norway is located to the west of Sweden and shares a border of 1,619 km with it. Norway has had a deep cultural influence on its neighbour throughout history due to its close proximity and shared language among many people in both countries. Recently both countries have been working together on regional development projects such as improving infrastructure links between them.
Finland is located to the north of Sweden and shares a border of 614 km with it. Finland has had an important influence on its neighbour’s history due to its strategic location on the Baltic coast. The two countries have strong economic ties due to their shared access to international maritime trade routes.
Denmark is located south of Sweden and shares a border of 68 km with it. Denmark has had a deep influence on its neighbour throughout history due to its large size compared with Sweden as well as its close proximity. Recently both countries have been working together on regional development projects such as improving infrastructure links between them.