SELECT EDITION
CATEGORIES
◆ COMMUNICATIONS(6 fields)
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 (2008)
Internet country code
.se
Internet users
total: 8.881 million | percent of population: 90.6% (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 47
Telephone system
general assessment: highly developed telecommunications infrastructure; ranked among leading countries for fixed-line, mobile-cellular, Internet and broadband penetration | 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; submarine cables provide 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) (2015)
Telephones - fixed lines
total subscriptions: 3,554,665 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 36 (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 43
Telephones - mobile cellular
total: 12.639 million | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 129 (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 75
◆ ECONOMY(41 fields)
Agriculture - products
barley, wheat, sugar beets; meat, milk
Budget
revenues: $248.5 billion | expenditures: $248.5 billion (2015 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)
0% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 40
Central bank discount rate
0% (31 December 2014) | 1% (31 December 2013) | 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: 156
Commercial bank prime lending rate
1.96% (31 December 2015 est.) | 2.53% (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 178
Current account balance
$29.19 billion (2015 est.) | $30.58 billion (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 15
Debt - external
$1.01 trillion (31 December 2014 est.) | $1.107 trillion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 16
Distribution of family income - Gini index
24.9 (2013) | 25 (1992) | country comparison to the world: 142
Economy - overview
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 an economy heavily oriented toward foreign trade. | Economic growth slowed in 2013, as a result of continued economic weakness in Sweden’s European trading partners; Sweden’s economy experienced modest growth in 2014-15, with real GDP growth above 2%, but continues to struggle with deflationary pressure.
Exchange rates
Swedish kronor (SEK) per US dollar - | 8.4335 (2015 est.) | 6.8612 (2014 est.) | 6.8612 (2013 est.) | 6.77 (2012 est.) | 6.4918 (2011 est.)
Exports
$151.1 billion (2015 est.) | $179.6 billion (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 30
Exports - commodities
machinery 35%, motor vehicles, paper products, pulp and wood, iron and steel products, chemicals (2012 est.)
Exports - partners
Norway 10.3%, Germany 10.3%, US 7.7%, UK 7.2%, Denmark 6.8%, Finland 6.7%, Netherlands 5.2%, Belgium 4.4%, France 4.2% (2015)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP (official exchange rate)
$492.6 billion (2015 est.)
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$473.4 billion (2015 est.) | $454.8 billion (2014 est.) | $444.7 billion (2013 est.) | note: data are in 2015 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 41
GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption: 45.2% | government consumption: 26% | investment in fixed capital: 24.2% | investment in inventories: 0.3% | exports of goods and services: 45.1% | imports of goods and services: -40.9% (2015 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 1.8% | industry: 33.8% | services: 64.4% (2015 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$47,900 (2015 est.) | $46,700 (2014 est.) | $46,100 (2013 est.) | note: data are in 2015 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 25
GDP - real growth rate
4.1% (2015 est.) | 2.3% (2014 est.) | 1.2% (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 61
Gross national saving
30.3% of GDP (2015 est.) | 29.1% of GDP (2014 est.) | 28.5% of GDP (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 33
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 3.4% | highest 10%: 24% (2012)
Imports
$137.3 billion (2015 est.) | $160.6 billion (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 31
Imports - commodities
machinery, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, motor vehicles, iron and steel; foodstuffs, clothing
Imports - partners
Germany 17.9%, Netherlands 8.1%, Norway 7.8%, Denmark 7.7%, China 6%, UK 5.5%, Finland 4.6%, France 4.3%, Belgium 4.3% (2015)
Industrial production growth rate
4.8% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 41
Industries
iron and steel, precision equipment (bearings, radio and telephone parts, armaments), wood pulp and paper products, processed foods, motor vehicles
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
0% (2015 est.) | -0.2% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 74
Labor force
5.224 million (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 75
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture: 2% | industry: 12% | services: 86% (2014 est.)
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: 19
Population below poverty line
14% (2011 est.)
Public debt
43.2% of GDP (2015 est.) | 44.7% of GDP (2014 est.) | note: data cover general government debt, and includes 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 intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental 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: 106
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$58.11 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $62.5 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 34
Stock of broad money
$326.9 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $322.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 31
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad
$445 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $481.6 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 17
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home
$380.9 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $418.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 18
Stock of domestic credit
$749.3 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $788.6 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 17
Stock of narrow money
$271 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $258.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 17
Taxes and other revenues
50.4% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 15
Unemployment rate
7.4% (2015 est.) | 7.9% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 85
◆ ENERGY(24 fields)
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy
50 million Mt (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 59
Crude oil - exports
23,210 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 62
Crude oil - imports
410,600 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 26
Crude oil - production
0 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 194
Crude oil - proved reserves
0 bbl (1 January 2016 es) | country comparison to the world: 194
Electricity - consumption
127 billion kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 27
Electricity - exports
29 billion kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 8
Electricity - from fossil fuels
9.5% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 199
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants
43% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 56
Electricity - from nuclear fuels
24.8% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 7
Electricity - from other renewable sources
22.7% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 14
Electricity - imports
14 billion kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 15
Electricity - installed generating capacity
39 million kW (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 25
Electricity - production
150 billion kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 24
Electricity access
electrification - total population: 100% (2016)
Natural gas - consumption
933 million cu m (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 93
Natural gas - exports
0 cu m (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 186
Natural gas - imports
891 million cu m (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 59
Natural gas - production
0 cu m (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 133
Natural gas - proved reserves
0 cu m (1 January 2014 es) | country comparison to the world: 197
Refined petroleum products - consumption
291,100 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 42
Refined petroleum products - exports
298,700 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 34
Refined petroleum products - imports
174,500 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 36
Refined petroleum products - production
426,600 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 39
◆ GEOGRAPHY(19 fields)
Area
total: 450,295 sq km | land: 410,335 sq km | water: 39,960 sq km | country comparison to the world: 56
Area - comparative
slightly larger than California
Climate
temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly cloudy summers; subarctic in north
Coastline
3,218 km
Elevation
mean elevation: 320 m | elevation extremes: lowest point: reclaimed bay of Lake Hammarsjon, near Kristianstad -2.4 m | highest point: Kebnekaise 2,111 m
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
Geographic coordinates
62 00 N, 15 00 E
Geography - note
strategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic and North Seas
Irrigated land
1,640 sq km (2012)
Land boundaries
total: 2,211 km | border countries (2): Finland 545 km, Norway 1,666 km
Land use
agricultural land: 7.5% | arable land 6.4%; permanent crops 0%; permanent pasture 1.1% | forest: 68.7% | other: 23.8% (2011 est.)
Location
Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, Kattegat, and Skagerrak, between Finland and Norway
Map references
Europe
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
Natural hazards
ice floes in the surrounding waters, especially in the Gulf of Bothnia, can interfere with maritime traffic
Natural resources
iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver, tungsten, uranium, arsenic, feldspar, timber, hydropower
Population - distribution
most Swedes live in the south where there the climate is more mild 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
Terrain
mostly flat or gently rolling lowlands; mountains in west
◆ GOVERNMENT(22 fields)
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
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
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
Constitution
several previous; latest adopted 1 January 1975; amended several times, last in 2014 (Riksdag Act) (2016)
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.
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Azita RAJI (since 15 March 2016) | embassy: Dag Hammarskjolds Vag 31, SE-11589 Stockholm | mailing address: 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
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Bjorn O. LYRVALL (since 12 September 2013) | chancery: The House of Sweden, 2900 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20007 | telephone: [1] (202) 467-2600 | FAX: [1] (202) 467-2699 | consulate(s) general: New York
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 Stefan LOFVEN (since 3 October 2014); Deputy Prime Minister Isabella LOVIN (since 25 May 2016) | 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
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
Government type
parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Independence
6 June 1523 (Gustav VASA elected king of Sweden marking the abolishment of the Kalmar Union between Denmark, Norway, and Sweden)
International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
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, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Judicial branch
highest court(s): 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 Board of Judges, 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 and appellate general and administrative courts; specialized courts that handle cases such as land and environment, immigration, labor, markets, and patents
Legal system
civil law system influenced by Roman-Germanic law and customary law
Legislative branch
description: unicameral Parliament or Riksdag (349 seats; 310 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by 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 14 September 2014 (next to be held in September 2018) | election results: percent of vote by party - SAP 31.0%, M 23.3%, SD 12.9%, MP 6.9%, C 6.1%, V 5.7%, FP 5.4%, KD 4.6%, others 4.1%; seats by party - SAP 113, M 84, SD 49, MP 25, C 22, V 21, FP 19, KD 16
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
National holiday
National Day, 6 June (1983); note - from 1916 to 1982 this date was celebrated as Swedish Flag Day
National symbol(s)
three crowns, lion; national colors: blue, yellow
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 [Asa ROMSON and Gustav FRIDOLIN] | Left Party (Vansterpartiet) (formerly Communist Party) or V [Jonas SJOSTEDT] | Liberal Party (Liberalerna) or L [Jan BJORKLUND] | Moderate Party (Moderaterna) or M [Anna KINBERG BATRA] | Swedish Social Democratic Party (Socialdemokraterna) or SAP [Stefan LOFVEN] | Sweden Democrats (Sverigedemokraterna) or SD [Jimmie AKESSON]
Political pressure groups and leaders
Swedish Confederation of Professional Associations or SACO [Goran ARRIUS] | Swedish Confederation of Professional Employees or TCO [Eva NORDMARK] | Swedish Trade Union Confederation (Landsorganisationen) or LO [Karl-Petter THORWALDSSON] | other: environmental groups; media
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
◆ INTRODUCTION(1 fields)
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. Sweden's long-successful economic formula of a capitalist system intermixed with substantial welfare elements was challenged in the 1990s by high unemployment and in 2000-02 and 2009 by the global economic downturns, 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.
◆ MILITARY AND SECURITY(3 fields)
Military branches
Swedish Armed Forces (Forsvarsmakten): Army (Armen), Royal Swedish Navy (Marinen), Swedish Air Force (Svenska Flygvapnet) (2010)
Military expenditures
1.1% of GDP (2015) | 1.1% of GDP (2014) | 1.1% of GDP (2013) | 1.18% of GDP (2012) | 1.17% of GDP (2011) | country comparison to the world: 84
Military service age and obligation
18-47 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; Swedish citizenship required; service obligation: 7.5 months (Army), 7-15 months (Navy), 8-12 months (Air Force); the Swedish Parliament has abolished compulsory military service, with exclusively voluntary recruitment as of July 2010; conscription remains an option in emergencies; after completing initial service, soldiers have a reserve commitment until age 47 (2013)
◆ PEOPLE AND SOCIETY(33 fields)
Age structure
0-14 years: 17.28% (male 878,463/female 829,266) | 15-24 years: 11.63% (male 591,495/female 557,229) | 25-54 years: 39.38% (male 1,976,752/female 1,914,623) | 55-64 years: 11.58% (male 574,175/female 570,424) | 65 years and over: 20.12% (male 915,861/female 1,072,316) (2016 est.)
Birth rate
12 births/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 167
Death rate
9.4 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 60
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 59.3% | youth dependency ratio: 27.5% | elderly dependency ratio: 31.8% | potential support ratio: 3.1% (2015 est.)
Drinking water source
urban: 100% of population | rural: 100% of population | total: 100% of population | urban: 0% of population | rural: 0% of population | total: 0% of population (2015 est.)
Education expenditures
7.7% of GDP (2013) | country comparison to the world: 20
Ethnic groups
indigenous population: Swedes with Finnish and Sami minorities; foreign-born or first-generation immigrants: Finns, Yugoslavs, Danes, Norwegians, Greeks, Turks
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
0.18% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 99
HIV/AIDS - deaths
100 (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 108
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
NA
Health expenditures
11.9% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 27
Hospital bed density
2.7 beds/1,000 population (2011)
Infant mortality rate
total: 2.6 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 2.9 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 2.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 218
Languages
Swedish (official), small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 82.1 years | male: 80.2 years | female: 84.1 years (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 16
Major urban areas - population
STOCKHOLM (capital) 1.486 million (2015)
Maternal mortality rate
4 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 179
Median age
total: 41.2 years | male: 40.2 years | female: 42.2 years (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 38
Mother's mean age at first birth
28.9 (2010 est.)
Nationality
noun: Swede(s) | adjective: Swedish
Net migration rate
5.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 23
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
22% (2014) | country comparison to the world: 104
Physicians density
3.93 physicians/1,000 population (2011)
Population
9,880,604 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 90
Population distribution
most Swedes live in the south where there the climate is more mild 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
Population growth rate
0.81% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 134
Religions
Lutheran 87%, other (includes Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Muslim, Jewish, and Buddhist) 13%
Sanitation facility access
urban: 99.3% of population | rural: 99.6% of population | total: 99.3% of population | urban: 0.7% of population | rural: 0.4% of population | total: 0.7% of population (2015 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 18 years | male: 17 years | female: 20 years (2014)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.06 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 1.03 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female | total population: 1 male(s)/female (2016 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.88 children born/woman (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 141
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24
total: 22.9% | male: 24.2% | female: 21.5% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 40
Urbanization
urban population: 85.8% of total population (2015) | rate of urbanization: 0.83% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
◆ TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES(2 fields)
Disputes - international
none
Refugees and internally displaced persons
refugees (country of origin): 52,707 (Syria); 23,886 (Iraq); 21,501 (Somalia); 20,203 (Eritrea); 13,064 (Afghanistan) (2015) | stateless persons: 31,062 (2015); note - the majority of stateless people are from the Middle East and Somalia
◆ TRANSPORTATION(12 fields)
Airports
231 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 25
Airports - with paved runways
total: 149 | over 3,047 m: 3 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 12 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 75 | 914 to 1,523 m: 22 | under 914 m: 37 (2013)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total: 82 | 914 to 1,523 m: 5 | under 914 m: 77 (2013)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
SE (2016)
Heliports
2 (2013)
Merchant marine
total: 135 | by type: bulk carrier 4, cargo 16, carrier 1, chemical tanker 15, passenger 5, passenger/cargo 36, petroleum tanker 11, roll on/roll off 30, vehicle carrier 17 | foreign-owned: 35 (Denmark 4, Estonia 3, Finland 16, Germany 3, Ireland 1, Italy 5, Norway 3) | registered in other countries: 189 (Bahamas 11, Barbados 4, Bermuda 14, Canada 2, Cook Islands 3, Cyprus 5, Denmark 15, Faroe Islands 11, Finland 1, France 4, Gibraltar 11, Italy 1, Liberia 12, Malta 1, Marshall Islands 1, Netherlands 12, Norway 27, Panama 2, Portugal 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 10, Singapore 11, UK 28) (2010) | country comparison to the world: 42
National air transport system
number of registered air carriers: 8 | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 219 | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 11,623,930 | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 0 mt-km (2015)
Pipelines
gas 1,626 km (2013)
Ports and terminals
major seaport(s): Brofjorden, Goteborg, Helsingborg, Karlshamn, Lulea, Malmo, Stockholm, Trelleborg, Visby | LNG terminal(s) (import): Brunnsviksholme, Lysekil
Railways
total: 11,915 km | standard gauge: 11,850 km 1.435-m gauge (7,567 km electrified) | narrow gauge: 65 km 0.891-m gauge (65 km electrified) (2014) | country comparison to the world: 21
Roadways
total: 579,564 km (includes 1,913 km of expressways) | paved: 135,444 km | unpaved: 444,412 km | note: includes 104,705 km of state roads, 433,034 km of private roads, and 41,825 km of municipal roads (2010) | country comparison to the world: 13
Waterways
2,052 km (2010) | country comparison to the world: 40