Discover Fascinating Sweden Facts
Dive into the history, culture, and unique insights about Sweden.
Sweden
Background
Sweden has a rich and fascinating history! ๐ ๐ธ๐ช Once a powerful military nation in the 17th century, it has been able to enjoy a peaceful existence for the last 200 years, not participating in any wars! During both World Wars, Sweden maintained a policy of armed neutrality. ๐ค
In recent years, the nation has thrived using a clever mix of capitalism and welfare, creating a successful economic model that benefits many people. ๐๐ฐ
Years since Sweden last participated in war
200 years
Centuries Sweden was a military power
1 century
World Wars Swedish neutrality
2
Exports - commodities
Sweden is proud of its rich variety of exports! ๐ Let's look at some of the top commodities that the country sends out to the world in 2022. From refined petroleum to cars, Sweden's exports play a vital role in its economy. Hereโs a list of what Sweden is known for exporting:
- Refined Petroleum ๐
- Cars ๐
- Packaged Medicine ๐
- Paper ๐
- Electricity โก
Each of these commodities showcases Sweden's strengths in various industries, contributing to its reputation as a trading nation.
Exports - partners
๐ Let's dive into Sweden's export partners for 2022! Sweden has some amazing trading relationships, and here's how its exports break down between its top partners:
- Germany: 10% ๐
- Norway: 10% ๐ณ๐ด
- United States: 9% ๐บ๐ธ
- Denmark: 8% ๐ฉ๐ฐ
- Finland: 7% ๐ซ๐ฎ
Look at how closely tied Sweden is with Germany and Norway, both receiving the same share of exports at 10%! Isn't that fascinating? ๐
Total Percent of Exports from Top 5 Partners
44%
Sweden's Export Partners for 2022
Capital
๐๏ธ The capital city of Sweden is Stockholm! It's a beautiful city that stretches across 14 islands and is known for its stunning architecture, rich history, and vibrant culture. Visitors to Stockholm can experience everything from its picturesque waterfronts to its renowned museums. ๐๐๏ธ
Imports - commodities
Sweden imports a variety of exciting commodities ๐! In 2022, the top imports included:
- Crude Petroleum ๐ข๏ธ
- Cars ๐
- Refined Petroleum โฝ
- Broadcasting Equipment ๐บ
- Garments ๐
These items reflect Sweden's diverse needs and interests, from energy sources to fashion! It's fascinating to see how these commodities play a role in the everyday lives of people in Sweden.
Top Imports in Sweden (2022)
5 items
Climate
Sweden has a fascinating climate! ๐ฆ๏ธ In the south, you'll find a temperate climate, which means the winters are cold and cloudy, while summers are cool and partly cloudy. ๐ฅถโ๏ธ As you travel north, the climate changes to subarctic, getting even cooler. This makes Sweden an interesting place to experience different weather patterns throughout the year! โ๏ธ๐
Executive branch
In Sweden, the top positions in the executive branch are filled by notable leaders! ๐ The chief of state is King CARL XVI GUSTAF, who has been reigning since 15 September 1973. ๐๏ธ That's a long time! The head of government is the Prime Minister Ulf KRISTERSSON, who took office on 18 October 2022. ๐๏ธ It's interesting to see how these leaders play important roles in their country's governance!
Years King CARL XVI GUSTAF has been in office
50
Years since Ulf Kristersson became Prime Minister
1
Legislative branch
๐ธ๐ช Sweden has a unicameral Parliament, which is a single legislative body with a total of 349 seats. This means that all the law-making power is concentrated in one chamber, making it easier for decisions to be made and laws to be passed! ๐๏ธโจ
Total number of seats in Parliament
349
Natural resources
Sweden is rich in natural resources! ๐ Here's a list of some of the key resources found in this beautiful country:
- Iron ore: A vital resource for steel production.
- Copper: Used in electrical equipment and construction.
- Lead: Mainly used in batteries and shielding.
- Zinc: Important for protecting metals from rust.
- Gold: A precious metal that's valuable for jewelry and electronics. ๐
- Silver: Another precious metal, known for its conductivity.
- Tungsten: Known for its hardness, used in tools.
- Uranium: Used as fuel for nuclear energy. โข๏ธ
- Arsenic: Has industrial applications and can be found in some alloys.
- Feldspar: A common mineral used in glass and ceramics.
- Timber: Abundant forests provide lots of wood for construction. ๐ฒ
- Hydropower: A clean and renewable energy source, thanks to Sweden's many rivers and lakes! ๐ง
These natural resources play a crucial role in Sweden's economy and support various industries.
Economic overview
๐ค Sweden is classified as a high-income country and proudly stands as the largest economy in the Nordic region! ๐ While it's a member of the European Union, Sweden doesn't use the euro. Instead, the country's economy thrives on exports, especially in key industries like automotive, electronics, machinery, and pharmaceuticals. ๐๐ป๐ ๏ธ๐
Sweden is also known for its competitiveness, significant R&D investments, and strong governance. However, things havenโt been all sunshine and rainbows recently, as the economy is experiencing a slowdown due to high inflation, weak consumer spending, and financial tightening. ๐๐ค It's a rollercoaster ride in the world of economics!
Economic Classification
High-income
Largest Economy in Nordic Region
True
EU Membership
Member, non-euro user
Government type
๐ธ๐ช Sweden is known for its interesting government! It has a parliamentary constitutional monarchy. This means that the country has a king or queen ๐ฐ, but the real power comes from the parliament, which is made up of elected representatives. It's a cool blend of tradition and democracy! ๐ณ๏ธ
Ethnic groups
In Sweden, the population is made up of various ethnic groups! ๐ Hereโs a fun breakdown of the largest ethnicities:
- Swedish: 79.6% ๐ธ๐ช
- Syrian: 1.9% ๐ธ๐พ
- Iraqi: 1.4% ๐ฎ๐ถ
- Finnish: 1.3% ๐ซ๐ฎ
- Other: 15.8% ๐
As you can see, the Swedish ethnic group is quite dominant, making up a whopping 79.6% of the population! Let's take a closer look at how these groups compare visually. ๐
Percentage of Swedish Ethnic Group
79.6%
Percentage of Syrian Ethnic Group
1.9%
Percentage of Iraqi Ethnic Group
1.4%
Percentage of Finnish Ethnic Group
1.3%
Percentage of Other Ethnic Groups
15.8%
Distribution of Ethnic Groups in Sweden
Religions
In Sweden, religion plays a unique role in shaping the cultural landscape. The largest denomination is the Church of Sweden, which follows Lutheran beliefs, encompassing a significant 53.9% of the population. ๐ On the other hand, various other religious groups, including Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Muslim, Jewish, and Buddhist practices, make up about 8.9%. ๐โก๏ธ Meanwhile, a considerable part of the population, approximately 37.2%, identifies as having no religion or is unspecified. ๐คทโโ๏ธ Let's take a closer look at these statistics! ๐
Percentage identifying as Church of Sweden (Lutheran)
53.9%
Percentage identifying as Other Religions
8.9%
Percentage identifying as None or Unspecified
37.2%
Religious Distribution in Sweden (2021)
Languages
๐ธ๐ช In Sweden, the official language is Swedish! It's the main language spoken by the majority of the people. This makes it easy for Swedes to communicate with each other and keep their culture vibrant and alive! ๐
Official language in Sweden
Swedish
Imports - partners
Sweden has a diverse range of trade partners when it comes to imports! ๐ Let's take a look at the top five countries that supply goods to Sweden in 2022:
- Germany: 16% of imports
- Netherlands: 10% of imports
- Norway: 9% of imports
- China: 7% of imports
- Denmark: 6% of imports
This data shows how interconnected and reliant Sweden is on these countries for various goods. ๐ฆ๐ผ
Wouldnโt it be interesting to visualize this data? We can use a pie chart to see the share each country has in Sweden's total imports! ๐ฅง
Total import share accounted for by top 5 partners
48%
Distribution of Sweden's Imports by Country (2022)
Population
๐ Sweden has a robust total population of 10,589,835 people! That's a lot of individuals living in this beautiful Scandinavian country, known for its stunning landscapes and vibrant culture. Whether it's enjoying the northern lights or tasting delicious Swedish meatballs, there's always something exciting happening here! ๐
Total Population
10,589,835
Area
๐ Sweden's Land and Water Area ๐
Sweden is a stunning country known for its beautiful landscapes and vast spaces! Let's break down the area:
- Total Area: 450,295 sq km ๐
- Land Area: 410,335 sq km ๐๏ธ
- Water Area: 39,960 sq km ๐ง
This means that Sweden has a rich blend of land and water, making it perfect for outdoor adventures!
Total Area
450295 sq km
Land Area
410335 sq km
Water Area
39960 sq km
Sweden's Area Breakdown
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
๐ Sweden's Real GDP for the years 2021 to 2023 shows some interesting trends! Let's look at the numbers:
- 2021: $660.102 billion
- 2022: $677.682 billion
- 2023: $676.353 billion
Itโs cool to see how Sweden's economy has been doing over the last few years! ๐
๐ฐ GDP Over Time
In 2021, it was at $660.102 billion, then rose to $677.682 billion in 2022! However, it slightly dipped to $676.353 billion in 2023. What a ride for Sweden's economy! ๐
Let's visualize this data to get a better picture!
Sweden's Real GDP Over Time
Real GDP per capita
Let's take a peek at Sweden's Real GDP per capita ๐๐ฐ over the last few years! This tells us how much money each person would have if all the countryโs money was shared equally. Here are the estimated numbers for the past few years:
- 2021: $63,400
- 2022: $64,600
- 2023: $64,200
It's like watching a rollercoaster! ๐ข Sometimes it goes up, and sometimes it goes down. Sweden's economy has been pretty strong, but we can see a little dip in 2023 from the previous year. Let's dive into a cool chart to visualize this data! ๐
Highest Real GDP per Capita
$64,600
Lowest Real GDP per Capita
$63,400
Overall Change (2021 to 2023)
$800
Sweden's Real GDP per Capita (2021 - 2023)
Imports
๐ข Imports of Sweden ๐ธ๐ช have shown some interesting trends! Let's take a look at the estimated import values over the past few years:
- 2023: $296.796 billion
- 2022: $298.253 billion
- 2021: $268.334 billion
From this data, we can see that Sweden's imports dipped slightly from 2022 to 2023 but have grown since 2021! ๐๐ผ
Total Imports in 2023
$296.796 billion
Total Imports in 2022
$298.253 billion
Total Imports in 2021
$268.334 billion
Sweden's Import Values Over the Years
Exports
๐ Sweden is a trading powerhouse! In 2023, the country's exports were estimated at a whopping $324.073 billion! ๐ Let's take a look at how these numbers have changed over the past few years:
- 2021: $299.365 billion
- 2022: $314.412 billion
- 2023: $324.073 billion
As you can see, there's a steady upward trend in the export values, making Sweden a key player in the global market! ๐ผ
Export value in 2023
$324.073 billion
Export value in 2022
$314.412 billion
Export value in 2021
$299.365 billion
Sweden's Export Growth Over Years
Population growth rate
๐ Sweden's population is growing at a rate of 0.51% in 2024! This means that more people are choosing to call Sweden home, which is pretty exciting! The growth rate represents how quickly the population is changing and can tell us a lot about the country's future. ๐
Estimated Population Growth Rate for 2024
0.51%