Sweden
The Country of the Week
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Stockholm
- Population
- 10,643,745 (2025 est.)
- Area
- 450,295 sq km
- Government
- parliamentary constitutional monarchy
- Religions
- Church of Sweden (Lutheran) 53.9%, other (includes Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Muslim, Jewish, and Buddhist) 8.9%, none or unspecified 37.2% (2021 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- Swedish 79.6%, Syrian 1.9%, Iraqi 1.4%, Finnish 1.3%, other 15.8% (2022 est.)
- Currency
- Swedish kronor (SEK)
- Life Expectancy
- 82.9 years (2024 est.)
- Internet Domain
- .se
- 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
- Natural Resources
- iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver, tungsten, uranium, arsenic, feldspar, timber, hydropower
- Major Exports
- cars, refined petroleum, packaged medicine, paper, vehicle parts/accessories (2023)
Source: CIA World Factbook (public domain)
Overview
A military power during the 17th century, Sweden maintained a policy of military non-alignment until it applied to join NATO in 2022. Sweden has not participated in any war for two centuries. Stockholm preserved an armed neutrality in both World Wars.