Guide to Sweden Introduction Background: A military power during the 17th century, Sweden has not participated in any war in almost two centuries. An armed neutrality was preserved in both World Wars. Sweden's long-successful economic formula of a capitalist system interlarded with substantial welfare elements was challenged in the 1990s by high unemployment and in 2000-02 by the global economic downturn, but fiscal discipline over the past several years has allowed the country to weather economic vagaries. Indecision over the country's role in the political and economic integration of Europe delayed Sweden's entry into the EU until 1995, and waived the introduction of the euro in 1999.
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
Area - comparative: slightly larger than California
Land boundaries: total
Coastline: 3,218 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea
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 extremes: lowest point
Natural resources: iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver, tungsten, uranium, arsenic, feldspar, timber, hydropower
Land use: arable land
Irrigated land: 1,150 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: ice floes in the surrounding waters, especially in the Gulf of Bothnia, can interfere with maritime traffic
Environment - current issues: acid rain damage to soils and lakes; pollution of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea
Environment - international agreements: party to
Geography - note: strategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic and North Seas
People Population: 9,001,774 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years
Median age: total
Population growth rate: 0.17% (2005 est.)
Birth rate: 10.36 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate: 10.36 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate: 1.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth
Infant mortality rate: total
Life expectancy at birth: total population
Total fertility rate: 1.66 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 3,600 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (2003 est.)
Nationality: noun
Ethnic groups: indigenous population
Religions: Lutheran 87%, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist
Languages: Swedish, small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities
Literacy: definition
Government Country name: conventional long form
Government type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Stockholm
Administrative divisions: 21 counties (lan, singular and plural); Blekinge, Dalarnas, Gavleborgs, Gotlands, Hallands, Jamtlands, Jonkopings, Kalmar, Kronobergs, Norrbottens, Orebro, Ostergotlands, Skane, Sodermanlands, Stockholms, Uppsala, Varmlands, Vasterbottens, Vasternorrlands, Vastmanlands, Vastra Gotalands
Independence: 6 June 1523 (Gustav VASA elected king)
National holiday: Flag Day, 6 June
Constitution: 1 January 1975
Legal system: civil law system influenced by customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament or Riksdag (349 seats; members are elected by popular vote on a proportional representation basis to serve four-year terms) elections
Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Hogsta Domstolen (judges are appointed by the prime minister and the cabinet)
Political parties and leaders: Center Party [Maud OLOFSSON]; Christian Democratic Party [Goran HAGGLUND]; Green Party [no formal leader but party spokespersons are Maria WETTERSTRAND and Peter ERIKSSON]; Left Party or V (formerly Communist) [Lars OHLY]; Liberal People's Party [Lars LEIJONBORG]; Moderate Party (conservative) [Fredrik REINFELDT]; Social Democratic Party [Goran PERSSON]
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 6, G- 9, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNMISET, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission
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)
Economy Economy - overview: Aided by peace and neutrality for the whole 20th century, Sweden has achieved an enviable standard of living under a mixed system of high-tech capitalism and extensive welfare benefits. It has a modern distribution system, excellent internal and external communications, and a skilled labor force. Timber, hydropower, and iron ore constitute the resource base of an economy heavily oriented toward foreign trade. Privately owned firms account for about 90% of industrial output, of which the engineering sector accounts for 50% of output and exports. Agriculture accounts for only 2% of GDP and 2% of the jobs. The government's commitment to fiscal discipline resulted in a substantial budgetary surplus in 2001, which was cut by more than half in 2002, due to the global economic slowdown, declining revenue, and increased spending. The Swedish central bank (the Riksbank) focuses on price stability with its inflation target of 2%. Growth remained sluggish in 2003, but picked up in 2004. Presumably because of generous sicktime benefits, Swedish workers report in sick more often than other Europeans. On 14 September 2003, Swedish voters turned down entry into the euro system, concerned about the impact on democracy and sovereignty.
GDP (purchasing power parity): $255.4 billion (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 3.6% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $28,400 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture
Labor force: 4.46 million (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 2%, industry 24%, services 74% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate: 5.6% (2004 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%
Distribution of family income - Gini index: 25 (1992)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0.7% (2004 est.)
Investment (gross fixed): 15.8% of GDP (2004 est.)
Budget: revenues
Public debt: 51.6% of GDP (2004 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: 5.5% (2004 est.)
Electricity - production: 142.8 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel
Electricity - consumption: 138.1 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports: 14.8 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports: 20.1 billion kWh (2002)
Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption: 328,600 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports: 203,700 bbl/day (2001)
Oil - imports: 553,100 bbl/day (2001)
Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: 949 million cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports: 968 million cu m (2001 est.)
Current account balance: $24.08 billion (2004 est.)
Exports: $121.7 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities: machinery 35%, motor vehicles, paper products, pulp and wood, iron and steel products, chemicals
Exports - partners: US 10.7%, Germany 10.2%, Norway 8.6%, UK 7.8%, Denmark 6.7%, Finland 5.7%, France 4.8%, Netherlands 4.8%, Belgium 4.5% (2004)
Imports: $97.97 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, motor vehicles, iron and steel; foodstuffs, clothing
Imports - partners: Germany 18.7%, Denmark 9.2%, Norway 7.6%, UK 7.5%, Netherlands 6.8%, Finland 6.4%, France 5.5%, Belgium 4% (2004)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $19.99 billion (2003)
Debt - external: $66.5 billion (1994)
Economic aid - donor: ODA, $1.7 billion (1997)
Currency (code): Swedish krona (SEK)
Currency code: SEK
Exchange rates: Swedish kronor per US dollar - 7.3489 (2004), 8.0863 (2003), 9.7371 (2002), 10.3291 (2001), 9.1622 (2000)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Telephones - main lines in use: 6,579,200 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 7.949 million (2002)
Telephone system: general assessment
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 265, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios: 8.25 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 169 (plus 1,299 repeaters) (1995)
Televisions: 4.6 million (1997)
Internet country code: .se
Internet hosts: 945,221 (2004)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 29 (2000)
Internet users: 5.125 million (2002)
Transportation Railways: total
Highways: total
Pipelines: gas 798 km (2004)
Ports and harbors: Goteborg, Helsingborg, Karlshamn, Lulea, Malmo, Oxelosund, Stenungsund, Stockholm, Trelleborg
Merchant marine: total
Airports: 254 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total
Airports - with unpaved runways: total
Heliports: 2 (2004 est.)
Military Military branches: Army, Royal Swedish Navy (RSwN), Air Force (Flygvapnet)
Military service age and obligation: 19 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 7-17 months depending on conscript role; after completing initial service soldiers have a reserve commitment until the age of 47 (2004)
Manpower available for military service: males age 19-49
Manpower fit for military service: males age 19-49
Manpower reaching military service age annually: males
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $5.729 billion (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.7% (2004)
Transnational Issues Disputes - international: none
Last updated: 20 October, 2005
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