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Sweden

Kingdom of Sweden

Europe Stockholm

Population

10.64M

Area

450,295 km²

GDP

$610.12B

GDP Per Capita

$63,300

Pop. Density

24/km²

Quick Facts

Currency

krSwedish krona(SEK)

Calling Code

+46

Timezone

UTC+01:00

Languages

Swedish

Driving Side

right

Demonym

Swedish

Map of Sweden

Background

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. Since then, Sweden has pursued a successful economic formula consisting of a capitalist system intermixed with substantial welfare elements. Sweden joined the EU in 1995, but the public rejected the introduction of the euro in a 2003 referendum. The share of Sweden’s population born abroad increased from 11.3% in 2000 to 20% in 2022.

 

Historical Trends

GDP (USD)

↑42.9% since 2006
$423B (2006)$604B (2024)

Population

↑16.4% since 2006
9.1M (2006)10.6M (2024)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Latest: 83.3 years
2006: 80.7 years2023: 83.3 years

Data source: World Bank Open Data

Geography18

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 : 450,295 sq km
land: 410,335 sq km
water: 39,960 sq km

Area - comparative

almost three times the size of Georgia; slightly larger than California

Land boundaries

total: 2,211 km
border countries: Finland 545 km; Norway 1,666 km

Coastline

3,218 km

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

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

highest point: Kebnekaise South 2,100 m
lowest point: reclaimed bay of Lake Hammarsjon, near Kristianstad -2.4 m
mean elevation: 320 m

Natural resources

iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver, tungsten, uranium, arsenic, feldspar, timber, hydropower

Land use

agricultural land

7.3% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 6.2% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 1.1% (2023 est.)

forest

68.6% (2023 est.)

other

23.8% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land

510 sq km (2016)

Major lakes (area sq km)

fresh water lake(s): Vanern - 5,580 sq km; Vattern - 1,910 sq km; Malaren - 1,140 sq km

Population distribution

most of the population lives in the south where the climate is milder and there is better connectivity to mainland Europe; population clusters are found along the Baltic coast in the east; the interior areas of the north remain sparsely populated

Natural hazards

ice floes in the surrounding waters, especially in the Gulf of Bothnia, can interfere with maritime traffic

Geography - note

strategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic and North Seas; Sweden has almost 100,000 lakes, the largest of which, Vanern, is the third-largest in Europe

People & Society33

Population

total: 10,643,745 (2025 est.)
male: 5,360,755
female: 5,282,990

Nationality

noun: Swede(s)
adjective: Swedish

Ethnic groups

Swedish 79.6%, Syrian 1.9%, Iraqi 1.4%, Finnish 1.3%, other 15.8%

(2022 est.)

Languages

Languages: Swedish (official)
major-language sample(s):
The World Factbook, den obestridliga källan för grundläggande information. (Swedish)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

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.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 17.1% (male 934,668/female 880,310)
15-64 years: 62.1% (male 3,365,754/female 3,208,248)
65 years and over: 20.8% (2024 est.) (male 1,032,279/female 1,168,576)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 60.9 (2025 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 27.3 (2025 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 33.6 (2025 est.)
potential support ratio: 3 (2025 est.)

Median age

total: 41.2 years (2025 est.)
male: 40.1 years
female: 42.1 years

Population growth rate

0.51% (2025 est.)

Birth rate

10.56 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Death rate

9.63 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Net migration rate

4.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Population distribution

most of the population lives in the south where the climate is milder and there is better connectivity to mainland Europe; population clusters are found along the Baltic coast in the east; the interior areas of the north remain sparsely populated

Urbanization

urban population: 88.7% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.89% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas - population

1.700 million STOCKHOLM (capital) (2023)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

29.7 years (2020 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio

4 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 2.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
male: 2.5 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 2 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 82.9 years (2024 est.)
male: 81.2 years
female: 84.7 years

Total fertility rate

1.66 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.8 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: urban

urban: 99.8% of population (2022 est.)

improved: rural

rural: 99.6% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 99.7% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.2% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 0.4% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 0.3% of population (2022 est.)

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP): 10.7% of GDP (2022)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 19% of national budget (2022 est.)

Physician density

4.41 physicians/1,000 population (2021)

Hospital bed density

2 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban

urban: 99.6% of population (2022 est.)

improved: rural

rural: 99.5% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 99.6% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.4% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 0.5% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 0.4% of population (2022 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

20.6% (2016)

Alcohol consumption per capita

total: 7.1 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 2.6 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 3.4 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 1 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0.1 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use

total: 19.9% (2025 est.)
male: 25.8% (2025 est.)
female: 13.9% (2025 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

53.6% (2023 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP): 7.3% of GDP (2022 est.)
Education expenditure (% national budget): 15.3% national budget (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 19 years (2023 est.)
male: 17 years (2023 est.)
female: 20 years (2023 est.)

Government23

Country name

conventional long form: Kingdom of Sweden
conventional short form: Sweden
local long form: Konungariket Sverige
local short form: Sverige
etymology: name derives from the North Germanic Svea tribe that inhabited central Sweden; the tribe's name probably comes from the Old German word sweba, meaning "independent;" the local form of the country's name, Sverige, means "kingdom of the Svea"

Government type

parliamentary constitutional monarchy

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
etymology: the name of the city probably comes from the Swedish words stak (bay) or stock (stake or pole) and holm (island); it was built in the mid-13th century on the site of a fishing village, so the name may refer to building over earlier foundations

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

Legal system

civil law system influenced by Roman-Germanic law and customary law

Constitution

history: Sweden has four fundamental laws which together make up the Constitution: The Instrument of Government (several previous; latest 1974); The Act of Succession (enacted 1810; changed in 1937 and 1980); The Freedom of the Press Act (many previous; latest in 1949); The Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression (adopted 1991)
amendment process: proposed by Parliament; passage requires simple majority vote in two consecutive parliamentary terms with an intervening general election; passage also requires approval by simple majority vote in a referendum if Parliament approves a motion for a referendum by one third of its members; the results of such a referendum are only binding if a majority vote against the proposal

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state: King CARL XVI GUSTAF (since 15 September 1973)
head of government: Prime Minister Ulf KRISTERSSON (since 18 October 2022)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister
election/appointment process: the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually becomes the prime minister

Legislative branch

legislature name

Parliament (Riksdagen)

legislative structure

unicameral

number of seats

349 (all directly elected)

electoral system

proportional representation

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

4 years

most recent election date

9/11/2022

parties elected and seats per party

Social Democratic Party (SAP) (107); Sweden Democrats (SD) (73); Moderate Party (M) (68); Left Party (VP) (24); Centre Party (CP) (24); Christian Democrats (KD) (19); Green Party (Mpg) (18); Other (16)

percentage of women in chamber

45%

expected date of next election

September 2026

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 Judges Proposal Board, a 9-member nominating body consisting of high-level judges, prosecutors, and members of Parliament; justices appointed by the government; after a probationary period, justices' appointments are permanent
subordinate courts: first instance, appellate, general, and administrative courts; specialized courts that handle cases such as land and environment, immigration, labor, markets, and patents

Political parties

Center Party (Centerpartiet) or C 
Christian Democrats (Kristdemokraterna) or KD 
Green Party (Miljopartiet de Grona) or MP 
Left Party (Vansterpartiet) or V 
Moderate Party (Moderaterna) or M 
Sweden Democrats (Sverigedemokraterna) or SD 
Swedish Social Democratic Party (Socialdemokraterna) or S/SAP 
The Liberals (Liberalerna) or L 

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Urban AHLIN (since 15 September 2023)

chancery

2900 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20007

telephone

[1] (202) 467-2600

FAX

[1] (202) 467-2699

email address and website


[email protected]

https://www.swedenabroad.se/en/embassies/usa-washington/

consulate(s) general

New York, San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Christine TORETTI (since 21 October 2025)

embassy

Dag Hammarskjolds Vag 31, SE-115 89 Stockholm

mailing address

5750 Stockholm Place, Washington, DC  20521-5750

telephone

[46] (08) 783-53-00

FAX

[46] (08) 661-19-64

email address and website


[email protected]

https://se.usembassy.gov/

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, MONUSCO, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMISS, UNMOGIP, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UN Security Council (temporary), UNSOM, UNTSO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Independence

6 June 1523 (Gustav VASA elected king of Sweden, marking the abolishment of the Kalmar Union of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden)

National holiday

National Day, 6 June (1983)

Flag

description: blue with a golden yellow cross extending to the edges of the flag; the cross is shifted to the left side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)

meaning: the colors come from the Swedish coat of arms

National symbol(s)

three crowns, lion

National color(s)

blue, yellow

National anthem(s)

title: "Kungssangen" (Royal Song)
lyrics/music: Carl Wilhelm August Strandberg/Otto Lindblad
history: adopted 1844 as the royal anthem, but also used as the national anthem until 1893; only the first verse is sung if the monarch is present 

National heritage

total World Heritage Sites: 15 (13 cultural, 1 natural, 1 mixed)
selected World Heritage Site locales: Royal Domain of Drottningholm (c); Laponian Area (m); High Coast/Kvarken Archipelago (n); Birka and Hovgården (c); Hanseatic Town of Visby (c); Church Town of Gammelstad, Luleå (c); Naval Port of Karlskrona (c); Rock Carvings in Tanum (c); Engelsberg Ironworks (c); Mining Area of the Great Copper Mountain in Falun (c)

Economy31

Economic overview

high-income, largest Nordic economy; EU member but does not use the euro; export-oriented, led by automotive, electronics, machinery, and pharmaceuticals; highly ranked for competitiveness, R&D investments and governance; recovery, with falling inflation and real wage growth balanced by risks from trade uncertainty

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024: $668.628 billion (2024 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $662.18 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $662.937 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2024: 1% (2024 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2023: -0.1% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 1.5% (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2024: $63,300 (2024 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023: $62,800 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2022: $63,200 (2022 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$610.118 billion (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024: 2.8% (2024 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023: 8.5% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 8.4% (2022 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 1.1% (2024 est.)
industry: 22.6% (2024 est.)
services: 65.9% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption

43.7% (2023 est.)

government consumption

26% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

25% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories

-0.1% (2023 est.)

exports of goods and services

55.4% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-51.4% (2023 est.)

Agricultural products

milk, wheat, sugar beets, barley, potatoes, oats, rapeseed, pork, chicken, beef (2023)

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

0.3% (2024 est.)

Labor force

5.699 million (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2024: 8.6% (2024 est.)
Unemployment rate 2023: 7.7% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2022: 7.4% (2022 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 23.8% (2024 est.)
male: 24.3% (2024 est.)
female: 23.2% (2024 est.)

Population below poverty line

16.1% (2022 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2022: 31.6 (2022 est.)

Average household expenditures

on food: 13% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
on alcohol and tobacco: 3.1% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.5% (2022 est.)
highest 10%: 24.7% (2022 est.)

Remittances

Remittances 2024: 0.8% of GDP (2024 est.)
Remittances 2023: 0.7% of GDP (2023 est.)
Remittances 2022: 0.6% of GDP (2022 est.)

Budget

revenues: $195.468 billion (2022 est.)
expenditures: $191.095 billion (2022 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2022: 36.9% of GDP (2022 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

27.6% (of GDP) (2022 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2024: $45.274 billion (2024 est.)
Current account balance 2023: $40.819 billion (2023 est.)
Current account balance 2022: $27.404 billion (2022 est.)

Exports

Exports 2024: $338.852 billion (2024 est.)
Exports 2023: $329.332 billion (2023 est.)
Exports 2022: $318.203 billion (2022 est.)

Exports - partners

Germany 10%, USA 10%, Denmark 8%, Norway 6%, Netherlands 5% (2023)

Exports - commodities

cars, refined petroleum, packaged medicine, paper, vehicle parts/accessories (2023)

Imports

Imports 2024: $309.526 billion (2024 est.)
Imports 2023: $304.194 billion (2023 est.)
Imports 2022: $304.101 billion (2022 est.)

Imports - partners

Germany 17%, Netherlands 10%, Norway 9%, Denmark 6%, China 6% (2023)

Imports - commodities

cars, crude petroleum, refined petroleum, vehicle parts/accessories, garments (2023)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024: $62.569 billion (2024 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023: $60.863 billion (2023 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022: $64.289 billion (2022 est.)

Exchange rates

Currency

Swedish kronor (SEK) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2024

10.568 (2024 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

10.61 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

10.114 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

8.577 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

9.21 (2020 est.)

Energy8

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)

Electricity

installed generating capacity: 55.307 million kW (2023 est.)
consumption: 125.273 billion kWh (2023 est.)
exports: 36.151 billion kWh (2023 est.)
imports: 7.335 billion kWh (2023 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 9.109 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels

0.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

nuclear

28.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar

1.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

wind

21% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectricity

40.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

biomass and waste

7.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Nuclear energy

Number of operational nuclear reactors: 6 (2025)
Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors: 7.01GW (2025 est.)
Percent of total electricity production: 28.6% (2023 est.)
Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down: 7 (2025)

Coal

production: 1.042 million metric tons (2023 est.)
consumption: 3.17 million metric tons (2023 est.)
exports: 23,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
imports: 2.078 million metric tons (2023 est.)
proven reserves: 5 million metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum

total petroleum production: 11,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 270,000 bbl/day (2024 est.)

Natural gas

consumption: 896.109 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
exports: 10.625 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
imports: 897.487 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023: 142.102 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Communications6

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 898,000 (2023 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 9 (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 14.9 million (2024 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 141 (2024 est.)

Broadcast media

publicly owned TV broadcaster has 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 has 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

Internet country code

.se

Internet users

percent of population: 96% (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 4.3 million (2023 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 41 (2023 est.)

Transportation6

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

SE

Airports

206 (2025)

Heliports

11 (2025)

Railways

total: 10,910 km (2020) 8,184 km electrified
narrow gauge: 65 km

Merchant marine

total: 361 (2023)
by type: general cargo 44, oil tanker 18, other 299

Ports

total ports

92 (2024)

large

3

medium

10

small

30

very small

49

ports with oil terminals

49

key ports

Falkenberg, Goteborg, Helsingborg, Karlsborg, Karlshamn, Lulea, Malmo, Norrkoping, Stockholm, Sundsvall, Uddevalla, Varberg, Vasteras

Military & Security7

Military and security forces

Swedish Armed Forces (Försvarsmakten): Army, Navy, Air Force, Home Guard (202)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2025: 2.5% of GDP (2025 est.)
Military Expenditures 2024: 2.3% of GDP (2024 est.)
Military Expenditures 2023: 1.7% of GDP (2023 est.)
Military Expenditures 2022: 1.5% of GDP (2022 est.)
Military Expenditures 2021: 1.4% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 25,000 active military personnel; approximately 21,000 Home Guard  (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the SAF's inventory is comprised of mostly domestically produced armaments alongside smaller amounts of imported Western systems; Sweden's defense industry produces a range of air, land, and naval systems, including armored vehicles, combat aircraft, and submarines; it also produces weapons systems jointly with other countries (2025)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary and selective conscripted service for men and women; conscript service obligation typically 9-15 months depending on the branch of service and position, with a reserve commitment up to age 45 (2026)

Military deployments

approximately 600 Latvia (NATO) (2025)

Military - note

the Swedish military is responsible for deterrence and the defense of the country and its territories against armed attack, supporting Sweden’s national security interests, providing societal support, such as humanitarian aid, and contributing to international peacekeeping and peacemaking operations; the military has a relatively small active duty force that is designed to be rapidly mobilized in a crisis with a trained reserve and a Home Guard

Sweden maintained a policy of military non-alignment for over 200 years before applying for NATO membership in May 2022 following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine; it became a NATO member in March 2024; prior to membership, Stockholm joined NATO’s Partnership for Peace program in 1994 and contributed to NATO-led missions, including those in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Kosovo; the military cooperates closely with the forces of other Nordic countries through the Nordic Defense Cooperation (NORDEFCO; established 2009), which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden; Sweden is a signatory of the EU’s Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) and contributes to CSDP missions and operations, including EU battlegroups; it also participates in UN-led missions; Sweden has close bilateral security relations with some individual NATO member states, particularly Finland, Germany, Norway, the UK, and the US (2025)

Transnational Issues1

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees: 168,519 (2024 est.)
stateless persons: 6,835 (2024 est.)

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