Sweden

Sweden is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula. Its primary statistical identifiers are stable and come from the United Nations and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

Field	Value	Source
UN M49 code	752	UN Statistics Division
ISO alpha-2	SE	ISO 3166-1
ISO alpha-3	SWE	ISO 3166-1
UN region	Europe	UN M49
UN subregion	Northern Europe	UN M49
UN membership	Member state	UN
World Bank capital field	Stockholm	World Bank country API

These identifiers are classification facts, not political claims. The UN M49 code 752 is a statistical grouping code, not a statement about sovereignty, borders or territorial disputes. The UN Statistics Division maintains the M49 standard, and the World Bank’s country API lists the same code and the capital field for each economy. The M49 classification groups territories for data collection, not for political recognition. For country codes and top-level domains, the authoritative source is IANA. For statistical classifications, use the UN M49 overview.

Government and administration

Sweden is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system. The monarch (currently Carl XVI Gustaf) is head of state; the Prime Minister is head of government. The Instrument of Government (1974) defines the structure. The Riksdag (Swedish parliament) has 349 members elected by proportional representation. Sweden is a member of the European Union but has not adopted the euro. It is a unitary state with 21 counties (län) and 290 municipalities. For current government composition, consult the Government Offices of Sweden (regeringen.se).

Capital: Stockholm. This is the seat of government and the largest city. The World Bank’s country API lists the capital field as Stockholm. The largest cities are Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö.

Population and demographics

Population figures change continuously and are not directly comparable across sources. The World Bank publishes annual estimates based on national censuses and UN projections. For Sweden, the most recent World Bank estimate is typically around 10.5 million people (World Bank, 2024), with about 2.5 million foreign-born residents. The UN’s World Population Prospects provides its own estimates with a different methodology and reference year; do not mix the two.

The World Bank API returns the country code SE and related indicators, but the API does not store a single fixed population value. Query the indicator SP.POP.TOTL for a specific year. Sweden’s national statistical office, Statistiska centralbyrån (SCB), publishes official figures updated quarterly. Those may differ from UN or World Bank estimates because of different definitions and timestamps. For the latest figure, use either the World Bank’s country page or SCB. Always note the reference year attached to any number you quote.

How to verify population figures

Query the World Bank country API directly:

https://api.worldbank.org/v2/country/SE?format=json

This returns Sweden’s ISO code, region and capital as recorded by the World Bank, plus indicators such as population and GDP per capita (PPP). Always note the reference year attached to each indicator; population figures are estimates between censuses, not exact counts. Do not freeze a figure. Instead, name the source and reference year.

Economy

Sweden has a high-income, export-oriented economy with strong engineering, telecom and automotive sectors. Use the World Bank API for current income classification and GDP figures. The Gini coefficient from OECD or SCB is the reference for inequality; do not mix with World Bank figures without checking definitions.

Currency: Swedish krona (SEK). For current exchange rates, use a reputable financial data provider. Sveriges Riksbank, the central bank, publishes official exchange rates. Do not treat any single rate as fixed.

Language and culture

Swedish is the main language, with five recognized minority languages: Finnish, Meänkieli, Sami, Romani and Yiddish. English is widely spoken as a second language. Sweden does not collect census data on language, so no single source gives a definitive count. For current language surveys, consult the Swedish Institute or SCB.

Cultural context: consensus, lagom (“not too much, not too little”) and strong civic trust are frequently cited themes. Source: official Swedish Institute material.

Travel and entry

Entry rules change. No visa advice is provided here. Use your own government’s travel advisory and the IATA Travel Centre.

Boundary conditions

If a topic is adjacent to travel safety, visa policy, health requirements or legal specifics, this guide will not answer it. It will direct you to your own government’s official advice and to the IATA Travel Centre. If a disputed territory or naming issue appears, each claim is attributed and the guide avoids taking sides. If a volatile figure appears (population, GDP, exchange rates, current leader), the source and reference year are named, and where possible a range is given rather than a single point.