Demographics - Sweden
| GENERAL: | |||
| 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: | 449,964 sq km | |
| land: | 410,934 sq km | ||
| water: | 39,030 sq km | ||
| Land boundaries: | total: | 2,233 km | |
| border countries: | Finland 614 km, Norway 1,619 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 extremes: | lowest point: |
reclaimed bay of Lake Hammarsjon, near Kristianstad -2.41 m |
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| highest point: | Kebnekaise 2,111 m | ||
| Natural resources: |
iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver, tungsten, uranium, arsenic, feldspar, timber, hydropower |
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| Land use: | arable land: | 5.93% | |
| permanent crops: | 0.01% | ||
| other: | 94.06% | ||
| Irrigated land: | 1,150 sq km | ||
| 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 | ||
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| Geography - note: | strategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic and North Seas | ||
| PEOPLE: | |||
| Population: | 9,016,596 | ||
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: | 16.7% (male 775,433/female 732,773) | |
| 15-64 years: | 65.7% (male 3,001,928/female 2,918,242) | ||
| 65 years and over: | 17.6% (male 689,756/female 898,464) | ||
| Median age: | total: | 40.9 years | |
| male: | 39.8 years | ||
| female: | 42 years | ||
| Population growth rate: | 0.16% | ||
| Birth rate: | 10.27 births/1,000 population | ||
| Death rate: | 10.31 deaths/1,000 population | ||
| Net migration rate: | 1.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population | ||
| Sex ratio: | at birth: | 1.06 male(s)/female | |
| under 15 years: | 1.06 male(s)/female | ||
| 15-64 years: | 1.03 male(s)/female | ||
| 65 years and over: | 0.77 male(s)/female | ||
| total population: | 0.98 male(s)/female | ||
| Infant mortality rate: | total: | 2.76 deaths/1,000 live births | |
| male: | 2.92 deaths/1,000 live births | ||
| female: | 2.59 deaths/1,000 live births | ||
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: | 80.51 years | |
| male: | 78.29 years | ||
| female: | 82.87 years | ||
| Total fertility rate: | 1.66 children born/woman | ||
| Nationality: | noun: | Swede(s) | |
| adjective: | Swedish | ||
| Ethnic groups: | indigenous population: Swedes with Finnish and Sami minorities; foreign-born or first-generation immigrants: Finns, Yugoslavs, Danes, Norwegians, Greeks, Turks | ||
| Religions: | Lutheran 87%, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist | ||
| Languages: | Swedish, small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities | ||
| Literacy: | definition: | age 15 and over can read and write | |
| total population: | 99% | ||
| male: | 99% | ||
| female: | 99% | ||
| GOVERNMENT: | |||
| Country name: | conventional long form: | Kingdom of Sweden | |
| conventional short form: | Sweden | ||
| local long form: | Konungariket Sverige | ||
| local short form: | Sverige | ||
| 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: | 01-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: | King CARL XVI GUSTAF (since 19 September 1973); Heir Apparent Princess VICTORIA Ingrid Alice Desiree, daughter of the monarch (born 14 July 1977) | ||
| head of government: | Prime Minister Goran PERSSON (since 21 March 1996) | ||
| cabinet: | Cabinet appointed by the prime minister | ||
| elections: | the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the prime minister is elected by the parliament; election last held 15 September 2002 (next to be held in September 2006) | ||
| election results: | Goran PERSSON reelected prime minister with 131 out of 349 votes | ||
| 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: | last held 15 September 2002 (next to be held on 17 September 2006) | ||
| election results: | percent of vote by party - Social Democrats 39.8%, Moderates 15.2%, Liberal Party 13.3%, Christian Democrats 9.1%, Left Party 8.3%, Center Party 6.1%, Greens 4.6%; seats by party - Social Democrats 144, Moderates 55, Liberal Party 48, Christian Democrats 33, Left Party 30, Center Party 22, Greens 17 | ||
| Judicial branch: | Supreme Court or Hogsta Domstolen (judges are appointed by the prime minister and the cabinet) | ||
| 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 of the 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 of 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 and 2005. Presumably because of generous sick-leave benefits, Swedish workers report in sick more often than other Europeans. In September 2003, Swedish voters turned down entry into the euro system, concerned about the impact on democracy and sovereignty. | ||
| GDP - real growth rate: | 2.60% | ||
| GDP - per capita (PPP): | $29,800 | ||
| GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: | 1.80% | |
| industry: | 28.60% | ||
| services: | 69.70% | ||
| Labor force: | 4.49 million | ||
| Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture 2%, industry 24%, services 74% | ||
| Unemployment rate: | 6% | ||
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 0.50% | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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% | ||
| 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% | ||
| Currency (code): | Swedish krona (SEK) | ||
| Fiscal year: | calendar year | ||
| TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES: | |||
| Disputes - international: | none | ||
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