Sweden vs United States: Compare Statistics
Side-by-side comparison of 113 key metrics across economy, population, geography, and more — latest data through 2026.
Summary
In a comparison between Sweden and the United States, the United States leads in GDP with $32.95 trillion compared to Sweden's $613.23 billion. However, Sweden excels in life expectancy, with citizens living on average 85.5 years versus 83.22 years in the United States.
Economy
The United States dominates in economic size with a GDP of $32.95 trillion, vastly surpassing Sweden's $613.23 billion. In agriculture, the United States also leads with a value added of $350.60 billion compared to Sweden's $9.46 billion.
People and Society
Sweden has a higher Human Capital Index at 0.82 compared to the United States' 0.72. Moreover, Sweden has a slightly higher percentage of currently married individuals at 52.21% versus 51.38% in the United States.
Health
Sweden leads in life expectancy with 85.5 years, while the United States is at 83.22 years. In terms of health expenditure, the United States spends 16.9% of its GDP on health, compared to Sweden's 10.9%.
Communications
6 metrics| Metric | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 🇺🇸 United States | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet Usage Rate by Country (% of Population) | 95.7 %★ | 93.14 % | |
| Internet Users | percent of population: 96% (2023 est.) | percent of population: 93% (2023 est.) | |
| Press Freedom Index Score | 88.13 points★ | 65.49 points | |
| Radios | 8.25 | 575★ | |
| Televisions | 4.6 | 219★ | |
| Waterways | 2,052 | 41,009★ |
Economy
45 metricsEnvironment
6 metrics| Metric | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 🇺🇸 United States | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual CO₂ Emissions Growth (abs) | 1.39M | -14.29M★ | |
| Carbon Dioxide Emissions | 43.96 | 4.8★ | |
| Continental Shelf | 200 | not specified; | |
| 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 | large urban clusters are spread throughout the eastern half of the US (particularly the Great Lakes area, northeast, east, and southeast) and the western-tier states; mountainous areas such as the Rocky Mountains and Appalachians, deserts in the southwest | |
| Total Renewable Groundwater Resources by Country | 20 Cubic meters per year | 1,383 Cubic meters per year★ | |
| Total Renewable Water Resources | 174★ | 3.07 |
Geography
6 metrics| Metric | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 🇺🇸 United States | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of land area by degree of urbanization | 1.04 % | 2.11 %★ | |
| Above-Ground Biomass in Forest (tonnes/ha) | 72.47 | 94.67★ | |
| Agricultural land | 29,942.1 sq. km | 4.17M sq. km★ | |
| Coastline Length (km) | 3,218 km | 19,924 km★ | |
| Dam capacity per capita | 3,323.51 cubic meters per inhabitant★ | 2,113 cubic meters per inhabitant | |
| Irrigated Land | 510 | 234,782★ |
Government
4 metrics| Metric | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 🇺🇸 United States | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rule of Law Index by Country | 90.5 %★ | 88.3 % | |
| Administrative Divisions | 21 | 50★ | |
| Independence | 6★ | 4 | |
| Suffrage Participation Rate | 18 | 18 |
Health
10 metrics| Metric | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 🇺🇸 United States | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes Deaths Per 100,000 (Age-Std) | 11.45★ | 26.21 | |
| Diabetes Prevalence (% of Population) | 5.8 | 13.7★ | |
| Health Expenditure (% of GDP) | 10.7 % of GDP | 16.6 % of GDP★ | |
| HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate | NA | NA | |
| Hospital Bed Density | 2 people/sq km | 2.7 people/sq km★ | |
| Maternal Mortality Ratio (%) | 4 %★ | 17 % | |
| Mean Age at First Birth | 29.7★ | 27.5 | |
| Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate (%) | 20.6 %★ | 36.2 % | |
| People Living With HIV/AIDS | 11,000 | NA | |
| Underweight Children Under 5 | NA | 0.4 |
Military and Security
1 metric| Metric | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 🇺🇸 United States | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Armed Forces Personnel (PPP) | 15,000 | 1.40M★ |
People and Society
30 metricsTransportation
5 metrics| Metric | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 🇺🇸 United States | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Travel Trips Per Capita (PPP) | 2.27★ | 2.06 | |
| Airports | 206 | 16,116★ | |
| Annual Human Space Visits (Total) | 0 | 3★ | |
| Civil Air Travel | 115 | 8,252★ | |
| Heliports | 11 | 8,130★ |