Sweden is a country in Europe, in Scandinavia and the Nordic countries, with about 10.6 million people (2025) and an area of 528,660 square kilometres. Its capital is Stockholm, and it shares land borders with 2 countries.
By Team Geography·Last reviewed
Flag of SwedenSweden in solid, land neighbours outlined, capital marked.
The app teaches each country through short hand written lenses: PLACE for physical geography, STORY for history and identity, NOW for the news, and THREAD for the ties between countries. Here is one of Sweden's 17, in full.
PLACELens 1 of 17
A long, narrow country stretched across 15 degrees of latitude
Sweden extends roughly 1,600 kilometers from the agricultural plains of Skane in the south to the Arctic tundra above the 66th parallel. That range means the country spans boreal forests, thousands of lakes, and some of the most sparsely populated territory in Europe. Most Swedes live in the southern third, clustered around Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmo, while the vast northern interior, Norrland, holds forests, iron ore, and increasingly, data centers drawn by cheap hydroelectric power and cold air.
More on Norrland
Sweden's northern region covers about 60% of the country's area but holds only about 12% of the population. It is the source of most of Sweden's natural resources, including iron ore from Kiruna, Europe's largest underground mine.
16 more lenses on Sweden in the app
STORY Two centuries of neutrality ended in 2024
STORY The Swedish model is an export as much as a policy
NOW Northern Sweden is becoming Europe's green industrial frontier
THREAD Sweden's NATO accession reshaped Baltic Sea security overnight
PLACE A long Baltic country
STORY A boy from Rosengard
NOW A return through the back door
THREAD Bridges across the Baltic
PLACE Forests, lakes and floodlights
STORY The methodical tradition
NOW Two strikers and a short tournament
THREAD Exporters to Europe
PLACE The land is still rising from the sea
NOW Criminal networks that recruit children by design
THREAD Iron that leaves Sweden through a Norwegian port
PLACE A sea too fresh for shipworms
Titles only. The app brings each lens back on a spaced repetition schedule set by how well you knew it: New, Hazy or Clear.
Compare Sweden with another country
Opens the country comparison tool with population, area, income and more side by side, every figure dated.
Common questions
What is the capital of Sweden?
The capital of Sweden is Stockholm. Stockholm lies at about 59.4 degrees north and 18.1 degrees east. Sweden is in Europe, in the region often called Scandinavia and the Nordic countries. It is home to about 10.6 million people. The world capitals quiz on this site tests every capital, and the printable capitals sheets cover each continent.
What is the population of Sweden?
About 10.6 million people live in Sweden, according to the World Bank figures for 2025. That makes it the 92nd most populous of the 195 countries. With an area of 528,660 square kilometres, that is about 20 people per square kilometre.
What countries border Sweden?
Sweden shares land borders with 2 countries: Finland and Norway. The map on this page outlines each of them around Sweden. The count includes only borders on land, not neighbours across a sea or a lake. Borders here follow Natural Earth at the 1:50 million scale, with Crimea shown as part of Ukraine and Western Sahara as a separate territory.
How big is Sweden?
Sweden covers 528,660 square kilometres, or about 204,117 square miles. That makes it the 50th largest of the 195 countries. The figure is total surface area, which includes inland water such as lakes and rivers. Its population of about 10.6 million gives a density of 20 people per square kilometre.
Sweden is a country in Europe, in Scandinavia and the Nordic countries, with about 10.6 million people (2025) and an area of 528,660 square kilometres. Its capital is Stockholm, and it shares land borders with 2 countries.
Capital
Stockholm
Continent
Europe
Region
Scandinavia and the Nordic countries
Population
10,596,620 2025, World Bank. 92nd of 195.
Area
528,660 km² (204,117 sq mi) World Bank, surface area. 50th largest of 195.
Population density
20 people per km²
Land neighbours
2: Finland, Norway
Official name
Kingdom of Sweden
UN status
Member state
PLACE · from the Geography app
A long, narrow country stretched across 15 degrees of latitude
Sweden extends roughly 1,600 kilometers from the agricultural plains of Skane in the south to the Arctic tundra above the 66th parallel. That range means the country spans boreal forests, thousands of lakes, and some of the most sparsely populated territory in Europe. Most Swedes live in the southern third, clustered around Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmo, while the vast northern interior, Norrland, holds forests, iron ore, and increasingly, data centers drawn by cheap hydroelectric power and cold air.
Keep going on your iPhone. Scan for Geography: the world, one country at a time, about five minutes a day. No quizzes and no streaks. playgeography.app/countries/sweden/ · Map data: Natural Earth. Figures: World Bank and national sources, as listed on the page.
Geography · Country report
Sweden
NameDate
Draw the flag
Colour Sweden on the map, then fill in what you find.
Capital
Continent
Population
Area
Languages
Currency
Neighbours
Landmarks
Rivers or mountains
Three things I learned
1
2
3
One question I still have
?
Keep going on your iPhone. Scan for Geography: the world, one country at a time, about five minutes a day. No quizzes and no streaks. playgeography.app/countries/sweden/ · Map data: Natural Earth. Figures: World Bank and national sources, as listed on the page.
