Population density in Sweden
Sweden: Population density was 25.87 people per sq. km of land area in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
25.87 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
179th
of 215 countries
All-time high
25.87 people per sq. km of land area
in 2023
All-time low
18.46 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Population density in Sweden, 1961–2023
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
In 2023, population density in Sweden stood at 25.87 people per sq. km of land area. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.5% on the previous year and up 9.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Sweden peaked at 25.87 people per sq. km of land area in 2023 and was at its lowest, 18.46 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
That places Sweden 179th out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Population density in Sweden, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 18.46 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 18.56 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1963 | 18.67 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1964 | 18.81 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1965 | 18.99 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 1966 | 19.17 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1967 | 19.32 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1968 | 19.42 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1969 | 19.56 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1970 | 19.74 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 1971 | 19.88 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1972 | 19.94 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 1973 | 19.97 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 1974 | 20.03 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 1975 | 20.11 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1976 | 20.19 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 20.26 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1978 | 20.32 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 1979 | 20.36 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 1980 | 20.4 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 1981 | 20.43 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 1982 | 20.44 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 1983 | 20.45 people per sq. km of land area | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 20.47 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 1985 | 20.5 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 1986 | 20.55 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 1987 | 20.62 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 20.71 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1989 | 20.85 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1990 | 21.01 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1991 | 21.16 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 21.28 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 21.4 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 21.56 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1995 | 21.67 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1996 | 21.7 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 21.72 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 21.73 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 21.75 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 21.78 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 21.84 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 21.91 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 21.99 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 22.08 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 22.17 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 22.29 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 22.46 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 22.63 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 22.83 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 23.02 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 23.2 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 23.37 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 23.57 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 23.8 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 24.06 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 24.36 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 24.69 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 24.98 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 25.24 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 25.42 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 25.57 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 25.75 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 25.87 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 19 people per sq. km of land area | 18.46 people per sq. km of land area | 19.56 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 20.08 people per sq. km of land area | 19.74 people per sq. km of land area | 20.36 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 20.54 people per sq. km of land area | 20.4 people per sq. km of land area | 20.85 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 21.5 people per sq. km of land area | 21.01 people per sq. km of land area | 21.75 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 22.2 people per sq. km of land area | 21.78 people per sq. km of land area | 22.83 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 24.03 people per sq. km of land area | 23.02 people per sq. km of land area | 25.24 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 25.65 people per sq. km of land area | 25.42 people per sq. km of land area | 25.87 people per sq. km of land area | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sweden
- 176 Chile 26.46 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 177 Peru 26.44 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 178 Vanuatu 26.28 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 180 Brazil 25.26 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 181 Papua New Guinea 22.94 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 182 Niger 20.65 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Sweden
- Population in the largest city 18.4% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 5.26 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.164 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 1.74 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 1.06 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per unit 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per square 4.17 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 1.74 million (2025)
- Crude steelmaking capacity 5.95 Tonnes (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 146.58 Hectares (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Sweden?
- Population density in Sweden was 25.87 people per sq. km of land area in 2023, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in Sweden?
- The highest recorded value was 25.87 people per sq. km of land area in 2023.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Sweden?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.46 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does Sweden rank for population density?
- Sweden ranks 179th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population density rising or falling in Sweden?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sweden data come from?
- The figures come from FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.