averageperson.euOne statistical standard, 27 countries

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Sweden and the European Union

The same question asked of every column. Numbers that break down by age or sex follow the controls; the rest stay country-wide and say so.

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Sweden

the European Union

The widest gap is Housing costs over 40% of income: Sweden 10.8% against the European Union 7.7%, 3.1 points apart.

Ageall ages
Sex

One question per row

The faint tick on each bar is the EU27 figure.

Figure
Sweden
the European Union

People

Median age3.7 years
41.2 years
44.9 years
Life expectancy at birth2.3 years
83.8 years
81.5 years
People42.56×
10.6m
450.6m
People per square kilometre4.23×
26.0 per km²
110 per km²
Women in the population1.3 points
49.7%
51.0%
Born abroad6.4 points
20.8%
14.4%
Born outside the EU5.1 points
15.5%
10.4%

Money and work

Disposable income per person24.6%
€28,574
€22,939
Average net income20.6%
€31,299
€25,952
Take-home pay, average-wage worker30.0%
€38,950
€29,954
Gross pay, average-wage worker15.8%
€50,560
€43,658
In work, age 20 to 645.7 points
81.8%
76.1%
Out of work2.8 points
8.8%
6.0%
Hours worked a week1.4 hours
38.7 hours
37.3 hours
At risk of poverty0.7 points
15.6%
16.3%
Housing costs over 40% of income3.1 points
10.8%
7.7%
GDP per person34.9%
€56,250
€41,700

Family and home

People at home15.0%
2.0
2.3
Households with children3.2 points
25.5%
28.7%
Children per woman6.7%
1.43
1.34
Own their home3.9 points
64.6%
68.5%

Health and daily life

Hospital beds2.72×
187 per 100,000 people
507 per 100,000 people
Doctors24.9%
467 per 100,000 people
374 per 100,000 people

Education

With a degree13.9 points
50.8%
36.9%
Students per 1,000 people10.4%
46.8 per 1,000 people
42.4 per 1,000 people

Public spending

Public spending on them35.7%
€26,743
€19,707
Tax raised per person44.7%
€23,433
€16,198
Government debt46.6 points
35.1%
81.7%

Country and infrastructure

Land area9.44×
447,424 km²
4,225,104 km²
Railway density83.4%
26.8 per 1,000 km²
49.1 per 1,000 km²
Motorway density3.42×
5.5 per 1,000 km²
18.6 per 1,000 km²
Cars per 1,000 people22.9%
475 per 1,000 people
584 per 1,000 people
Households with internet0.9 points
95.7%
94.8%
Tourist nights per resident8.5%
6.2
6.73

Environment

Renewable energy39.2 points
65.4%
26.2%

Where €100 of public spending goes

Every euro each general government spends, sorted into the ten functions all 27 countries report against. Open a row for the ranking of 27 and what sits inside it.

Sweden

the European Union

Function
Sweden
the European Union
11.0%
12.4%
3.9%
3.0%
3.2%
3.5%
9.6%
10.8%
1.1%
1.7%
1.6%
1.5%
14.7%
15.0%
2.8%
2.4%
14.4%
9.7%
37.9%
40.0%

Reference year 2024. Total public spending €100.00 in every column, so the ten shares always add up to one hundred.

Frequently asked: Sweden and the European Union

  1. Where do more people live: Sweden or the European Union?

    The gap is 42.56×: the European Union 450.6m, Sweden 10.6m. People usually resident in the country on 1 January. demo_pjan · 2025. See the figure

  2. Which covers more ground: Sweden or the European Union?

    The gap is 9.44×: the European Union 4,225,104, Sweden 447,424. Total area of the country, inland water included. reg_area3 · 2026. See the figure

  3. Which is more crowded: Sweden or the European Union?

    The gap is 4.23×: the European Union 110, Sweden 26.0. People per square kilometre of that total area. reg_area3 · 2026. See the figure

  4. Where are there more hospital beds per 100,000 people: Sweden or the European Union?

    The gap is 2.72×: the European Union 507, Sweden 187. Beds available in hospitals, per 100,000 residents. hlth_rs_bds1 · 2024. See the figure

  5. Where does more energy come from renewables: Sweden or the European Union?

    The gap is 39.2 points: Sweden 65.4%, the European Union 26.2%. Share of final energy use that comes from renewable sources. nrg_ind_ren · 2025. See the figure

  6. Which government owes more: Sweden or the European Union?

    The gap is 46.6 points: the European Union 81.7%, Sweden 35.1%. Consolidated gross debt of the general government, against GDP. gov_10dd_edpt1 · 2025. See the figure

  7. Where is there more railway per 1,000 km²: Sweden or the European Union?

    The gap is 83.4%: the European Union 49.1, Sweden 26.8. Railway line in use for every 1,000 square kilometres of the country. rail_if_line_tr · 2024. See the figure

  8. Where is unemployment higher: Sweden or the European Union?

    The gap is 2.8 points: Sweden 8.8%, the European Union 6.0%. Share of 15 to 74 year olds in the labour force who are without work and looking for it. une_rt_a · 2025. See the figure

  9. Where do more adults hold a degree: Sweden or the European Union?

    The gap is 13.9 points: Sweden 50.8%, the European Union 36.9%. Share of adults whose highest completed education is a university or other tertiary degree. edat_lfse_03 · 2025. See the figure

  10. Where do more people share a home: Sweden or the European Union?

    The gap is 15.0%: the European Union 2.3, Sweden 2.0. Average number of people living in a private household. ilc_lvph01 · 2025. See the figure

Medians where possible, per-capita averages for spending. This person is a composite of published statistics, not the most common person in the country.