Finland vs Sweden
Finland vs Sweden: Armed forces, share of workers
Armed forces, share of workers in 2020: 0.8% of the labour force in Finland and 0.27% of the labour force in Sweden, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Finland, by 0.53 percentage points, or 2.92 times that in Sweden.
% of the labour force · IISS
What the numbers say
- Finland has been higher since 2004, when it overtook Sweden.
- In 2020, Finland ranked 88 and Sweden ranked 147 of 168 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 0.79% of the labour force in 2020.
Every year
% of the labour force · IISS
| Year | Finland | Sweden | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 0.8 | 0.27 | 0.79 |
| 2019 | 0.98 | 0.27 | 0.79 |
| 2018 | 0.92 | 0.28 | 0.8 |
| 2017 | 0.92 | 0.56 | 0.8 |
| 2016 | 0.9 | 0.58 | 0.81 |
| 2015 | 0.92 | 0.59 | 0.82 |
| 2014 | 0.93 | 0.6 | 0.82 |
| 2013 | 0.93 | 0.32 | 0.83 |
| 2012 | 0.93 | 0.32 | 0.87 |
| 2011 | 0.93 | 0.43 | 0.88 |
| 2010 | 0.93 | 0.43 | 0.89 |
| 2009 | 0.93 | 0.45 | 0.89 |
| 2008 | 1.18 | 0.36 | 0.89 |
| 2007 | 1.19 | 0.36 | 0.89 |
| 2006 | 1.18 | 0.52 | 0.95 |
| 2005 | 1.15 | 0.61 | 0.96 |
| 2004 | 1.16 | 0.6 | 0.94 |
| 2003 | 1.13 | 1.37 | 0.98 |
| 2002 | 1.32 | 1.52 | 1 |
| 2001 | 1.34 | 1.53 | 1.01 |
| 2000 | 1.35 | 1.97 | 1.07 |
| 1999 | 1.36 | 1.96 | 1.09 |
| 1998 | 1.39 | 1.99 | 1.13 |
| 1997 | 1.37 | 1.97 | 1.15 |
| 1996 | 1.46 | 2.17 | 1.18 |
| 1995 | 1.4 | 2.2 | 1.2 |
| 1994 | 1.41 | 1.57 | 0.94 |
| 1993 | 1.24 | 1.56 | 0.98 |
| 1992 | 1.31 | 1.53 | 1.03 |
| 1991 | 1.25 | 1.35 | 1.03 |
| 1990 | 1.19 | 1.38 | 1.11 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Active-duty military personnel as a share of everyone working or looking for work, by the IISS Military Balance.
- Source: IISS, The Military Balance, via the World Bank.
- Ranks count the 168 countries with a value in 2020, highest first.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Finland vs Sweden
Health
- Life expectancyFinland: 81.9 years in 2023Sweden: 83.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityFinland: 0.2 per 100 live births in 2024Sweden: 0.2 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityFinland: 1.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023Sweden: 1.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterFinland: 99.6% in 2022Sweden: 99.7% in 2022
- DepressionFinland: 4.79% in 2017Sweden: 4.49% in 2017
- Suicide rateFinland: 12.9 per 100,000 people in 2017Sweden: 11.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationFinland: 5.6 million people in 2023Sweden: 10.6 million people in 2023
- Population growthFinland: 0.39% a year in 2023Sweden: 0.56% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateFinland: 1.28 births per woman in 2023Sweden: 1.43 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationFinland: 74.5% in 2025Sweden: 89.1% in 2025
- Median ageFinland: 42.8 years in 2023Sweden: 39.9 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overFinland: 23.6% in 2023Sweden: 20.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateFinland: 6.8 per 1,000 people in 2023Sweden: 5.2 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingFinland: 2.57% of GDP in 2025Sweden: 2.47% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsFinland: $7.61B in 2025Sweden: $15B in 2025
- Military spending per personFinland: $1,437 in 2025Sweden: $1,549 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingFinland: 4.4% of government spending in 2025Sweden: 5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelFinland: 22,000 people in 2020Sweden: 15,000 people in 2020
- National powerFinland: 0.14% of world capability in 2022Sweden: 0.19% of world capability in 2022
- Arms importsFinland: 51 million TIV in 2025Sweden: 146 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsFinland: 115 million TIV in 2025Sweden: 235 million TIV in 2025