Finland vs Sweden
Finland vs Sweden: Government debt
Government debt in 2025: 88.4% of GDP in Finland and 34.6% of GDP in Sweden, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Finland, by 53.9 percentage points, or 2.56 times that in Sweden.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Finland has been higher since 2009, when it overtook Sweden.
- In 2025, Finland ranked 25 and Sweden ranked 118 of 149 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Finland at 101.2% of GDP and Sweden at 30.7% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Finland | Sweden |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 88.4 | 34.6 |
| 2024 | 82.5 | 33.9 |
| 2023 | 77.2 | 32.2 |
| 2022 | 74.1 | 34.4 |
| 2021 | 73.1 | 37.2 |
| 2020 | 75.3 | 40.5 |
| 2019 | 65.3 | 36 |
| 2018 | 65.3 | 40.2 |
| 2017 | 66.6 | 41.9 |
| 2016 | 68.7 | 43.2 |
| 2015 | 68.8 | 44.8 |
| 2014 | 64.8 | 46.1 |
| 2013 | 60.8 | 41.2 |
| 2012 | 57.9 | 38.1 |
| 2011 | 52 | 37.8 |
| 2010 | 50.1 | 38.7 |
| 2009 | 41.5 | 41.3 |
| 2008 | 32.6 | 38 |
| 2007 | 33.9 | 39.3 |
| 2006 | 38 | 43.9 |
| 2005 | 39.9 | 49 |
| 2004 | 42.6 | 48.7 |
| 2003 | 42.7 | 49.5 |
| 2002 | 40.1 | 49.9 |
| 2001 | 40.9 | 52 |
| 2000 | 42.5 | 50.4 |
| 1999 | 44 | 60.3 |
| 1998 | 46.8 | 65.4 |
| 1997 | 52.2 | 67.7 |
| 1996 | 55.4 | 68.9 |
| 1995 | 55.2 | 68.7 |
| 1994 | 56.2 | 68.6 |
| 1993 | 54.2 | 66.1 |
| 1992 | 39.3 | – |
| 1991 | 21.9 | – |
| 1990 | 13.9 | – |
| 1989 | 14.3 | – |
| 1988 | 16.5 | – |
| 1987 | 17.7 | – |
| 1986 | 16.4 | – |
| 1985 | 15.8 | – |
| 1984 | 15.2 | – |
| 1983 | 15.4 | – |
| 1982 | 13.9 | – |
| 1981 | 11.5 | – |
| 1980 | 10.9 | – |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Finland | Sweden |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 90.6 | 35.1 |
| 2027 | 92.1 | 35.5 |
| 2028 | 94.5 | 34.8 |
| 2029 | 97.1 | 33.6 |
| 2030 | 99.1 | 32.3 |
| 2031 | 101.2 | 30.7 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the government owes, as a share of the economy’s yearly output.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 149 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
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
- Armed forces, share of workersFinland: 0.8% of the labour force in 2020Sweden: 0.27% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsFinland: 51 million TIV in 2025Sweden: 146 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsFinland: 115 million TIV in 2025Sweden: 235 million TIV in 2025