Finland vs Sweden
Finland vs Sweden: Urban population
Urban population in 2025: 74.5% in Finland and 89.1% in Sweden, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Sweden, by 14.6 percentage points, or 1.2 times that in Finland.
% of people · UN
What the numbers say
- Sweden has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
- In 2025, Finland ranked 82 and Sweden ranked 38 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
- The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts Finland at 78.8% and Sweden at 92.9% in 2050.
Every year
% of people · UN
| Year | Finland | Sweden |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 74.5 | 89.1 |
| 2024 | 74.3 | 88.9 |
| 2023 | 74 | 88.6 |
| 2022 | 73.7 | 88.4 |
| 2021 | 73.4 | 88.2 |
| 2020 | 73.1 | 87.9 |
| 2019 | 72.7 | 87.7 |
| 2018 | 72.3 | 87.5 |
| 2017 | 72 | 87.2 |
| 2016 | 71.6 | 87 |
| 2015 | 71.3 | 86.6 |
| 2014 | 71 | 86.3 |
| 2013 | 70.7 | 85.9 |
| 2012 | 70.4 | 85.6 |
| 2011 | 70.1 | 85.4 |
| 2010 | 69.8 | 85.1 |
| 2009 | 69.6 | 84.9 |
| 2008 | 69.3 | 84.8 |
| 2007 | 69 | 84.6 |
| 2006 | 68.8 | 84.5 |
| 2005 | 68.5 | 84.4 |
| 2004 | 68.3 | 84.3 |
| 2003 | 68 | 84.2 |
| 2002 | 67.8 | 84.1 |
| 2001 | 67.5 | 84.1 |
| 2000 | 67.1 | 84 |
| 1999 | 66.7 | 84 |
| 1998 | 66.2 | 84 |
| 1997 | 65.7 | 84 |
| 1996 | 65.2 | 83.9 |
| 1995 | 64.8 | 83.9 |
| 1994 | 64.5 | 83.8 |
| 1993 | 64.3 | 83.7 |
| 1992 | 64.1 | 83.6 |
| 1991 | 64 | 83.5 |
| 1990 | 63.9 | 83.4 |
| 1989 | 63.8 | 83.3 |
| 1988 | 63.8 | 83.2 |
| 1987 | 63.7 | 83.2 |
| 1986 | 63.6 | 83.1 |
| 1985 | 63.5 | 83.1 |
| 1984 | 63.4 | 83.1 |
| 1983 | 63.3 | 83.1 |
| 1982 | 63.2 | 83.1 |
| 1981 | 63.2 | 83.1 |
| 1980 | 63.1 | 83.1 |
| 1979 | 63 | 83.1 |
| 1978 | 62.9 | 83 |
| 1977 | 62.8 | 82.9 |
| 1976 | 62.6 | 82.8 |
| 1975 | 62.4 | 82.7 |
| 1974 | 62.1 | 82.5 |
| 1973 | 61.6 | 82.3 |
| 1972 | 61.1 | 82 |
| 1971 | 60.7 | 81.7 |
| 1970 | 60.3 | 81.2 |
| 1969 | 59.9 | 80.6 |
| 1968 | 59.5 | 79.8 |
| 1967 | 59.1 | 78.9 |
| 1966 | 58.7 | 78 |
| 1965 | 58.3 | 77.1 |
| 1964 | 57.9 | 76.2 |
| 1963 | 57.4 | 75.3 |
| 1962 | 56.8 | 74.3 |
| 1961 | 56.3 | 73.4 |
| 1960 | 55.6 | 72.5 |
| 1959 | 54.8 | 71.6 |
| 1958 | 53.9 | 70.8 |
| 1957 | 52.9 | 70 |
| 1956 | 51.8 | 69.2 |
| 1955 | 50.6 | 68.5 |
| 1954 | 49.3 | 67.7 |
| 1953 | 48 | 67 |
| 1952 | 46.6 | 66.2 |
| 1951 | 45.1 | 65.5 |
| 1950 | 43.6 | 64.7 |
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
| Year | Finland | Sweden |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 74.8 | 89.3 |
| 2027 | 75 | 89.5 |
| 2028 | 75.3 | 89.7 |
| 2029 | 75.6 | 89.9 |
| 2030 | 75.8 | 90.1 |
| 2031 | 76 | 90.3 |
| 2032 | 76.3 | 90.5 |
| 2033 | 76.5 | 90.7 |
| 2034 | 76.7 | 90.9 |
| 2035 | 76.9 | 91.1 |
| 2036 | 77.1 | 91.3 |
| 2037 | 77.3 | 91.4 |
| 2038 | 77.5 | 91.6 |
| 2039 | 77.7 | 91.7 |
| 2040 | 77.9 | 91.9 |
| 2041 | 78 | 92 |
| 2042 | 78.2 | 92.2 |
| 2043 | 78.3 | 92.3 |
| 2044 | 78.4 | 92.4 |
| 2045 | 78.5 | 92.5 |
| 2046 | 78.6 | 92.6 |
| 2047 | 78.7 | 92.7 |
| 2048 | 78.8 | 92.8 |
| 2049 | 78.8 | 92.9 |
| 2050 | 78.8 | 92.9 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The share of people living in places the country itself counts as urban.
- Source: UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025.
- The dashed line is the UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 229 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
- 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