Poland vs Sweden
Poland vs Sweden: Government debt
Government debt in 2025: 59.7% of GDP in Poland and 34.6% of GDP in Sweden, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Poland, by 25.1 percentage points, or 1.73 times that in Sweden.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Poland has been higher since 2006, when it overtook Sweden.
- In 2025, Poland ranked 57 and Sweden ranked 118 of 149 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Poland at 82% of GDP and Sweden at 30.7% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Poland | Sweden |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 59.7 | 34.6 |
| 2024 | 54.9 | 33.9 |
| 2023 | 49.5 | 32.2 |
| 2022 | 48.8 | 34.4 |
| 2021 | 53 | 37.2 |
| 2020 | 56.6 | 40.5 |
| 2019 | 45.2 | 36 |
| 2018 | 48.2 | 40.2 |
| 2017 | 50.4 | 41.9 |
| 2016 | 54.1 | 43.2 |
| 2015 | 51.1 | 44.8 |
| 2014 | 51.1 | 46.1 |
| 2013 | 56.9 | 41.2 |
| 2012 | 54.5 | 38.1 |
| 2011 | 54.8 | 37.8 |
| 2010 | 53.8 | 38.7 |
| 2009 | 49.7 | 41.3 |
| 2008 | 46.6 | 38 |
| 2007 | 44.4 | 39.3 |
| 2006 | 47.1 | 43.9 |
| 2005 | 46.5 | 49 |
| 2004 | 45 | 48.7 |
| 2003 | 46.2 | 49.5 |
| 2002 | 41.4 | 49.9 |
| 2001 | 37 | 52 |
| 2000 | 36.3 | 50.4 |
| 1999 | 39.2 | 60.3 |
| 1998 | 38.6 | 65.4 |
| 1997 | 42.6 | 67.7 |
| 1996 | 43 | 68.9 |
| 1995 | 48.6 | 68.7 |
| 1994 | – | 68.6 |
| 1993 | – | 66.1 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Poland | Sweden |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 66.6 | 35.1 |
| 2027 | 70.7 | 35.5 |
| 2028 | 73.7 | 34.8 |
| 2029 | 77 | 33.6 |
| 2030 | 79.8 | 32.3 |
| 2031 | 82 | 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
Poland vs Sweden
Health
- Life expectancyPoland: 78.6 years in 2023Sweden: 83.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityPoland: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024Sweden: 0.2 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityPoland: 3.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023Sweden: 1.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterPoland: 88.9% in 2022Sweden: 99.7% in 2022
- DepressionPoland: 2.25% in 2017Sweden: 4.49% in 2017
- Suicide ratePoland: 14 per 100,000 people in 2017Sweden: 11.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationPoland: 38.8 million people in 2023Sweden: 10.6 million people in 2023
- Population growthPoland: -0.26% a year in 2023Sweden: 0.56% a year in 2023
- Fertility ratePoland: 1.3 births per woman in 2023Sweden: 1.43 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationPoland: 60.1% in 2025Sweden: 89.1% in 2025
- Median agePoland: 41.3 years in 2023Sweden: 39.9 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overPoland: 19.6% in 2023Sweden: 20.5% in 2023
- Net migration ratePoland: -0.2 per 1,000 people in 2023Sweden: 5.2 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingPoland: 4.5% of GDP in 2025Sweden: 2.47% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsPoland: $42.5B in 2025Sweden: $15B in 2025
- Military spending per personPoland: $1,219 in 2025Sweden: $1,549 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingPoland: 9% of government spending in 2025Sweden: 5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelPoland: 189,000 people in 2020Sweden: 15,000 people in 2020
- National powerPoland: 0.52% of world capability in 2022Sweden: 0.19% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersPoland: 1.04% of the labour force in 2020Sweden: 0.27% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsPoland: 2.17 billion TIV in 2025Sweden: 146 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsPoland: 59 million TIV in 2025Sweden: 235 million TIV in 2025