Russia vs Sweden
Russia vs Sweden: Government debt
Government debt in 2025: 16.6% of GDP in Russia and 34.6% of GDP in Sweden, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Sweden, by 18 percentage points, or 2.08 times that in Russia.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Sweden has been higher since 2001, when it overtook Russia.
- In 2025, Russia ranked 144 and Sweden ranked 118 of 149 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Russia at 30.7% of GDP and Sweden at 30.7% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Russia | Sweden |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 16.6 | 34.6 |
| 2024 | 14.8 | 33.9 |
| 2023 | 15.2 | 32.2 |
| 2022 | 15.1 | 34.4 |
| 2021 | 16.5 | 37.2 |
| 2020 | 19.2 | 40.5 |
| 2019 | 13.8 | 36 |
| 2018 | 13.6 | 40.2 |
| 2017 | 14.3 | 41.9 |
| 2016 | 14.9 | 43.2 |
| 2015 | 15.3 | 44.8 |
| 2014 | 15.1 | 46.1 |
| 2013 | 12.4 | 41.2 |
| 2012 | 11.2 | 38.1 |
| 2011 | 10.3 | 37.8 |
| 2010 | 10.1 | 38.7 |
| 2009 | 9.9 | 41.3 |
| 2008 | 7.4 | 38 |
| 2007 | 8 | 39.3 |
| 2006 | 9.8 | 43.9 |
| 2005 | 14.9 | 49 |
| 2004 | 20.8 | 48.7 |
| 2003 | 28.3 | 49.5 |
| 2002 | 37.6 | 49.9 |
| 2001 | 44.4 | 52 |
| 2000 | 55.9 | 50.4 |
| 1999 | 92.4 | 60.3 |
| 1998 | 135.2 | 65.4 |
| 1997 | 51.5 | 67.7 |
| 1996 | – | 68.9 |
| 1995 | – | 68.7 |
| 1994 | – | 68.6 |
| 1993 | – | 66.1 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Russia | Sweden |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 19.3 | 35.1 |
| 2027 | 22.2 | 35.5 |
| 2028 | 24.8 | 34.8 |
| 2029 | 27.2 | 33.6 |
| 2030 | 29.1 | 32.3 |
| 2031 | 30.7 | 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
Russia vs Sweden
Health
- Life expectancyRussia: 73.2 years in 2023Sweden: 83.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityRussia: 0.5 per 100 live births in 2024Sweden: 0.2 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityRussia: 3.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023Sweden: 1.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterRussia: 76.2% in 2022Sweden: 99.7% in 2022
- DepressionRussia: 3.71% in 2017Sweden: 4.49% in 2017
- Suicide rateRussia: 25.1 per 100,000 people in 2017Sweden: 11.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationRussia: 145 million people in 2023Sweden: 10.6 million people in 2023
- Population growthRussia: -0.32% a year in 2023Sweden: 0.56% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateRussia: 1.45 births per woman in 2023Sweden: 1.43 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationRussia: 75.3% in 2025Sweden: 89.1% in 2025
- Median ageRussia: 39.5 years in 2023Sweden: 39.9 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overRussia: 16.6% in 2023Sweden: 20.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateRussia: 0.2 per 1,000 people in 2023Sweden: 5.2 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingRussia: 7.5% of GDP in 2025Sweden: 2.47% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsRussia: $158B in 2025Sweden: $15B in 2025
- Military spending per personRussia: $1,318 in 2025Sweden: $1,549 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingRussia: 19.8% of government spending in 2025Sweden: 5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelRussia: 1.45 million people in 2020Sweden: 15,000 people in 2020
- National powerRussia: 3.82% of world capability in 2022Sweden: 0.19% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersRussia: 1.98% of the labour force in 2020Sweden: 0.27% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsRussia: 129 million TIV in 2025Sweden: 146 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsRussia: 1.94 billion TIV in 2025Sweden: 235 million TIV in 2025