Sweden vs Netherlands
Sweden vs Netherlands: Government debt
Government debt in 2025: 34.6% of GDP in Sweden and 44.7% of GDP in Netherlands, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Netherlands, by 10.2 percentage points, or 1.29 times that in Sweden.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Netherlands has been higher since 2003, when it overtook Sweden.
- In 2025, Sweden ranked 118 and Netherlands ranked 93 of 149 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Sweden at 30.7% of GDP and Netherlands at 48% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Sweden | Netherlands |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 34.6 | 44.7 |
| 2024 | 33.9 | 44 |
| 2023 | 32.2 | 45.9 |
| 2022 | 34.4 | 48.4 |
| 2021 | 37.2 | 50.5 |
| 2020 | 40.5 | 53.4 |
| 2019 | 36 | 47.7 |
| 2018 | 40.2 | 51.6 |
| 2017 | 41.9 | 56 |
| 2016 | 43.2 | 60.9 |
| 2015 | 44.8 | 63.8 |
| 2014 | 46.1 | 67.2 |
| 2013 | 41.2 | 67.2 |
| 2012 | 38.1 | 65.7 |
| 2011 | 37.8 | 61.2 |
| 2010 | 38.7 | 58.9 |
| 2009 | 41.3 | 56.3 |
| 2008 | 38 | 54.4 |
| 2007 | 39.3 | 42.7 |
| 2006 | 43.9 | 45 |
| 2005 | 49 | 49.6 |
| 2004 | 48.7 | 50.1 |
| 2003 | 49.5 | 49.8 |
| 2002 | 49.9 | 48.7 |
| 2001 | 52 | 49.4 |
| 2000 | 50.4 | 52.2 |
| 1999 | 60.3 | 58.6 |
| 1998 | 65.4 | 62.7 |
| 1997 | 67.7 | 65.7 |
| 1996 | 68.9 | 71.3 |
| 1995 | 68.7 | 73 |
| 1994 | 68.6 | 73.5 |
| 1993 | 66.1 | 76.7 |
| 1992 | – | 75.6 |
| 1991 | – | 74.8 |
| 1990 | – | 75 |
| 1989 | – | 73.7 |
| 1988 | – | 73.7 |
| 1987 | – | 71.3 |
| 1986 | – | 69 |
| 1985 | – | 67.1 |
| 1984 | – | 61.9 |
| 1983 | – | 58.4 |
| 1982 | – | 52.4 |
| 1981 | – | 46.9 |
| 1980 | – | 43.6 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Sweden | Netherlands |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 35.1 | 45.4 |
| 2027 | 35.5 | 45.7 |
| 2028 | 34.8 | 45.8 |
| 2029 | 33.6 | 46.3 |
| 2030 | 32.3 | 47.1 |
| 2031 | 30.7 | 48 |
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
Sweden vs Netherlands
Health
- Life expectancySweden: 83.3 years in 2023Netherlands: 82.2 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySweden: 0.2 per 100 live births in 2024Netherlands: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySweden: 1.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023Netherlands: 3.4 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterSweden: 99.7% in 2022Netherlands: 100% in 2022
- DepressionSweden: 4.49% in 2017Netherlands: 4.03% in 2017
- Suicide rateSweden: 11.1 per 100,000 people in 2017Netherlands: 9.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSweden: 10.6 million people in 2023Netherlands: 18.1 million people in 2023
- Population growthSweden: 0.56% a year in 2023Netherlands: 0.81% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSweden: 1.43 births per woman in 2023Netherlands: 1.43 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSweden: 89.1% in 2025Netherlands: 95.9% in 2025
- Median ageSweden: 39.9 years in 2023Netherlands: 41.4 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSweden: 20.5% in 2023Netherlands: 20.2% in 2023
- Net migration rateSweden: 5.2 per 1,000 people in 2023Netherlands: 8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSweden: 2.47% of GDP in 2025Netherlands: 2.2% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSweden: $15B in 2025Netherlands: $27B in 2025
- Military spending per personSweden: $1,549 in 2025Netherlands: $1,582 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSweden: 5% of government spending in 2025Netherlands: 4.8% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSweden: 15,000 people in 2020Netherlands: 41,000 people in 2020
- National powerSweden: 0.19% of world capability in 2022Netherlands: 0.38% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSweden: 0.27% of the labour force in 2020Netherlands: 0.42% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSweden: 146 million TIV in 2025Netherlands: 824 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsSweden: 235 million TIV in 2025Netherlands: 601 million TIV in 2025