Sweden vs United Kingdom
Sweden vs United Kingdom: Inflation
Inflation in 2025: 2.6% a year in Sweden and 3.4% a year in United Kingdom, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United Kingdom, by 0.8 percentage points, or 1.29 times that in Sweden.
% a year · IMF
What the numbers say
- United Kingdom has been higher since 2022, when it overtook Sweden.
- In 2025, Sweden ranked 98 and United Kingdom ranked 75 of 179 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Sweden at 2% a year and United Kingdom at 2% a year in 2031.
Every year
% a year · IMF
| Year | Sweden | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.6 | 3.4 |
| 2024 | 2 | 2.5 |
| 2023 | 5.9 | 7.3 |
| 2022 | 8.1 | 9.1 |
| 2021 | 2.7 | 2.6 |
| 2020 | 0.7 | 0.9 |
| 2019 | 1.7 | 1.8 |
| 2018 | 2 | 2.5 |
| 2017 | 1.9 | 2.7 |
| 2016 | 1.1 | 0.7 |
| 2015 | 0.7 | 0 |
| 2014 | 0.2 | 1.5 |
| 2013 | 0.4 | 2.6 |
| 2012 | 0.9 | 2.8 |
| 2011 | 1.4 | 4.5 |
| 2010 | 1.9 | 3.3 |
| 2009 | 1.9 | 2.2 |
| 2008 | 3.3 | 3.6 |
| 2007 | 1.7 | 2.3 |
| 2006 | 1.5 | 2.3 |
| 2005 | 0.8 | 2.1 |
| 2004 | 1 | 1.3 |
| 2003 | 2.3 | 1.4 |
| 2002 | 1.9 | 1.3 |
| 2001 | 2.7 | 1.2 |
| 2000 | 1.3 | 0.8 |
| 1999 | 0.6 | 1.3 |
| 1998 | 1 | 1.6 |
| 1997 | 1.8 | 1.8 |
| 1996 | 1 | 2.4 |
| 1995 | 2.5 | 2.6 |
| 1994 | 2.9 | 2 |
| 1993 | 4.7 | 2.5 |
| 1992 | 1.4 | 4.2 |
| 1991 | 8.8 | 7.5 |
| 1990 | 10.5 | 7 |
| 1989 | 6.4 | 5.2 |
| 1988 | 5.8 | 4.6 |
| 1987 | 4.2 | 4.1 |
| 1986 | 4.2 | 3.6 |
| 1985 | 7.4 | 5.2 |
| 1984 | 8 | 4.4 |
| 1983 | 8.9 | 5.2 |
| 1982 | 8.6 | 8.5 |
| 1981 | 12.1 | 12.2 |
| 1980 | 17.5 | 16.9 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Sweden | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1.1 | 3.3 |
| 2027 | 1.9 | 2.8 |
| 2028 | 2.7 | 2 |
| 2029 | 2 | 2 |
| 2030 | 2 | 2 |
| 2031 | 2 | 2 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- How much consumer prices rose in a year, on average.
- 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 179 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 United Kingdom
Health
- Life expectancySweden: 83.3 years in 2023United Kingdom: 81.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySweden: 0.2 per 100 live births in 2024United Kingdom: 0.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySweden: 1.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023United Kingdom: 3.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterSweden: 99.7% in 2022United Kingdom: 99.8% in 2022
- DepressionSweden: 4.49% in 2017United Kingdom: 4.12% in 2017
- Suicide rateSweden: 11.1 per 100,000 people in 2017United Kingdom: 7.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSweden: 10.6 million people in 2023United Kingdom: 68.7 million people in 2023
- Population growthSweden: 0.56% a year in 2023United Kingdom: 0.7% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSweden: 1.43 births per woman in 2023United Kingdom: 1.56 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSweden: 89.1% in 2025United Kingdom: 83.3% in 2025
- Median ageSweden: 39.9 years in 2023United Kingdom: 39.8 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSweden: 20.5% in 2023United Kingdom: 19.2% in 2023
- Net migration rateSweden: 5.2 per 1,000 people in 2023United Kingdom: 6.5 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSweden: 2.47% of GDP in 2025United Kingdom: 2.35% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSweden: $15B in 2025United Kingdom: $88B in 2025
- Military spending per personSweden: $1,549 in 2025United Kingdom: $1,283 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSweden: 5% of government spending in 2025United Kingdom: 5.4% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSweden: 15,000 people in 2020United Kingdom: 153,000 people in 2020
- National powerSweden: 0.19% of world capability in 2022United Kingdom: 1.25% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSweden: 0.27% of the labour force in 2020United Kingdom: 0.45% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSweden: 146 million TIV in 2025United Kingdom: 609 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsSweden: 235 million TIV in 2025United Kingdom: 702 million TIV in 2025