Sweden vs United States
Sweden vs United States: Urban population
Urban population in 2025: 89.1% in Sweden and 80.2% in United States, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Sweden, by 8.9 percentage points, or 1.11 times that in United States.
% of people · UN
What the numbers say
- Sweden has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
- In 2025, Sweden ranked 38 and United States ranked 62 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
- The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts Sweden at 92.9% and United States at 86.5% in 2050.
Every year
% of people · UN
| Year | Sweden | United States |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 89.1 | 80.2 |
| 2024 | 88.9 | 80.1 |
| 2023 | 88.6 | 80.1 |
| 2022 | 88.4 | 80 |
| 2021 | 88.2 | 80 |
| 2020 | 87.9 | 80 |
| 2019 | 87.7 | 80.1 |
| 2018 | 87.5 | 80.3 |
| 2017 | 87.2 | 80.4 |
| 2016 | 87 | 80.5 |
| 2015 | 86.6 | 80.6 |
| 2014 | 86.3 | 80.6 |
| 2013 | 85.9 | 80.7 |
| 2012 | 85.6 | 80.7 |
| 2011 | 85.4 | 80.7 |
| 2010 | 85.1 | 80.7 |
| 2009 | 84.9 | 80.7 |
| 2008 | 84.8 | 80.6 |
| 2007 | 84.6 | 80.5 |
| 2006 | 84.5 | 80.4 |
| 2005 | 84.4 | 80.2 |
| 2004 | 84.3 | 80 |
| 2003 | 84.2 | 79.8 |
| 2002 | 84.1 | 79.6 |
| 2001 | 84.1 | 79.3 |
| 2000 | 84 | 79.1 |
| 1999 | 84 | 78.8 |
| 1998 | 84 | 78.5 |
| 1997 | 84 | 78.1 |
| 1996 | 83.9 | 77.7 |
| 1995 | 83.9 | 77.2 |
| 1994 | 83.8 | 76.7 |
| 1993 | 83.7 | 76.3 |
| 1992 | 83.6 | 75.9 |
| 1991 | 83.5 | 75.5 |
| 1990 | 83.4 | 75.3 |
| 1989 | 83.3 | 75.1 |
| 1988 | 83.2 | 74.9 |
| 1987 | 83.2 | 74.7 |
| 1986 | 83.1 | 74.5 |
| 1985 | 83.1 | 74.3 |
| 1984 | 83.1 | 74.2 |
| 1983 | 83.1 | 74 |
| 1982 | 83.1 | 73.9 |
| 1981 | 83.1 | 73.8 |
| 1980 | 83.1 | 73.8 |
| 1979 | 83.1 | 73.7 |
| 1978 | 83 | 73.7 |
| 1977 | 82.9 | 73.7 |
| 1976 | 82.8 | 73.6 |
| 1975 | 82.7 | 73.6 |
| 1974 | 82.5 | 73.6 |
| 1973 | 82.3 | 73.6 |
| 1972 | 82 | 73.6 |
| 1971 | 81.7 | 73.5 |
| 1970 | 81.2 | 73.5 |
| 1969 | 80.6 | 73.4 |
| 1968 | 79.8 | 73.3 |
| 1967 | 78.9 | 73 |
| 1966 | 78 | 72.7 |
| 1965 | 77.1 | 72.3 |
| 1964 | 76.2 | 71.9 |
| 1963 | 75.3 | 71.4 |
| 1962 | 74.3 | 70.9 |
| 1961 | 73.4 | 70.5 |
| 1960 | 72.5 | 70 |
| 1959 | 71.6 | 69.5 |
| 1958 | 70.8 | 69 |
| 1957 | 70 | 68.5 |
| 1956 | 69.2 | 67.9 |
| 1955 | 68.5 | 67.3 |
| 1954 | 67.7 | 66.6 |
| 1953 | 67 | 66 |
| 1952 | 66.2 | 65.3 |
| 1951 | 65.5 | 64.7 |
| 1950 | 64.7 | 64 |
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
| Year | Sweden | United States |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 89.3 | 80.3 |
| 2027 | 89.5 | 80.4 |
| 2028 | 89.7 | 80.5 |
| 2029 | 89.9 | 80.6 |
| 2030 | 90.1 | 80.7 |
| 2031 | 90.3 | 80.9 |
| 2032 | 90.5 | 81.1 |
| 2033 | 90.7 | 81.2 |
| 2034 | 90.9 | 81.4 |
| 2035 | 91.1 | 81.7 |
| 2036 | 91.3 | 81.9 |
| 2037 | 91.4 | 82.1 |
| 2038 | 91.6 | 82.4 |
| 2039 | 91.7 | 82.6 |
| 2040 | 91.9 | 82.9 |
| 2041 | 92 | 83.2 |
| 2042 | 92.2 | 83.5 |
| 2043 | 92.3 | 83.8 |
| 2044 | 92.4 | 84.2 |
| 2045 | 92.5 | 84.5 |
| 2046 | 92.6 | 84.9 |
| 2047 | 92.7 | 85.3 |
| 2048 | 92.8 | 85.7 |
| 2049 | 92.9 | 86.1 |
| 2050 | 92.9 | 86.5 |
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
Sweden vs United States
Health
- Life expectancySweden: 83.3 years in 2023United States: 79.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySweden: 0.2 per 100 live births in 2024United States: 0.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySweden: 1.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023United States: 5.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterSweden: 99.7% in 2022United States: 97.5% in 2022
- DepressionSweden: 4.49% in 2017United States: 4.84% in 2017
- Suicide rateSweden: 11.1 per 100,000 people in 2017United States: 12.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSweden: 10.6 million people in 2023United States: 344 million people in 2023
- Population growthSweden: 0.56% a year in 2023United States: 0.58% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSweden: 1.43 births per woman in 2023United States: 1.62 births per woman in 2023
- Median ageSweden: 39.9 years in 2023United States: 38 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSweden: 20.5% in 2023United States: 17.4% in 2023
- Net migration rateSweden: 5.2 per 1,000 people in 2023United States: 3.9 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSweden: 2.47% of GDP in 2025United States: 3.12% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSweden: $15B in 2025United States: $929B in 2025
- Military spending per personSweden: $1,549 in 2025United States: $2,755 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSweden: 5% of government spending in 2025United States: 8.3% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSweden: 15,000 people in 2020United States: 1.4 million people in 2020
- National powerSweden: 0.19% of world capability in 2022United States: 12.36% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSweden: 0.27% of the labour force in 2020United States: 0.84% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSweden: 146 million TIV in 2025United States: 745 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsSweden: 235 million TIV in 2025United States: 14 billion TIV in 2025