Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Sweden is 56% bigger than Finland.
Finland: 338,480 km² (2023) · Sweden: 528,660 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Sweden’s coastline is 2.6 times as long as Finland’s.
Finland: 1,250 km (2026 edition) · Sweden: 3,218 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Sweden’s highest peak towers 772 m above Finland’s.
Finland: 1,328 m (2026 edition) · Sweden: 2,100 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Sweden has 88% more people than Finland.
Finland: 5.65 million (2025) · Sweden: 10.6 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Sweden is 40% more densely populated than Finland.
Finland: 19 per km² (2025) · Sweden: 26 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Finland and Sweden are practically level.
Finland: 180.6 cm (2019) · Sweden: 180.5 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Sweden and Finland are practically level.
Finland: 166.5 cm (2019) · Sweden: 166.7 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Finland is 2.9 years older than in Sweden.
Finland: 42.8 years (2023) · Sweden: 39.9 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Sweden have 0.2 more children on average than in Finland.
Finland: 1.25 children per woman (2024) · Sweden: 1.43 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
24% of people in Finland are 65 or older, versus 21% in Sweden.
Finland: 24.2% (2025) · Sweden: 20.9% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Sweden has produced 28.3 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Finland 8.9.
Finland: 8.9 (2025) · Sweden: 28.3 (2025)
How many official languages?
Finland has 2 official languages, Sweden 1.
Finland: 2 (2026) · Sweden: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Sweden’s economy is 2.1 times the size of Finland’s.
Finland: $317 billion (2025) · Sweden: $669 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Sweden produces 10% more per person than Finland.
Finland: Int$65,885 (2025) · Sweden: Int$72,529 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Sweden than in Finland (Gini 1.9 points higher).
Finland: 27.4 (2023) · Sweden: 29.3 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 9.5% in Finland, versus 8.7% in Sweden.
Finland: 9.5% (2025) · Sweden: 8.7% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Finland and Sweden are practically level.
Finland: 2.3% (2024) · Sweden: 2% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Sweden’s price level (US = 100) is 1× Finland’s.
Finland: 85% (2025) · Sweden: 87% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Sweden spends 18% more on health per person than Finland.
Finland: $5,515 (2023) · Sweden: $6,485 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in Sweden live 1.7 years longer than in Finland.
Finland: 82.3 years (2024) · Sweden: 84.1 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Sweden is 5% more likely to die before turning one than in Finland.
Finland: 1.9 per 1,000 (2024) · Sweden: 2 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Sweden has 22% more doctors per person than Finland.
Finland: 3.6 per 1,000 (2021) · Sweden: 4.4 per 1,000 (2021)
How common is obesity?
26% of adults in Finland are obese, versus 19% in Sweden.
Finland: 26.2% (2024) · Sweden: 18.7% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
21% of adults in Finland smoke, versus 20% in Sweden.
Finland: 21.4% (2024) · Sweden: 20.3% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Finland rate their lives 0.51 points higher than in Sweden.
Finland: 7.76 (2025) · Sweden: 7.26 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Finland drink 8% more alcohol than in Sweden.
Finland: 9.4 litres (2023) · Sweden: 8.7 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Finland has 2% more meat per person than Sweden.
Finland: 69.4 kg (2023) · Sweden: 68.4 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Sweden has 21 kcal more food per person per day than Finland.
Finland: 3,346 kcal (2023) · Sweden: 3,367 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Finland put in 65 more hours a year than in Sweden.
Finland: 1,497 hours (2023) · Sweden: 1,432 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Finland went to school 0.24 years longer than in Sweden.
Finland: 13 years (2023) · Sweden: 12.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Finland welcomed 26% more tourists per resident than Sweden (2019).
Finland: 0.8 (2024) · Sweden: 0.63 (2022)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
96% of people in Sweden are online, versus 94% in Finland.
Finland: 94% (2024) · Sweden: 96% (2025)
Who has electricity at home?
Finland and Sweden are practically level.
Finland: 100% (2024) · Sweden: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
89% of people in Sweden live in cities, versus 75% in Finland.
Finland: 75% (2025) · Sweden: 89% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Sweden has 141 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Finland 126.
Finland: 126 (2024) · Sweden: 141 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Sweden’s railway network is 64% longer than Finland’s.
Finland: 5,918 km (2021) · Sweden: 9,714 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Finland fly 4% more passengers per resident than those from Sweden.
Finland: 1.91 (2023) · Sweden: 1.85 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 74% of Finland, but only 69% of Sweden.
Finland: 73.7% (2023) · Sweden: 68.7% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Finland emits 48% more CO₂ than someone in Sweden.
Finland: 5.3 t (2024) · Sweden: 3.6 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
71% of Sweden’s electricity is renewable, versus 56% in Finland.
Finland: 56.5% (2025) · Sweden: 71.2% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Sweden carries 6% more fine dust than in Finland.
Finland: 5.4 µg/m³ (2024) · Sweden: 5.7 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 17% more likely to be murdered in Sweden than in Finland.
Finland: 1 per 100k (2023) · Sweden: 1.1 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Finland are 2 times as deadly as in Sweden.
Finland: 4.2 per 100k (2021) · Sweden: 2.1 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Sweden is on average 0.8 °C warmer than Finland.
Finland: 3.6°C (2016–2025 avg) · Sweden: 4.3°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Sweden gets 6% more rain than Finland.
Finland: 758 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Sweden: 801 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Finland bigger than Sweden?
Sweden is larger. Sweden is 56% bigger than Finland.
Which has more people, Finland or Sweden?
Sweden has 88% more people than Finland (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Finland or Sweden?
People in Sweden live 1.7 years longer than in Finland. Life expectancy at birth is 82.3 years in Finland and 84.1 in Sweden.
Are people taller in Finland or Sweden?
Finland and Sweden are practically level (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
