Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Sweden is 48% bigger than Germany.
Germany: 357,680 km² (2023) · Sweden: 528,660 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Sweden’s coastline is 35% longer than Germany’s.
Germany: 2,389 km (2026 edition) · Sweden: 3,218 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Germany’s highest peak towers 863 m above Sweden’s.
Germany: 2,963 m (2026 edition) · Sweden: 2,100 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Germany has 7.9 times as many people as Sweden.
Germany: 83.5 million (2025) · Sweden: 10.6 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Germany is 9.2 times as densely populated as Sweden.
Germany: 239 per km² (2025) · Sweden: 26 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Sweden and Germany are practically level.
Germany: 180.3 cm (2019) · Sweden: 180.5 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Sweden and Germany are practically level.
Germany: 166.2 cm (2019) · Sweden: 166.7 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Germany is 5.2 years older than in Sweden.
Germany: 45.1 years (2023) · Sweden: 39.9 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Sweden have 0.1 more children on average than in Germany.
Germany: 1.36 children per woman (2024) · Sweden: 1.43 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
24% of people in Germany are 65 or older, versus 21% in Sweden.
Germany: 23.7% (2025) · Sweden: 20.9% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Sweden has produced 28.3 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Germany 10.1.
Germany: 10.1 (2025) · Sweden: 28.3 (2025)
How many official languages?
Germany and Sweden are practically level.
Germany: 1 (2026) · Sweden: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Germany’s economy is 7.5 times the size of Sweden’s.
Germany: $5.05 trillion (2025) · Sweden: $669 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Germany produces 4% more per person than Sweden.
Germany: Int$75,407 (2025) · Sweden: Int$72,529 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Germany than in Sweden (Gini 4.4 points higher).
Germany: 33.7 (2022) · Sweden: 29.3 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 8.7% in Sweden, versus 3.7% in Germany.
Germany: 3.7% (2025) · Sweden: 8.7% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Sweden and Germany are practically level.
Germany: 1.9% (2024) · Sweden: 2% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Sweden’s price level (US = 100) is 1.1× Germany’s.
Germany: 80% (2025) · Sweden: 87% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Germany spends 6% more on health per person than Sweden.
Germany: $6,849 (2024) · Sweden: $6,485 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in Sweden live 3.3 years longer than in Germany.
Germany: 80.8 years (2024) · Sweden: 84.1 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Germany is 55% more likely to die before turning one than in Sweden.
Germany: 3.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Sweden: 2 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Germany has 3% more doctors per person than Sweden.
Germany: 4.5 per 1,000 (2022) · Sweden: 4.4 per 1,000 (2021)
How common is obesity?
24% of adults in Germany are obese, versus 19% in Sweden.
Germany: 24.5% (2024) · Sweden: 18.7% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
22% of adults in Germany smoke, versus 20% in Sweden.
Germany: 22% (2024) · Sweden: 20.3% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Sweden rate their lives 0.37 points higher than in Germany.
Germany: 6.88 (2025) · Sweden: 7.26 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Germany drink 26% more alcohol than in Sweden.
Germany: 10.9 litres (2023) · Sweden: 8.7 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Germany has 3% more meat per person than Sweden.
Germany: 70.7 kg (2023) · Sweden: 68.4 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Germany has 168 kcal more food per person per day than Sweden.
Germany: 3,535 kcal (2023) · Sweden: 3,367 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Sweden put in 96 more hours a year than in Germany.
Germany: 1,335 hours (2023) · Sweden: 1,432 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Germany went to school 1.6 years longer than in Sweden.
Germany: 14.3 years (2023) · Sweden: 12.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Sweden welcomed 41% more tourists per resident than Germany (2019).
Germany: 0.45 (2024) · Sweden: 0.63 (2022)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
96% of people in Sweden are online, versus 94% in Germany.
Germany: 94% (2024) · Sweden: 96% (2025)
Who has electricity at home?
Germany and Sweden are practically level.
Germany: 100% (2024) · Sweden: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
89% of people in Sweden live in cities, versus 82% in Germany.
Germany: 82% (2025) · Sweden: 89% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Sweden has 141 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Germany 129.
Germany: 129 (2024) · Sweden: 141 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Germany’s railway network is 3.4 times as long as Sweden’s.
Germany: 33,401 km (2021) · Sweden: 9,714 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Sweden fly 92% more passengers per resident than those from Germany.
Germany: 0.96 (2023) · Sweden: 1.85 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 69% of Sweden, but only 33% of Germany.
Germany: 32.7% (2023) · Sweden: 68.7% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Germany emits 88% more CO₂ than someone in Sweden.
Germany: 6.8 t (2024) · Sweden: 3.6 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
71% of Sweden’s electricity is renewable, versus 59% in Germany.
Germany: 59.1% (2025) · Sweden: 71.2% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Germany carries 60% more fine dust than in Sweden.
Germany: 9.1 µg/m³ (2024) · Sweden: 5.7 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 26% more likely to be murdered in Sweden than in Germany.
Germany: 0.9 per 100k (2023) · Sweden: 1.1 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Germany are 57% deadlier than in Sweden.
Germany: 3.3 per 100k (2021) · Sweden: 2.1 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Germany is on average 5.9 °C warmer than Sweden.
Germany: 10.3°C (2016–2025 avg) · Sweden: 4.3°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Germany gets 9% more rain than Sweden.
Germany: 871 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Sweden: 801 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Germany bigger than Sweden?
Sweden is larger. Sweden is 48% bigger than Germany.
Which has more people, Germany or Sweden?
Germany has 7.9 times as many people as Sweden (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Germany or Sweden?
People in Sweden live 3.3 years longer than in Germany. Life expectancy at birth is 80.8 years in Germany and 84.1 in Sweden.
Are people taller in Germany or Sweden?
Sweden and Germany are practically level (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
