Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Portugal fits inside Sweden 5.7 times.
Portugal: 92,230 km² (2023) · Sweden: 528,660 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Sweden’s coastline is 79% longer than Portugal’s.
Portugal: 1,793 km (2026 edition) · Sweden: 3,218 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Portugal’s highest peak towers 251 m above Sweden’s.
Portugal: 2,351 m (2026 edition) · Sweden: 2,100 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Portugal has 2% more people than Sweden.
Portugal: 10.8 million (2025) · Sweden: 10.6 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Portugal is 4.5 times as densely populated as Sweden.
Portugal: 118 per km² (2025) · Sweden: 26 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Sweden are 6.1 cm taller than in Portugal.
Portugal: 174.4 cm (2019) · Sweden: 180.5 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Sweden are 5.4 cm taller than in Portugal.
Portugal: 161.2 cm (2019) · Sweden: 166.7 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Portugal is 6.3 years older than in Sweden.
Portugal: 46.2 years (2023) · Sweden: 39.9 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Sweden have 0.0 more children on average than in Portugal.
Portugal: 1.41 children per woman (2024) · Sweden: 1.43 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
25% of people in Portugal are 65 or older, versus 21% in Sweden.
Portugal: 24.9% (2025) · Sweden: 20.9% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Sweden has produced 28.3 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Portugal 1.9.
Portugal: 1.9 (2025) · Sweden: 28.3 (2025)
How many official languages?
Portugal and Sweden are practically level.
Portugal: 1 (2026) · Sweden: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Sweden’s economy is 93% larger than Portugal’s.
Portugal: $347 billion (2025) · Sweden: $669 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Sweden produces 36% more per person than Portugal.
Portugal: Int$53,146 (2025) · Sweden: Int$72,529 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Portugal than in Sweden (Gini 4.6 points higher).
Portugal: 33.9 (2023) · Sweden: 29.3 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 8.7% in Sweden, versus 6.2% in Portugal.
Portugal: 6.2% (2025) · Sweden: 8.7% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Sweden and Portugal are practically level.
Portugal: 1.5% (2024) · Sweden: 2% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Sweden’s price level (US = 100) is 1.4× Portugal’s.
Portugal: 60% (2025) · Sweden: 87% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Sweden spends 2.2 times as much on health per person as Portugal.
Portugal: $2,971 (2024) · Sweden: $6,485 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in Sweden live 1.7 years longer than in Portugal.
Portugal: 82.4 years (2024) · Sweden: 84.1 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Portugal is 35% more likely to die before turning one than in Sweden.
Portugal: 2.7 per 1,000 (2024) · Sweden: 2 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Portugal has 33% more doctors per person than Sweden.
Portugal: 5.9 per 1,000 (2022) · Sweden: 4.4 per 1,000 (2021)
How common is obesity?
23% of adults in Portugal are obese, versus 19% in Sweden.
Portugal: 23% (2024) · Sweden: 18.7% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
29% of adults in Portugal smoke, versus 20% in Sweden.
Portugal: 28.6% (2024) · Sweden: 20.3% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Sweden rate their lives 1.23 points higher than in Portugal.
Portugal: 6.03 (2025) · Sweden: 7.26 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Portugal drink 58% more alcohol than in Sweden.
Portugal: 13.7 litres (2023) · Sweden: 8.7 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Portugal has 45% more meat per person than Sweden.
Portugal: 99.3 kg (2023) · Sweden: 68.4 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Portugal has 186 kcal more food per person per day than Sweden.
Portugal: 3,553 kcal (2023) · Sweden: 3,367 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Portugal put in 303 more hours a year than in Sweden.
Portugal: 1,735 hours (2023) · Sweden: 1,432 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Sweden went to school 3 years longer than in Portugal.
Portugal: 9.7 years (2023) · Sweden: 12.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Portugal welcomed 4.3 times as many tourists per resident as Sweden (2019).
Portugal: 2.71 (2024) · Sweden: 0.63 (2022)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
96% of people in Sweden are online, versus 88% in Portugal.
Portugal: 88% (2024) · Sweden: 96% (2025)
Who has electricity at home?
Portugal and Sweden are practically level.
Portugal: 100% (2024) · Sweden: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
89% of people in Sweden live in cities, versus 61% in Portugal.
Portugal: 61% (2025) · Sweden: 89% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Sweden has 141 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Portugal 124.
Portugal: 124 (2024) · Sweden: 141 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Sweden’s railway network is 3.8 times as long as Portugal’s.
Portugal: 2,527 km (2021) · Sweden: 9,714 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Sweden fly 9% more passengers per resident than those from Portugal.
Portugal: 1.69 (2023) · Sweden: 1.85 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 69% of Sweden, but only 36% of Portugal.
Portugal: 36.2% (2023) · Sweden: 68.7% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Sweden emits 5% more CO₂ than someone in Portugal.
Portugal: 3.4 t (2024) · Sweden: 3.6 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
81% of Portugal’s electricity is renewable, versus 71% in Sweden.
Portugal: 81% (2025) · Sweden: 71.2% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Portugal carries 84% more fine dust than in Sweden.
Portugal: 10.5 µg/m³ (2024) · Sweden: 5.7 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 59% more likely to be murdered in Sweden than in Portugal.
Portugal: 0.7 per 100k (2022) · Sweden: 1.1 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Portugal are 3.4 times as deadly as in Sweden.
Portugal: 7.2 per 100k (2021) · Sweden: 2.1 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Portugal is on average 11.5 °C warmer than Sweden.
Portugal: 15.9°C (2016–2025 avg) · Sweden: 4.3°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Sweden gets 3% more rain than Portugal.
Portugal: 777 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Sweden: 801 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Portugal bigger than Sweden?
Sweden is larger. Portugal fits inside Sweden 5.7 times.
Which has more people, Portugal or Sweden?
Portugal has 2% more people than Sweden (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Portugal or Sweden?
People in Sweden live 1.7 years longer than in Portugal. Life expectancy at birth is 82.4 years in Portugal and 84.1 in Sweden.
Are people taller in Portugal or Sweden?
Men in Sweden are 6.1 cm taller than in Portugal (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
