Updated
Overview
Sweden has 15% more people than Austria: 10.60 million against 9.21 million (2025).
Sweden's economy is 15% larger than Austria's, at $669.00B versus $579.47B.
Population
GDP (nominal)
GDP per capita
The full table
| Indicator | Sweden | Austria | Years | Factbook, Jan 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | ||||
| GDP (nominal) | Higher: $669.00B | $579.47B | 2025 | $610.12B / $521.64B |
| GDP per capita | Higher: $63,133 | $62,930 | 2025 | — / — |
| GDP growth | Higher: 1.5% | 0.6% | 2025 | — / — |
| Inflation | Lower: 0.7% | 3.5% | 2025 | 2.8% / 2.9% |
| Unemployment | 8.7% | Lower: 5.6% | 2025 | — / — |
| Price level (US=100) | 87 | 82 | 2025 | — / — |
| Avg monthly earnings | $4,783 | Higher: $6,155 | 2025 | — / — |
| Big Mac price | $7.16 | — | — | — / — |
| People | ||||
| Population | 10.60 million | 9.21 million | 2025 | 10.64 million / 9.17 million |
| Population growth | 0.3% | 0.3% | 2025 | — / — |
| Median age | 40.3 yrs | 43.6 yrs | 2025 | — / — |
| Fertility rate | 1.44 | 1.33 | 2025 | — / — |
| Life expectancy | Higher: 84.1 yrs | 82.0 yrs | 2024 | — / — |
| Urban population | 89% | 70% | 2025 | — / — |
| Internet users | Higher: 96% | 92% | 2025 | — / — |
| Geography | ||||
| Area | 450,295 km² | 83,871 km² | — | — / — |
| Population density | 23.5/km² | 109.8/km² | 2025 | — / — |
| Environment | ||||
| CO2 emissions | Lower: 38 Mt | 56 Mt | 2024 | — / — |
| CO2 per capita | Lower: 3.6 t | 6.2 t | 2024 | — / — |
| Military | ||||
| Military spending | $12.04B | $5.26B | 2024 | — / — |
| Military spending (% GDP) | 2.0% | 1.0% | 2024 | — / — |
| Armed forces personnel | 15,000 | 23,000 | 2020 | — / — |
Sources by row: World Bank WDI, IMF WEO, UN WPP 2024, ILOSTAT, The Economist. Emphasis marks the stronger figure where one direction is meaningfully better.
Reading the numbers
Economy
Sweden is growing faster: 1.5% annual GDP growth versus 0.6%.
Austria runs the hotter price environment: 3.5% inflation versus 0.7%.
Average monthly earnings favour Austria: $6,155 against $4,783 (ILOSTAT, latest available years).
People and society
Sweden is the younger society: median age 40.3 versus 43.6 years.
Life expectancy is 2.1 years longer in Sweden (84.1 vs 82.0).
Sweden is considerably more urbanized: 89% of people live in cities, against 70%.
Geography
By land area, Sweden is 5.4 times the size of Austria: 450,295 km² versus 83,871 km².
Both sit in the same broad region but do not share a border.
Austria is far more densely settled: 110 people per km² against 24.
Military
Sweden spends 2.3 times as much on defence as Austria: $12.04B versus $5.26B (World Bank/SIPRI data).
Relative to its economy, Sweden carries the heavier military burden: 2.0% of GDP versus 1.0%.
Austria fields the larger armed forces: 23,000 personnel against 15,000 (note: personnel data lags; observation years shown in the table).
Frequently asked
- Is Sweden bigger than Austria?
- Sweden is larger by land area. Sweden covers 450,295 km² while Austria covers 83,871 km², so Sweden is 5.4 times the size of the other.
- Which has more people, Sweden or Austria?
- Sweden has the larger population: 10.60 million versus 9.21 million (World Bank, 2025).
- Is Sweden richer than Austria?
- They are effectively level on GDP per capita: $63,133 for Sweden against $62,930 for Austria, a gap too small to call. Total GDP tells the same story: $669.00B for Sweden versus $579.47B for Austria.
- Who spends more on their military, Sweden or Austria?
- Sweden spends more: $12.04B versus $5.26B per year (World Bank, SIPRI-derived data; observation years vary).