Updated
Overview
Sweden and Israel are nearly matched in population: 10.60 million versus 10.12 million people (2025).
Their economies are close in size: $669.00B for Sweden and $610.78B for Israel.
Population
GDP (nominal)
GDP per capita
The full table
| Indicator | Sweden | Israel | Years | Factbook, Jan 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | ||||
| GDP (nominal) | Higher: $669.00B | $610.78B | 2025 | $610.12B / $540.38B |
| GDP per capita | Higher: $63,133 | $60,337 | 2025 | — / — |
| GDP growth | 1.5% | Higher: 2.9% | 2025 | — / — |
| Inflation | Lower: 0.7% | 3.0% | 2025 | 2.8% / 3.1% |
| Unemployment | 8.7% | Lower: 3.5% | 2025 | — / — |
| Price level (US=100) | 87 | 101 | 2025 | — / — |
| Avg monthly earnings | Higher: $4,783 | $3,383 | 2025 / 2021 | — / — |
| Minimum wage | — | $1,589 | — / 2024 | — / — |
| Big Mac price | $7.16 | $7.67 | — | — / — |
| People | ||||
| Population | 10.60 million | 10.12 million | 2025 | 10.64 million / 9.40 million |
| Population growth | 0.3% | 1.2% | 2025 | — / — |
| Median age | 40.3 yrs | 29.2 yrs | 2025 | — / — |
| Fertility rate | 1.44 | 2.75 | 2025 | — / — |
| Life expectancy | Higher: 84.1 yrs | 83.2 yrs | 2024 | — / — |
| Urban population | 89% | 92% | 2025 | — / — |
| Internet users | Higher: 96% | 88% | 2025 / 2024 | — / — |
| Geography | ||||
| Area | 450,295 km² | 20,770 km² | — | — / — |
| Population density | 23.5/km² | 487.4/km² | 2025 | — / — |
| Environment | ||||
| CO2 emissions | Lower: 38 Mt | 53 Mt | 2024 | — / — |
| CO2 per capita | Lower: 3.6 t | 5.6 t | 2024 | — / — |
| Military | ||||
| Military spending | $12.04B | $46.51B | 2024 | — / — |
| Military spending (% GDP) | 2.0% | 8.8% | 2024 | — / — |
| Armed forces personnel | 15,000 | 178,000 | 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
Israel is growing faster: 2.9% annual GDP growth versus 1.5%.
Israel runs the hotter price environment: 3.0% inflation versus 0.7%.
Day-to-day prices are noticeably lower in Sweden: a price level of 87 versus 101 on a US=100 scale.
Average monthly earnings favour Sweden: $4,783 against $3,383 (ILOSTAT, latest available years).
People and society
Israel is the far younger society: median age 29.2 versus 40.3 years.
Geography
By land area, Sweden is 22 times the size of Israel: 450,295 km² versus 20,770 km².
Israel is far more densely settled: 487 people per km² against 24.
Military
Israel spends 3.9 times as much on defence as Sweden: $46.51B versus $12.04B (World Bank/SIPRI data).
Relative to its economy, Israel carries the heavier military burden: 8.8% of GDP versus 2.0%.
Israel fields the larger armed forces: 178,000 personnel against 15,000 (note: personnel data lags; observation years shown in the table).
Frequently asked
- Is Sweden bigger than Israel?
- Sweden is larger by land area. Sweden covers 450,295 km² while Israel covers 20,770 km², so Sweden is 22 times the size of the other.
- Which has more people, Sweden or Israel?
- Sweden has the larger population: 10.60 million versus 10.12 million (World Bank, 2025).
- Is Sweden richer than Israel?
- Measured by GDP per capita, Sweden is richer: $63,133 against $60,337. Total GDP tells the same story: $669.00B for Sweden versus $610.78B for Israel.
- Who spends more on their military, Sweden or Israel?
- Israel spends more: $46.51B versus $12.04B per year (World Bank, SIPRI-derived data; observation years vary).