Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Sweden instead of Canada, you would:

Health

be 29.9% less likely to be obese

In Canada, 29.4% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Sweden, that number is 20.6% of people as of 2016.

live 1.1 years less

In Canada, the average life expectancy is 84 years (82 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2022. In Sweden, that number is 83 years (81 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 10.5% more money

Canada has a GDP per capita of $45,900 as of 2020, while in Sweden, the GDP per capita is $50,700 as of 2020.

be 19.6% more likely to be unemployed

In Canada, 5.7% of adults are unemployed as of 2019. In Sweden, that number is 6.8% as of 2019.

be 81.9% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Canada, 9.4% live below the poverty line as of 2008. In Sweden, however, that number is 17.1% as of 2018.

pay a 73.0% higher top tax rate

Canada has a top tax rate of 33.0% as of 2016. In Sweden, the top tax rate is 57.1% as of 2016.

Life

be 60.0% less likely to die during childbirth

In Canada, approximately 10.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Sweden, 4.0 women do as of 2017.

be 47.5% less likely to die during infancy

In Canada, approximately 4.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Sweden, on the other hand, 2.3 children do as of 2022.

Expenditures

spend 43.4% more on education

Canada spends 5.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2011. Sweden spends 7.6% of total GDP on education as of 2018.

Geography

see 98.4% less coastline

Canada has a total of 202,080 km of coastline. In Sweden, that number is 3,218 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Canada Revenue Agency, Skatteverket.

Sweden: At a glance

Sweden is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 410,335 sq km. A military power during the 17th century, Sweden has not participated in any war for almost two centuries. An armed neutrality was preserved in both world wars. Sweden's long-successful economic formula of a capitalist system intermixed with substantial welfare elements was challenged in the 1990s by high unemployment and in 2000-02 and 2009 by the global economic downturns, but fiscal discipline over the past several years has allowed the country to weather economic vagaries. Sweden joined the EU in 1995, but the public rejected the introduction of the euro in a 2003 referendum.
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How big is Sweden compared to Canada? See an in-depth size comparison.

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