Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in United Kingdom instead of Sweden, you would:

Health

be 31.0% less likely to die by suicide

Sweden has a suicide rate of 13.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United Kingdom, it is 9.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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live 2.7 years less

In Sweden, the average life expectancy is 84 years (83 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2024. In United Kingdom, that number is 81 years (80 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 56.4% more likely to be obese

In Sweden, 17.5% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United Kingdom, that number is 27.4% of people as of 2024.

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see 15.0% less spent on your healthcare

Sweden spends $7,770 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United Kingdom spends $6,606 as of 2024.

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have 25.1% fewer doctors per person

Sweden has 44.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. United Kingdom has 33.0 as of 2023.

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Economy

be 45.3% less likely to be unemployed

In Sweden, 8.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In United Kingdom, that number is 4.8% as of 2025.

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Life

be 100.0% more likely to die during childbirth

In Sweden, approximately 4.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In United Kingdom, 8.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 2.0 times more likely to die during infancy

In Sweden, approximately 2.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In United Kingdom, on the other hand, 4.1 children do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 19.3% less on education

Sweden spends 7.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. United Kingdom spends 5.9% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

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Geography

see 3.9 times more coastline

Sweden has a total of 3,218 km of coastline. In United Kingdom, that number is 12,429 km.

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Safety

be 14.3% more likely to die in a road accident

In Sweden, road accidents kill 2.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In United Kingdom, they kill 2.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

live with 4.0 times more strain on fresh water

Sweden withdraws 4% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United Kingdom withdraws 14% as of 2022.

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use 65.7% less electricity

Sweden uses 12,226 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. United Kingdom uses 4,195 kWh as of 2024.

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Environment

be 62.5% more likely to die from air pollution

In Sweden, air pollution causes 8.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United Kingdom, it causes 13.0 as of 2019.

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emit 18.2% more CO2

Sweden emits 3.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United Kingdom emits 4.2 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

Compare further: Sweden vs. United Kingdom

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
United Kingdom is 29.7% more expensive than Sweden overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Sweden is about 1.9 times bigger than United Kingdom.
→
Moving from Sweden to United Kingdom · OECD 2015
2,000 people moved from Sweden to United Kingdom.
→
City Size Comparison · See true size
Compare the size of Stockholm vs London
→

United Kingdom: At a glance

United Kingdom (sometimes abbreviated UK) is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 241,930 sq km. The United Kingdom has historically played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and science. At its zenith in the 19th century, the British Empire stretched over one-fourth of the earth's surface. The first half of the 20th century saw the UK's strength seriously depleted in two world wars and the Irish Republic's withdrawal from the union. The second half witnessed the dismantling of the Empire and the UK rebuilding itself into a modern and prosperous European nation. As one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council and a founding member of NATO and the Commonwealth, the UK pursues a global approach to foreign policy. The UK is also an active member of the EU, although it chose to remain outside the Economic and Monetary Union. The Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the Northern Ireland Assembly were established in 1999. The latter was suspended until May 2007 due to wrangling over the peace process, but devolution was fully completed in March 2010.
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How big is United Kingdom compared to Sweden? See an in-depth size comparison.

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