Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United States instead of Sweden, you would:
Health
see 73.4% more spent on your healthcare
Sweden spends $7,770 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United States spends $13,473 as of 2023.
live 5.2 years less
In Sweden, the average life expectancy is 84 years (83 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2024. In United States, that number is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.
be 2.3 times more likely to be obese
In Sweden, 17.5% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United States, that number is 41.0% of people as of 2024.
have 16.5% fewer doctors per person
Sweden has 44.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. United States has 36.8 as of 2022.
be 12.9% more likely to die by suicide
Sweden has a suicide rate of 13.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United States, it is 15.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 51.7% less likely to be unemployed
In Sweden, 8.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In United States, that number is 4.2% as of 2025.
make 42.6% more money
Sweden has a GDP per capita of $63,133 as of 2025, while in United States, the GDP per capita is $90,027 as of 2025.
Life
have 14.0% more children
In Sweden, there are approximately 9.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United States, there are 10.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 4.2 times 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 States, 17.0 women do as of 2023.
be 2.8 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 States, on the other hand, 5.5 children do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 26.0% less on education
Sweden spends 7.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. United States spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2021.
spend 48.8% more on healthcare
Sweden spends 11.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In United States, that number is 16.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 6.2 times more coastline
Sweden has a total of 3,218 km of coastline. In United States, that number is 19,924 km.
Safety
be 5.0 times more likely to be murdered
Sweden has a homicide rate of 1.1 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In United States, that number is 5.8 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 13.7% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Sweden, 73% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2022. In United States, that number is 63% as of 2021.
be 6.8 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Sweden, road accidents kill 2.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In United States, they kill 14.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 7.9 times more strain on fresh water
Sweden withdraws 4% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United States withdraws 28% as of 2022.
Environment
be 75.0% more likely to die from air pollution
In Sweden, air pollution causes 8.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United States, it causes 14.0 as of 2019.
emit 3.8 times more CO2
Sweden emits 3.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United States emits 13.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Sweden vs. United States
United States: At a glance
How big is United States compared to Sweden? See an in-depth size comparison.