What is Sweden known for?

The Kingdom of Sweden is famous for the Northern Lights, crystal-clear lakes, snow-covered forests, 6-hour work days, recycling, and IKEA.

Sweden is considered to be one of the safest countries in the world.

Does Sweden have free healthcare?

Healthcare in Sweden is primarily tax-funded, which ensures everyone has equal access to healthcare.

What are some famous Swedish food?

Famous Swedish food is Kanelbulle (cinnamon bun), filmjolk, oak milk latte, toast skagen, herring, husmanskost, and lingonberries.

43 Interesting Facts about Sweden

By Jill Bartholomew, Junior Writer

Published February 6, 2017Updated March 7, 2025

Despite being a military power in the 17th century and one of the world’s largest producers of weapons, Sweden has not participated in any war for almost two centuries, including both world wars._[11]
Around 2,000 years ago, the Svear people gave Sweden its name. In their language, svear meant “us” and rike meant “kingdom.” So, Sverige, the modern Swedish name of the country, means “Our Kingdom.”_[11]
With a tax rate of 51.4% of GDP, Swedes are one of the most highly taxed populations in the world. Ironically, they are generally happy to pay a high tax rate, and the Swedish word for tax is skatt, or “treasure.”_[11]
Swedish parents are entitled to 480 days of paid parental leave—and of those, 60 days are reserved for the father. In 2012, dads used 24% of the total parental leave._[9]
Since 1901, the Nobel Prize has been awarded 567 times. It is the legacy of Alfred Nobel, who invented dynamite in 1866. The Nobel Prizes have been awarded every year in Stockholm, Sweden, since 1901. That first year, each prize was worth 150,000 kronor. In 2010, it had increased to 10 million kronor (currently about US$1.2 million)._[3]
One of the most popular flavors of ice cream in Sweden is salmiakki, or salty licorice, which can also be coal black in color._[1]

ABBA has pledged never to reunite because they want to be remembered "as they were" (Beeld en Geluidwiki / Creative Commons)

ABBA is the fourth-best selling music act in history, after Elvis Presley, the Beatles, and Michael Jackson. The group has sold over 375 million records worldwide. At one point, ABBA was second only to Volvo as Sweden’s biggest export earner. The group broke up in 1983._[8]
Halloween has been celebrated in Sweden only since the 1990s and it is celebrated on Maundy (Holy) Thursday just before Easter. Children and teenagers mainly dress up for fancy parties and ghost parties, light lanterns, and venture forth to scare their neighbors and trick-or-treat._[11]
Sweden has one of the highest life expectancies in the world, 74 years for men and 80 years for women, and one of the lowest birthrates (1.7 children per woman)._[11]
Sweden has the highest number of McDonald’s restaurants per capita in Europe, with 227 restaurants. Only the United States has more McDonald’s per capita in the world._[2]
In terms of geography, Kiruna, Sweden—located north of the Arctic Circle—is the northernmost town in Sweden and one of the largest northernmost cities in the world. The city’s leaders have declared that the city’s limits are the same as the borders of the township, so it contains 5,000 square miles (13,000 square km)._[3]
From the 1850s to the 1930s, 1.5 million of Sweden’s population of 3.5 million immigrated to North America._[5]
Sweden’s Uppsala University is home to a famous 4th-century silver Bible that some consider the world’s most valuable book. The incomplete version of the New Testament in ancient Gothic language was written on parchment with silver and gold ink._[11]
Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, has been called the “Venice of the North” because it is a city built around water with 12 islands and 42 bridges._[11]
The Viking age had its beginnings in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden in the 9th century A.D., and it was a Viking who settled Iceland. Swedish Vikings mainly sailed east across the Baltic Sea. They landed on the coast of what is now Lithuania and rolled their long ships to the Dnieper and Volga Rivers. From there, they sailed to the Black and Caspian Seas and as far as Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul) and even northern Persia (modern-day Iran). They tried to sack Constantinople twice, in 860 and 941, but failed both times._[11]
Sweden has played a leading role in the United Nations. One of the most respected and effective leaders since World War II was Swedish diplomat Dag Hammarskjöld, the second secretary general of the U.N._[11]
A traditional Swedish drink is glögg, which is the result of mulled wine being poured over aquavit (a clear, caraway-flavored liquor), and then set aflame._[11]
In Sweden, the traditional Christmas visitor is the nisse or gnome, a short, good-humored sprite with a long beard and a tasseled red cap. Swedes believe he is thousands of years old. On Christmas Eve, they leave him bowls of porridge on their doorsteps. Santa Claus has become popular now, though, with Swedish children, and they write to him at his “home” in Lapland._[11]
The famous Swedish smörgåsbord was once a peasant custom where whole villages would gather at the end of the summer to celebrate the harvest with roast game; boiled potatoes and turnips; fresh, smoked, or pickled fish; meatballs; pancakes; and soups. Today the term refers to a meal made up of many different dishes, similar to a buffet, where diners choose what they want to eat._[11]
Sweden’s first coin was struck in the late 10th century by King Olof Skötkonung and is still on display in the Royal Coin Cabinet. Also featured is Queen Kristina’s coin from 1644, which weighs 19.7 kg (43 lb.) and may be the world’s heaviest coin._[3]
Sweden’s Astrid Lindgren wrote around 100 children’s books, which have been translated into 74 languages, making her the 9th most read children’s author in the world. Publishers originally rejected her first book about Pippi Longstocking, but she went on to win a children’s book competition in 1945. Pippi Longstocking soon won the hearts of children worldwide. After her death in 2002, the government created the world’s largest prize for children’s literature in Lindgren’s name._[3]
No other athletics arena can compare with Stockholm’s Olympiastadion (Olympic Stadium) when it comes to world records. Eleven world records were set there in the 1912 Olympics, including American gold medalist Ted Meredith’s time of 1 min., 51.9 sec, in the 800m event. The last word record set there was Wilson Kipketer’s 1997 time of 1 min., 41.73 sec. over the same distance. In total, 83 world records have been set inside the stadium; London is second with 68 and Los Angeles is third with 66._[3]

Guests checking into the world’s first ice hotel in Jukkasjarvi, Sweden, are issued thermal jumpsuits upon checking in to survive interior temperatures as low as -8 degrees F (-22 degrees C)

The world’s first ice hotel was built in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden, in the 1980s by architect Yngve Bergqvist. The hotel has 60 rooms and is carved out of 4,000 tons of densely packed snow and ice with occupancy available between December and April. Guests are issued thermal jumpsuits of “beaver nylon” upon check-in, and their air-lock cuffs help the wearers survive the interior temperatures as low as -8° F (-22° C)._[10]
Aquavit is a liquor of about 40% alcohol by volume enjoyed in Sweden and all of Scandinavia. Its name comes from aqua vitae, which is Latin for “water of life.” It is distilled from potatoes or grains and flavored with herbs such as caraway seeds, cumin, dill, fennel, or coriander._[4]
Sweden’s oldest glassworks is Kosta Glasbruk. Dating from 1742, it was founded by two former generals, Anders Koskull and Georg Bogislaus Stael von Holstein. Importing glassblowers from Bohemia, their Kosta works pioneered the production of crystal (to qualify for that label, glass must contain at least 24% lead oxide)._[4]
Walpurgis Night, an old pagan springtime ritual adopted by Christianity, is celebrated with bonfires, partying, and drinking on the night of April 30 in Sweden, Finland, and Estonia._[9]
Esrange Space Center is Europe’s only civilian rocket base and a major center of space and climate research. Rocket launches, testing of unmanned aircraft (UAVs), and balloon ascents are all conducted from this Swedish base._[9]
Swedish is the official language of Sweden, but the country officially protects Romani, Finnish, Yiddish, Meänkali (a Finnish dialect), and Sámi._[9]
The 9-foot- (3-m-) long Viking age rock carving Sigurdsristningen (around A.D. 1000) illustrates the story of Sigurd the Dragon Slayer whose adventures are mentioned in Beowulf and the Icelandic sagas. It is also said that his story inspired Richard Wagner’s Ring Cycle and JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit._[9]
The Swedish monarchy is one of the oldest in the world. It dates back a thousand years and has included 11 dynasties, with the current one, the House of Bernadotte, ruling the longest. Jean Baptiste Bernadotte was the first of his line on the Swedish throne. He was born in France in 1763 and was named heir to the throne in 1810. He changed his name to Carl XIV Johan. The Swedish royal family is related to all the reigning royal courts of Europe._[11]

The Swedish monarchy is one of the oldest in the world (Andreas Rentz / Staff / Getty Images)

In 2006, IKEA opened its northernmost store in the world in Swedish Haparanda. The IKEA name is likely a combination of founder Ingvar Kamprad’s initials and the farm and village where he grew up. IKEA was first registered in 1943 and now has stores in 40 countries, including Australia (1975), Saudi Arabia (1983), the United States (1985), Great Britain (1987), China (1998), and Russia (2000)._[8]
The Åland Islands, although technically Finnish, sport their own flag and culture. It goes back to a decision by the League of Nations decision in 1921 to quash a Swedish–Finnish dispute over sovereignty. Aland took its own flag in 1954 and has been issuing its own stamps since 1984. Swedish is spoken there, while a few residents speak Finnish._[8]
The Oresund Bridge is the planet’s longest cable-tied road, and Rail Bridge, measuring 7.8 km from Lernacken (on the Swedish side near Malmö) to the artificial island of Peberholm (Pepper Island) south of Saltholm (Salt Island) in Denmark._[10]

The Oresund Bridge is the planet’s longest cable-tied road

On his deathbed, it was discovered that Frenchman Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte (King Carl IV Johan of Sweden, who reigned for 26 years) had a tattoo that read “Death to Kings.”_[8]
Famous people of Sámi descent include singer Joni Mitchell and actress Renée Zellweger._[8]
Bill Clinton, Bob Hope, and Elvis Presley have all received a bright red painted Dalecarlian, or Dala, horse. The first written reference to the horse comes from the 17th century, when the bishops of Vasteras denounced such horrors as “decks of cards, dice, flutes, dolls, wooden horses, lovers’ ballads, impudent paintings.” The painted horse gained international attention for the first time at the World Exhibition in New York in 1939._[8]
The joik, or yoik, is a rhythmic poem or song composed for a specific person, object, or event to remember its innate nature and it is a cornerstone of Sámi cultural identity. The yoiking tradition was revived in the 1960s and is now performed in many ways, including experimental yoik and hard yoik._[8]
The Sámi year traditionally has eight seasons, each tied to a period of reindeer herding._[10]
The crayfish party has become one of the most typical of Swedish traditions, held on the first Thursday in August. This unusual custom goes back at least 100 years when Swedish authorities permitted crayfish to be caught during only two months out of the year, starting in August. Most of the crayfish served today at these parties do not come from Sweden but from Turkey, Spain, and the U.S., as a crayfish plague almost annihilated the Swedish species in 1907._[6]
The Christmas tree tradition in Sweden is a fairly recent one; it was adopted from Germany at the end of the 19th century. Before this, Swedes celebrated with “Christmas straw.” Household members would have to lie on the straw at night, as the beds were reserved for the dead who would come to visit their families on Christmas Eve._[6]

The northern lights, or aurora borealis, appear above the Arctic Circle and are visible in Sweden from late September though March

The northern lights, or aurora borealis, appear above the Arctic Circle (latitude 66°) and are visible around the equinoxes in late September and March and during the dark of winter in Sweden. These spectacular displays of green-blue shimmering arcs and waves of lights are caused by solar wind, or streams of particles charged by the sun, hitting the atmosphere. The colors are the characteristic hues of different elements when they hit the plasma shield that protects Earth: blue is nitrogen and yellow-green is oxygen._[7]
The most famous Swedish sporting event is the Vasaloppet (Vasa race) for cross-country skiers. It is the largest annual cross-country ski race in the world. It takes place on the first Sunday of March with the starting line at Sälen in northern Dalarna province and the goal line at Mora 90 km (55 miles) away. The race traces the route that Gustav Vasa made to escape in order to rally a peasant army in 1521, which then drove out the Danes and caused Vasa to be crowned king. First run in 1922, the race attracts around 14,000 participants annually._[6]
Sweden was the first country in the world to introduce standardized time, which was necessary to make understandable train tables._[6]

Date	Events
Important Dates
2000–1500 B.C.	The Boat-Axe people invade Sweden and begin trade with nations near the Mediterranean Sea.
A.D. 70	Pliny the Elder describes Scandinavia for the first time in his.
100	Svear tribe becomes rulers of the land who give it the name Svea Rik, or Kingdom of the Svear.
789	Moulay Idriss I founds Fez and establishes the first Moroccan dynasty.
859	Olof Skötkonung becomes the first Swedish king to be baptized as a Christian.
1156–1160	King Eric, later Saint Eric, annexes Finland to Sweden.
1250	Birger Jarl begins the Folkung dynasty, which rules Sweden until 1374.
1252	Birger Jarl founds Stockholm as a fort on Lake Malar.
1347	A royal charter to mine copper at Falun is granted to Stora Kopparberg, the world’s oldest industrial firm.
1394	The Kalmar Union unites Sweden, Norway, and Denmark under the rule of Denmark’s Queen Margaret.
1434	Peasants’ rebellion, led by Engelbreckt Englebrecksson, leads to the establishment of the Riksdag, the first Swedish parliament.
1477	University of Uppsala, Sweden’s first university, is founded.
1520	King Christian II of Denmark executes 80 Swedish noblemen in Stockholm. This is known as the “Stockholm Bloodbath.” King Gustav Vasa flees on skis to Norway.
1527	The Lutheran church becomes Sweden’s official church.
1521–1523	Gustav Vasa drives the Danish armies out of Sweden, dissolves the Kalmar Union, and is crowned King of Sweden.
1619	King Gustavus II Adolphus founds the port city of Gothenburg.
1638	Sweden founds the colony of Nya Sverige (New Sweden) in North America.
1655	Swedish traders establish a trading post on the Gold Coast of Africa.
1658	Sweden wins Halland, Skåne (Scania), and Blekinge from Denmark.
1718	Charles XII dies in battle in Norway. Sweden loses all overseas possessions except Finland.
1719	A new constitution gives more power to Riksdag and limits royal authority.
1509	The Saadians begin their campaign to expel the Europeans.
1741	Carl Linnaeus becomes professor at Uppsala University.
1772	King Gustav III seizes control of the government and rules as an absolute monarch.
1805–1809	Sweden fights in Napoleonic wars and loses Finland to Russia.
1814	Norway becomes Swedish.
1860	Immigration begins to America.
1867	Alfred Nobel invents dynamite.
1905	Norway peacefully gains independence from Sweden.
1914	Outbreak of World War I. Sweden remains neutral.
1920	Sweden joins the League of Nations.
1939	Sweden declares neutrality during World War II and refuses to allow Germans to uses its territory as a transit route for troops.
1940	Germany occupies Denmark and Norway, and Sweden is forced to allow German troops to transit through Sweden to Norway. Sweden becomes a refuge for fleeing Danes and Norwegians, especially Jews.
1946	Sweden joins the United Nations.
1953	Swedish diplomat Dag Hammarskjöld becomes second Secretary General of the United Nations.
1975	Last remaining powers of the monarch are removed, making his duties purely ceremonial.
1986	Prime Minister Olaf Palme is assassinated. Ingvar Carlsson succeeds him as prime minister.
1994	Estonia ferry sinks with loss of 852 lives, Sweden’s worst maritime disaster.
1995	Sweden joins the European Union.
2000	Official opening of a new bridge and tunnel linking Malmö and Copenhagen, which makes travel between the two countries possible in just 15 minutes.
2003	Foreign Minister Anna Lindh dies from stab wounds after being attacked in a Stockholm department store. Voter referendum rejects the Euro.
2010	Julian Assange, founder of Wikileaks, is taken into custody in Britain after Sweden asks for extradition. Sweden suffers its first suicide bombing by Iraqi-born extremist Taimour Abdulwahab al-Abdaly.
2011	Surgeons in Sweden carry out the world’s first synthetic organ transplant.