GFmag Online Readers Survey 2012
Sweden


Sweden Country Report: GDP data and GDP forecasts; economic, financial and trade information; the best banks in Sweden; country and population overview

DATA ON GDP AND ECONOMIC INFORMATION
Central bankSveriges Riksbank
International ReservesUS$ 50.360 billion (Source: IMF; Data updated: November 2011)
Gross Domestic Product - GDPUS$ 544.716 billion (2010 estimate)
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)372.765 billion of International dollars (2010 estimate)
Real GDP growth
20002001200220032004200520062007
4.5%1.3%2.5%2.3%4.2%3.2%4.3%3.3%
2008200920102011*
-0.4%-5.3%5.5%3.8%

*Estimate

GDP per capita - current pricesUS$ 58,228 (2010 estimate)
GDP per capita - PPP$39,847 International Dollars (2010 estimate)
GDP (PPP) - share of world total
19801990200020102015**
0.74%0.67%0.56%0.48%0.45%

**Forecast

GDP - composition by sector
  • agriculture: 1.8% 
  • industry: 26.9% 
  • services: 71.3% (2011 estimate)

    • (Data released on February 2012)

Gross domestic expenditure on R&D (% of GDP)3.75% (2008)

(Data released on November 2010)

Inflation
2008200920102011*
3.3%(2008)2%1.9%2%

*Estimate

Unemployment rate
2008200920102011*
6.2%8.3%8.4%(2009)7.4%

*Estimate

Household saving rates10.1% (Net saving; 2011 forecast)

(Data released on November 2010)

Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP)
20072008200920102011*
40.1%37.6%41.9%39.6%37.3%

*Estimate

Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP)
2007200820092010*2011**
3.7%2.4%-0.8%-2.2%-1.4%

*Estimate    **Forecast

Government bond ratings

Standard & Poor's: AAA/Stable/A-1+

Moody's rating: Aaa

Moody's outlook: STA

(Foreign Currency Government Bond Ratings; Data last updated Nov 2010)

Market value of publicly traded shares
200720082009
US$612.497 billionUS$252.542 billionUS$432.296 billion
Largest companies in SwedenNordea Bank (Regional Banks ), Volvo Group (Auto & Truck Manufacturers), Ericsson (Communications Equipment), TeliaSonera (Telecommunications services), SEB-Skand Enskilda Bank (Major Banks), Svenska Handelsbanken (Major Banks)
(2011)
DATA ON TRADE AND COMPETITIVENESS
Current account balanceUS$ 33.2 billion (2010 estimate)(After 2008)
Current account balance by percentage of GDP6.1% of GDP (2010 estimate)(2009)
Exports as percent of GDP

(Exports of goods and services)

53.3% (2008)

(Data released on December 2010)

Shares in world total merchandising export1.04%(2007)

(Data were released in Nov 2011 and refer to 2010)

Shares in world total commercial services export1.73%(2007)

(Data were released in Nov 2011 and refer to 2010)

Total exportsUS$162.6 billion f.o.b. (2010 estimate)
Export commoditiesmachinery 35%, motor vehicles, paper products, pulp and wood, iron and steel products, chemicals
Total importsUS$166.6 billion f.o.b. (2008 estimate)
Import commoditiesmachinery, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, motor vehicles, iron and steel; foodstuffs, clothing
Exports - major partnersGermany 10.4%, Norway 9.4%, US 7.6%, Denmark 7.4%, UK 7.1%, Finland 6.4%, Netherlands 5.1%, France 5%, Belgium 4.6% (2007)
Imports - major partnersGermany 18.4%, Denmark 9.2%, Norway 8.3%, UK 6.8%, Finland 6.1%, Netherlands 5.8%, France 5%, China 4.3%, Belgium 4.1% (2007)
FDI inflows
200820092010
US$36,771 millionUS$10,322 million(2009)US$5,328 million(2009)
FDI outflows
200820092010
US$31,326 millionUS$25,778 millionUS$30,399 million
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser
2008200920102011
US$6,108 millionUS$9,024 million(2009)US$-128 million(2009)US$-4,668 million
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2008

(Acquiring company, Acquired company, Country of the acquired company, Value of the deal)

E ON Scandinavia AB, E ON Sverige AB, Sweden, $7.0 billion

(for a monthly update on M&A click here )

Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2010

(Acquiring company, Acquired company, Country of the acquired company, Value of the deal)

N/A(2008 estimate)

(for a monthly update on M&A click here )

Best countries for doing business

World Bank/IFC Doing Business Project

(Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business, from 1 – 183. A high ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.)

Overall ranking: 14 out of 183 countries(2009) (2010)

Subcategories:

Starting a business: 39 out of 183 countries(2009)

Registering property: 15 out of 183 countries

Paying Taxes: 39 out of 183 countries

Getting credit: 72 out of 183 countries

Protecting investors: 28 out of 183 countries

Trading across border: 7 out of 183 countries

Enforcing Contracts: 52 out of 183 countries

(2010)

Global competitiveness ranking
(ranking by country on a basis of 142, the first is the best)		3

(2011/2012)

Index of Economic Freedom

WSJ and Heritage Foundation

Ranking: 22 Score: 71.9 (Mostly Free) (2009)

(100=totally free 0=totally repressed )

COUNTRY AND POPULATION OVERVIEW
Time zoneUTC+1
Total area 450,295 km2 (2006)
CapitalStockholm (2009)
CurrencySwedish kronor (SEK) (2009)
Government typeconstitutional monarchy (2009)
LanguagesSwedish, small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities
ReligionsLutheran 87%, other (includes Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Muslim, Jewish, and Buddhist) 13%
Total population
1980199020002010*2015**
8.32 million8.57 million8.88 million9.33 million9.47 million

*Estimate    **Forecast

Urban population as % of total population
1960198020002009
72.5%83.1%84%84.6%
Population median age40.0 years (2006)
Population growth rate0.9% (2009)
Life expectancy81 years (2007)
Adult literacyN/A
% of population living on less than $2 a dayN/A
Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index)

25 (2000)

(0=perfect equality, 100=absolute inequality)

Freedom House rating

Political Rights:1
Civil Liberties:1 (2010)

(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free)

Total telephone subscribers as % of population

167% (2010)

(sum of fixed telephone lines and mobile cellular subscribers)

Internet users as % of total population90% (Data were released in 2011 and refer to 2010)
Cost of living index

(ranking by city on a basis of 214; the 1st is the most expensive and the 214th is the least expensive)

Stockholm: 39th (2011)

CO2 emissions
(Metric tons of CO2 per capita)

5.3289 (2008)

GLOBAL FINANCE RANKINGS AND AWARDS

WORLD'S BEST TREASURY & CASH MANAGEMENT BANKS & PROVIDERS

2012:
  • Best Overall Bank for Cash Management SEB (Nordic Region, 2012)
  • Best Bank for Liquidity Management SEB (Nordic Region, 2012)
  • Best Provider of Money Market Funds Nordea (Nordic Region, 2012)
  • Best Bank for Risk Management Nordea (Nordic Region, 2012)
  • Best Bank for Payments and Collections SEB (Nordic Region, 2012)
  • Best Treasury Management Systems & Services Providers / Most Innovative New Solution Nordea’s Global Cash Pool (Nordic Region, 2012)
2011:
  • Best Overall Bank for Cash Management SEB (Nordic Region, 2011)
  • Best Bank for Liquidity Management SEB (Nordic Region, 2011)
  • Best Provider of Money Market Funds Nordea (Nordic Region, 2011)
  • Best Bank for Risk Management SEB (Nordic Region, 2011)
  • Best Bank for Payments and Collections Nordea (Nordic Region, 2011)
2010:
  • Best Overall Bank for Cash Management SEB (Nordic Region, 2010)
  • Best Bank for Liquidity Management SEB (Nordic Region, 2010)
  • Best Provider of Money Market Funds Nordea (Nordic Region, 2010)
  • Best Bank for Risk Management SEB (Nordic Region, 2010)
  • Best CLS-Linked Bank Offering Nordea (Nordic Region, 2010)
2009:
  • Best Overall Bank for Cash Management SEB (Nordic Region, 2009)
  • Best Bank for Liquidity Management SEB (Nordic Region, 2009)
  • Best Provider of Money Market Funds Nordea (Nordic Region, 2009)
  • Best Bank for Risk Management SEB (Nordic Region, 2009)
  • Best CLS-Linked Bank Offering Nordea (Nordic Region, 2009)

WORLD'S BEST TRADE FINANCE BANKS & PROVIDERS

2012:
  • REGIONAL WINNERS SEB (Nordic, 2012)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS SEB (National, 2012)
2011:
  • REGIONAL WINNERS SEB (Nordic, 2011)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS SEB (National, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS SEB (National, 2010)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS SEB (Nordic, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS SEB (National, 2009)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS SEB (Nordic, 2009)

WORLD'S BEST DEVELOPED MARKET BANKS

2012:
  • SEB (Nordic Region, 2012)
  • SEB (National, 2012)
2011:
  • SEB (National, 2011)
2010:
  • Handelsbanken (National, 2010)
2009:
  • Handelsbanken (Europe, 2009)

WORLD'S BEST SUPPLY CHAIN FINANCE PROVIDERS

2011:
  • REGIONAL WINNERS SEB (Nordic Region, 2011)
2010:
  • REGIONAL WINNERS SEB (Nordic Region, 2010)
2009:
  • REGIONAL WINNERS SEB (Nordic Region, 2009)

WORLD'S BEST BANKS

2012:
  • REGIONAL SEB (Nordic Region, 2012)

WORLD'S BEST INTERNET BANKS

2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Corporate / Institutional Internet Banks Citi (National, 2010)
2009:
  • REGIONAL SUB-CATEGORY WINNERS / Best Consumer Internet Banks / Best Bill Payment & Presentment Swedbank (Central and Eastern Europe, 2009)
  • REGIONAL SUB-CATEGORY WINNERS / Best Consumer Internet Banks / Best Web Site Design Swedbank (Central and Eastern Europe, 2009)
  • REGIONAL SUB-CATEGORY WINNERS / Best Consumer Internet Banks / Best Integrated Consumer Bank Site Swedbank (Central and Eastern Europe, 2009)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Corporate / Institutional Internet Banks Citi (2009)

WORLD'S SAFEST BANKS

2012:
  • OVERALL SAFEST Nordea Bank (Global, 2012)
  • OVERALL SAFEST Svenska Handelsbanken (Global, 2012)
2011:
  • OVERALL SAFEST Nordea Bank (Global, 2011)
  • OVERALL SAFEST Svenska Handelsbanken (Global, 2011)
2010:
  • OVERALL SAFEST Nordea (Global, 2010)
  • OVERALL SAFEST Svenska Handelsbanken (Global, 2010)
2009:
  • OVERALL SAFEST Nordea Bank AB (publ) (Global, 2009)
  • OVERALL SAFEST Svenska Handelsbanken (Global, 2009)

WORLD'S BEST SUB CUSTODIANS

2011:
  • REGIONAL WINNERS SEB (Nordic Countries, 2011)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS SEB (National, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS SEB (National, 2010)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS SEB (Nordic Countries, 2010)
2009:
  • REGIONAL WINNERS SEB (Nordic Countries, 2009)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS SEB (National, 2009)

WORLD'S BEST INVESTMENT BANKS

2012:
  • Best Debt Bank Nordea Markets (Nordic, 2012)
  • Best M&A Bank SEB (Nordic, 2012)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Handelsbanken (National, 2012)
2011:
  • Best Investment Bank SEB (Nordic, 2011)
  • Best M&A Bank SEB (Nordic, 2011)
2010:
  • Best Investment Bank Handelsbanken Capital Markets (Nordic, 2010)
  • Best Equity Bank Handelsbanken Capital Markets (Nordic, 2010)

CENTRAL BANKER REPORT CARD

2011:
2010:
2009:

WORLD'S BIGGEST BANKS

2011:
  • OVERALL BIGGEST Nordea Bank (Global, 2011)
2010:
  • OVERALL BIGGEST Nordea Bank (Global, 2010)

WORLD'S BEST FOREIGN EXCHANGE PROVIDERS

2012:
  • REGIONAL WINNERS SEB (Nordic Countries, 2012)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS SEB (National, 2012)
2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS SEB (National, 2011)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS SEB (Nordic Region, 2011)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS SEB (Nordic Countries, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Handelsbanken Capital Markets (National, 2010)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Handelsbanken Capital Markets (Scandinavia, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Handelsbanken Capital Markets (National, 2009)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Handelsbanken Capital Markets (Scandinavia, 2009)
ARTICLES AND COUNTRIES REPORTS FROM GLOBAL FINANCE ARCHIVE