Sweden
Government finance and cost-of-living data from Eurostat — spending, debt, tax, and comparative prices.
Headline stats
Debt peaked at 69.3% GDP in 1996 — now 35.1%.
Government debt
35.1% GDP
2025
EU27 avg: 81.7% GDP (2025)
Govt expenditure
50.5% GDP
2024
Budget deficit
1.3% GDP
2025
EU27 avg: 3.1% GDP (2025)
Tax revenue
20.9% GDP
2025
Public sector jobs
1,769k
2024
Tax rates
What Sweden takes — statutory rates and effective burden on workers.
Labour tax wedge
23% of labour cost
2025
Top income tax rate
52%
2024
Corporate tax rate
20.6%
2024
Standard VAT rate
25%
2024
Labour tax wedge: effective % of gross labour cost (salary + employer contributions) going to income tax and social contributions for a single person at average wage. Source: Eurostat earn_nt_taxrate. Statutory rates: OECD Taxing Wages 2024 / EC Taxation Trends 2024.
Comparative prices
Sweden is 17.6% more expensive than the EU average overall (2024). Index: EU27 = 100.
| Category | Price index | vs EU avg |
|---|---|---|
| Overall price level | 117.6 | +17.6% |
| Food & non-alcoholic drinks | 106.4 | +6.4% |
| Housing, utilities & energy | 112.0 | +12.0% |
| Restaurants & hotels | 116.7 | +16.7% |
| Transport | 111.1 | +11.1% |
| Health | 155.8 | +55.8% |
| Education | 161.8 | +61.8% |
| Clothing & footwear | 120.6 | +20.6% |
| Recreation & culture | 118.0 | +18.0% |
| Alcohol & tobacco | 121.5 | +21.5% |
| Household furnishings | 109.4 | +9.4% |
| Communication | 143.1 | +43.1% |
| Miscellaneous | 123.1 | +23.1% |
Source: Eurostat prc_ppp_ind. EU27_2020 = 100. Green = cheaper than EU average.
Government debt since 2011
| Year | Debt (% GDP) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 37.8 | — |
| 2012 | 38.1 | +0.3 |
| 2013 | 41.2 | +3.1 |
| 2014 | 46.1 | +4.9 |
| 2015 | 44.8 | -1.3 |
| 2016 | 43.2 | -1.6 |
| 2017 | 41.9 | -1.3 |
| 2018 | 40.2 | -1.7 |
| 2019 | 36 | -4.2 |
| 2020 | 40.5 | +4.5 |
| 2021 | 37.2 | -3.3 |
| 2022 | 34.4 | -2.8 |
| 2023 | 32.2 | -2.2 |
| 2024 | 34.2 | +2 |
| 2025 | 35.1 | +0.9 |
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Data sources
| Dataset | Source | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Govt expenditure / debt / deficit | Eurostat gov_10dd_edpt1 | 1995–2025 |
| Tax revenue | Eurostat gov_10a_taxag | 1995–2025 |
| Public employment (NACE O-Q) | Eurostat nama_10_a64_e | 1995–2024 |
| Tax breakdown (VAT, income, social) | Eurostat gov_10a_taxag | 2000–2023 |
| Labour tax wedge | Eurostat earn_nt_taxrate | 2000–2023 |
| Statutory tax rates (income, corporate, VAT) | OECD / EC Taxation Trends 2024 | 2024 |
| Comparative price levels (13 categories) | Eurostat prc_ppp_ind | 1995–2024 |