Sweden
Northern Europe
EuropeEUSchengen
A high-income EU and Schengen member with a top-tier passport, widely spoken English and world-class universities, but high taxes.
79
Overall score
Good · 95% data coverage
Language
SwedishCurrency
SEKCitizenship
5 years (typical)Personal tax
Municipal tax plus state tax for higher incomesCost of living
€1,900 / mo (single)Rules change often. Confirm any immigration, tax or legal decision with a qualified professional.
Score breakdown
80
Access
17%82Residence12%
76Citizenship and passport5%
72
Earning power
25%67Salary and work12%
77Buying power13%
65
Business and wealth
20%44Taxes7%
86Business8%
59Investment5%
89
Daily life
25%86Quality of life18%
96Education7%
99
Rights and institutions
13%100Freedom6%
98Rule of law7%
Pros
- A top-tier passport
- Widely spoken English
- World-class universities
Cons
- High taxes
Best for
FoundersStudentsEnglish speakers
Score profile
Access
Residence
82
Citizenship
69
Passport
96
Earning power
Salary & work
67
Buying power
77
Cost of living
38
Economy
77
Business and wealth
Taxes
44
Personal tax
44
Corporate tax
41
Business
86
Investment
59
Wealth building
60
Daily life
Safety
83
Healthcare
88
Environment
99
Infrastructure
87
Education
96
HDI
96
Rights and institutions
Freedom
100
Rule of law
98
Access
Residence
Openness to residents
82Excellent
Migrant stock21.4% of population (2024)
Regulatory quality1.67 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Main pathways
EmploymentStudyFamily reunificationBusiness or investment where eligible
| Student | Rules depend on status and circumstances; verify the current requirements with the competent authority before acting. |
|---|---|
| Work | Rules depend on status and circumstances; verify the current requirements with the competent authority before acting. |
| Self-employed | Rules depend on status and circumstances; verify the current requirements with the competent authority before acting. |
| Permanent | Rules depend on status and circumstances; verify the current requirements with the competent authority before acting. |
Citizenship
Citizenship accessibility
69Good
| Years required | 5 years (typical) |
|---|---|
| Dual allowed | Yes |
| Language | Check the current naturalisation rules for the selected route |
| Residence | Typical headline route: 5 years (typical); qualifying residence and absence rules apply |
| Notes | Rules depend on status and circumstances; verify the current requirements with the competent authority before acting. |
Passport
Passport power
96Excellent
190 / 198
Mobility
#5
Global rank
Yes
Biometric
- Visa-free143
- On arrival38
- eTA9
- Visa required8
Placeholder estimates for 2024 to 2025. Check entry rules with each destination before travelling.
Earning power
Salary & work
Labour-market strength
67Good
Output per worker$127,939 PPP (2024)
Unemployment8.7% (2025)
Participation64.6% of 15+ (2025)
Mean monthly earnings of employees
Overall$3,945 · $4,148 PPP (2024)
Tech (IT & comms)$5,566 · $5,853 PPP (2024)
| Freelance | Market access depends on language, sector, and work authorisation |
|---|---|
| Job market | Use current local vacancy and salary data for role-specific decisions. |
Buying power
Purchasing power score
77Good
GNI / person$76,090 PPP (2025)
Consumption / person$30,107 PPP (2023)
Price level91 (US = 100) (2025)
Income inequality29.3 Gini (2023)
Inflation0.7% / yr (2025)
Cost of living
Affordability
38Limited
Price level91 (US = 100) (2025)
| Rent | Varies substantially by city and neighbourhood |
|---|---|
| Monthly | €1,900 / mo (single) |
| Cities | Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö |
Economy
Economic strength
77Good
Output & income
GDP$669B (2025)
GDP / person$63,133 (2025)
GNI / person$76,090 PPP (2025)
GDP growth0.8% / yr (2024)
Stability & labour
Inflation0.7% / yr (2025)
Unemployment8.7% (2025)
Output per worker$127,939 PPP (2024)
Sector composition
Agriculture1.5% of GDP (2025)
Industry21.0% of GDP (2025)
Services67.0% of GDP (2025)
Main industries
Automotive & machineryTelecoms & technologyForestry & paperPharmaceuticalsSteel
Top exports
Machinery & vehiclesPaper & woodPharmaceuticalsIron & steel
| Type | High-income, innovation- and export-led |
|---|---|
| Key sectors | Engineering (Volvo, Scania), Tech & startups (Spotify, Klarna), Forestry |
| Summary | A high-income economy strong in engineering, telecoms and a startup scene that punches above its size. |
| Currency | Swedish krona |
Business and wealth
Taxes
Tax friendliness
44Limited
| Personal | Municipal tax plus state tax for higher incomes |
|---|---|
| Corporate | 20.6% |
| Capital gains | Treatment varies by asset, holding structure, residence, and treaty position |
| Dividends | Rates and withholding depend on residence and treaty eligibility |
| Exit tax | Check current domestic rules before changing tax residence |
| Foreign companies | Management, permanent-establishment, CFC, and reporting rules may apply |
Personal tax
Personal tax
44Limited
| Personal | Municipal tax plus state tax for higher incomes |
|---|---|
| Freelance | Registration, immigration permission, tax, and social contributions may apply |
| Capital gains | Treatment varies by asset, holding structure, residence, and treaty position |
| Dividends | Rates and withholding depend on residence and treaty eligibility |
| Exit tax | Check current domestic rules before changing tax residence |
Corporate tax
Corporate tax
41Limited
| Corporate | 20.6% |
|---|---|
| Capital gains | Treatment varies by asset, holding structure, residence, and treaty position |
| Dividends | Rates and withholding depend on residence and treaty eligibility |
| Foreign companies | Management, permanent-establishment, CFC, and reporting rules may apply |
Business
Business friendliness
86Excellent
Regulation & bureaucracy
Regulatory quality1.67 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Government effectiveness1.77 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Operating rules
| Foreign company | Generally possible, subject to sector, registration, tax, and substance rules |
|---|---|
| Local company | Available company forms and capital requirements vary |
| Freelance | Registration, immigration permission, tax, and social contributions may apply |
Investment
Investing environment
59Moderate
Market cap87% of GDP (2003)
Private credit125% of GDP (2024)
| Capital gains | Treatment varies by asset, residence, holding period, and treaty position |
|---|---|
| Dividends | Data not available yet |
| ETFs & funds | Data not available yet |
| Wealth tax | Check current national and subnational rules |
| Brokers | Local and international availability varies by residency and compliance checks |
| Foreign access | Data not available yet |
| Tax-advantaged | Data not available yet |
Wealth building
Wealth accumulation
60Moderate
Salary & work
67Good
Business
86Excellent
Investment
59Moderate
Tax friendliness
44Limited
Cost of living
38Limited
Daily life
Safety
Safety & stability
83Excellent
Institutions & stability
Control of corruption1.97 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Political stability0.60 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Check current government travel and security advice before relocating.
Healthcare
Healthcare score
88Excellent
Outcomes
Life expectancy84.1 years (2024)
Under-5 mortality2.4 per 1,000 births (2024)
Capacity & resourcing
Physicians4.41 per 1,000 (2021)
Hospital beds1.90 per 1,000 (2022)
Health spending$7,770 PPP / person (2024)
System & costs
| System | Public/private mix varies by eligibility and residence status |
|---|---|
| Insurance | Check residence-permit and local coverage requirements |
| Average cost | Depends on eligibility, income, insurer, and chosen coverage |
Environment
Environment score
99Excellent
Environmental pressure
PM2.5 exposure5.3 μg/m³ annually (2023)
Water stress3.6% (2022)
Infrastructure
Infrastructure score
87Excellent
Digital infrastructure
Internet use95.8% (2025)
Internet resilience80 / 100 (2026)
Fixed speed88 / 100 download index (2026)
Mobile speed78 / 100 download index (2026)
Sources: World Bank World Development Indicators · Internet Society Pulse Internet Resilience Index
Utilities
Electricity access100.0% (2023)
Grid losses5.5% of output (2024)
Transport
Transport quality4.20 / 5 (2022)
Rail density23.9 km / 1,000 km² (2021)
Air connectivity17,078 departures / million people (2023)
Education
Education score
96Excellent
Attainment
Expected schooling19.0 years (2023)
Mean schooling12.7 years (2023)
Participation & investment
Tertiary enrolment84% gross (2024)
Education spending7.3% of GDP (2022)
| Tuition | Free for EU/EEA; SEK 80k–295k / yr non-EU |
|---|---|
| Public university | Varies by institution, programme, and student nationality |
| Languages | Swedish |
| Student work | Rules depend on status and circumstances; verify the current requirements with the competent authority before acting. |
HDI
Human development score
96Excellent
HDI0.959 (2023)
Knowledge
Expected schooling19.0 years (2023)
Mean schooling12.7 years (2023)
Rights and institutions
Freedom
Freedom score
100Excellent
| Freedom in the World | 100 / 100 (Free) |
|---|
Sources
Rule of law
Rule of law score
98Excellent
| Rule of Law percentile | 98 / 100 |
|---|
Sources
Resources
Official references
UN Statistics: M49 country and area codesunstats.un.orgPwC: Worldwide Tax Summariestaxsummaries.pwc.comEuropean Union: EU countrieseuropean-union.europa.euCouncil of the EU: Schengen areaconsilium.europa.euUNDP Human Development Report 2025hdr.undp.orgInternet Society Pulse Internet Resilience Indexpulse.internetsociety.orgWorld Bank World Development Indicatorsdata.worldbank.orgILOSTAT (International Labour Organization)ilostat.ilo.org
Quick links
Data is illustrative. Not legal or tax advice.