The number of deaths in Sweden in 2020 amounted to over 98,000. A high share of the deaths in 2020 were related to the coronavirus pandemic. However, in 2021, the number sank below 92,000, before increasing to over 94,000 in 2022 and 2023. The highest number of coronavirus deaths were among individuals age 70 and older. Sweden is the Nordic country that has reported the highest number of COVID-19-related deaths since the outbreak of the pandemic.

The most common causes of death

The most common cause of death in 2022 was diseases of the circulatory system (cardiovascular diseases). This cause was followed by cancerous tumors.

 Ischemic heart disease

Among the diseases in the circulatory system, the one that caused the most deaths was chronic ischemic heart disease. Chronic ischemic heart disease is when the blood flow to the heart is reduced because the arteries of the heart are blocked. In 2020, ischemic heart disease caused more than 50,000 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants.

The crude death rate in Sweden was down at the lowest point in 2019, when 8.6 deaths occurred per thousand mid-year population. In 2020, however, the crude death rate increased and amounted to 9.5 deaths per 1,000 inhabitants. Over 98,000 individuals died during 2020 in Sweden. In 2020, the crude death rate in Sweden was influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, the crude death rate in the country was at nine.

Actual value and historical data chart for Sweden Death Rate Crude Per 1 000 People

The number of deaths per week in Sweden was higher from week 12 to week 26 in 2020 than it was in the years 2015 to 2019. Moreover, it increased from week 46 in 2020 and fell below the average of 2015 to 2019 in week five in 2021. Several of the deaths in 2020 were related to the coronavirus pandemic. In 2022, the number of deaths per week decreased from week seven, but was high in the last weeks of the year and the first weeks of 2023, before falling again. Causes of death In 2022, diseases of the circulatory system were the most common cause of death in Sweden. Over 28,000 deaths were caused by this type of disease that year. Cancerous tumors caused the second highest number of deaths in Sweden. COVID-19 in Sweden Sweden is the Nordic country that has reported the highest number of COVID-19 deaths since the outbreak of the pandemic. All in all, the number of deaths in Sweden in 2023 amounted to nearly 95,000.

UNICEF's country profile for Sweden, including under-five mortality rates, child health, education and sanitation data.

Mortality rate, under-5 (per 1,000 live births) in Sweden was reported at 2.5 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Sweden - Mortality rate, under-5 (per 1,000) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on November of 2025.

In 2023, the number of deaths per 1,000 inhabitants in Sweden was ****. Between 1960 and 2023, the figure dropped by ***, though the decline followed an uneven course rather than a steady trajectory.

Sweden SE: Death Rate: Crude: per 1000 People data was reported at 9.200 Ratio in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 9.300 Ratio for 2015. Sweden SE: Death Rate: Crude: per 1000 People data is updated yearly, averaging 10.500 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 11.500 Ratio in 1988 and a record low of 9.200 Ratio in 2016. Sweden SE: Death Rate: Crude: per 1000 People data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Sweden – Table SE.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Crude death rate indicates the number of deaths occurring during the year, per 1,000 population estimated at midyear. Subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate provides the rate of natural increase, which is equal to the rate of population change in the absence of migration.; ; (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision. (2) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (4) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Reprot (various years), (5) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database, and (6) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme.; Weighted average;

The statistic shows the adult mortality rate in Sweden from 2013 to 2023, by gender. According to the source, the adult mortality rate is the probability of dying between the ages of 15 and 60 - that is, the probability of a 15-year-old dying before reaching age 60, if subject to age-specific mortality rates of the specified year between those ages. In 2023, the mortality rate for women was at ***** per 1,000 female adults, while the mortality rate for men was at ***** per 1,000 male adults in Sweden.

Sweden SE: Mortality Rate: Under-5: per 1000 Live Births data was reported at 2.800 Ratio in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 2.900 Ratio for 2016. Sweden SE: Mortality Rate: Under-5: per 1000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 7.250 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 19.600 Ratio in 1960 and a record low of 2.800 Ratio in 2017. Sweden SE: Mortality Rate: Under-5: per 1000 Live Births data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Sweden – Table SE.World Bank: Health Statistics. Under-five mortality rate is the probability per 1,000 that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five, if subject to age-specific mortality rates of the specified year.; ; Estimates Developed by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, UN DESA Population Division) at www.childmortality.org.; Weighted average; Given that data on the incidence and prevalence of diseases are frequently unavailable, mortality rates are often used to identify vulnerable populations. Moreover, they are among the indicators most frequently used to compare socioeconomic development across countries. Under-five mortality rates are higher for boys than for girls in countries in which parental gender preferences are insignificant. Under-five mortality captures the effect of gender discrimination better than infant mortality does, as malnutrition and medical interventions have more significant impacts to this age group. Where female under-five mortality is higher, girls are likely to have less access to resources than boys.

Historical dataset showing Sweden death rate by year from 1950 to 2025.

Actual value and historical data chart for Sweden Tuberculosis Death Rate Per 100000 People

Total Covid deaths per million in Sweden, March, 2023 The most recent value is 2262 total Covid deaths as of March 2023, an increase compared to the previous value of 2251 total Covid deaths. Historically, the average for Sweden from March 2020 to March 2023 is 1356 total Covid deaths. The minimum of 23 total Covid deaths was recorded in March 2020, while the maximum of 2262 total Covid deaths was reached in March 2023. | TheGlobalEconomy.com

Forecast: Maternal Death Rate (Lifetime Risk) in Sweden 2023 - 2027 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

Sweden SE: Mortality Rate: Infant: Male: per 1000 Live Births data was reported at 2.600 Ratio in 2017. This stayed constant from the previous number of 2.600 Ratio for 2015. Sweden SE: Mortality Rate: Infant: Male: per 1000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 2.700 Ratio from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2017, with 5 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 6.500 Ratio in 1990 and a record low of 2.600 Ratio in 2017. Sweden SE: Mortality Rate: Infant: Male: per 1000 Live Births data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Sweden – Table SE.World Bank: Health Statistics. Infant mortality rate, male is the number of male infants dying before reaching one year of age, per 1,000 male live births in a given year.; ; Estimates developed by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, UN DESA Population Division) at www.childmortality.org.; Weighted average; Given that data on the incidence and prevalence of diseases are frequently unavailable, mortality rates are often used to identify vulnerable populations. Moreover, they are among the indicators most frequently used to compare socioeconomic development across countries. Under-five mortality rates are higher for boys than for girls in countries in which parental gender preferences are insignificant. Under-five mortality captures the effect of gender discrimination better than infant mortality does, as malnutrition and medical interventions have more significant impacts to this age group. Where female under-five mortality is higher, girls are likely to have less access to resources than boys.

Historical dataset showing Sweden infant mortality rate by year from 1950 to 2025.

This horizontal bar chart displays death rate (per 1,000 people) by country using the aggregation average, weighted by population in Sweden. The data is filtered where the date is 2021. The data is about countries per year.

In 2023, the infant mortality rate in deaths per 1,000 live births in Sweden amounted to two. Between 1960 and 2023, the figure dropped by 14.3, though the decline followed an uneven course rather than a steady trajectory.

Forecast: Perinatal Mortality Rate in Sweden 2024 - 2028 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

Male child mortality rate of Sweden remained stable at 2.7 deaths per thousand live births over the last 1 years. Child mortality rate is the probability of dying between the exact ages of one and five, if subject to current age-specific mortality rates. The probability is expressed as a rate per 1,000.