With 450,295 square kilometers, Sweden is the largest Nordic country by area size, followed by Finland and Norway. This makes it the fifth largest country in Europe. Meanwhile, Denmark is the smallest of the five Nordic countries with only 43,094 square kilometers, however, the Danish autonomous region of Greenland is significantly larger than any of the Nordic countries, and is almost double the size of the other five combined.

Population

Sweden is also the Nordic country with the largest population. 10.45 million people live in the country. Denmark, Finland, and Norway all have between five and six million inhabitants, whereas only 370,000 people live in Iceland. Meanwhile, Denmark has the highest population density of the five countries. Greenland is the most sparsely populated permanently-inhabited country in the world, followed by the regions of Svalbard and Jan Mayen.

Geography

The five Nordic countries vary geographically. While Denmark is mostly flat, its highest point only stretching around 170 meters above sea level, Norway's highest peak is nearly 2,500 meters high. Moreover, Finland is known for its many lakes and is often called the land of a thousand lakes, whereas Iceland is famous for its volcanoes.

The largest of the three Scandinavian countries is Norway, with a surface of 625,222 square kilometers, when including the arctic islands of Svalbard and Jan Mayen. Without these, Norway's total area size amounts to 385,207 square kilometers. Its neighboring country Sweden has a size of approximately 447,000 square kilometers, whereas Denmark is significantly smaller at around 43,000 square kilometers. Greenland, an autonomous area under the Kingdom of Denmark, has an ice-free surface of 410,450 km2, but its total area amounts to 2.67 million km2, making it the largest island in the world.

The largest of all Nordic countries is Sweden with a size of approximately 447,000 square kilometers. Finland follows in second with a surface area of more than 338,000 square kilometers. The mainland area of Norway amounts to 324,000 square kilometers, but if the islands of Svalbard and Jan Mayen are included, it reaches 625,000 square kilometers. The ice-free area of Greenland, which is an autonomous region under the Kingdom of Denmark, is 410,000 square kilometers, but in total, it has a land area of 2.67 million square kilometers, making it the largest island in the world.

In the Nordic countries, Sweden has the largest population with over ten million inhabitants in 2023. Denmark, Finland, and Norway all have between 5.5 and six million inhabitants, whereas Iceland clearly has the lowest number with only 390,000 people. The population increased in all five Nordic countries over the past 20 years. Aging population In all five Nordic countries, the average age of the population is increasing. In all countries except Iceland, people aged 70 years or more make up the largest age groups. Hence, one of the issues facing the Nordic countries in the coming decades is that of a shrinking working stock, while there will be more elderly people in need of daily care. Births, deaths, and migration The two reasons behind the constantly increasing population in the Nordic countries are that more people are born than people dying, and a positive net migration. Except for Finland, the death rate decreased in all Nordic countries over the past 20 years. However, the fertility rate has also fallen in all five countries in the recent years, meaning that an increasing immigration play an important role in sustaining the population growth.

The Nordic Countries Renewable Energy Market is segmented by type (solar, wind, hydro, bioenergy, and other types) and geography (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland). The report offers the installed capacity and forecasts in gigawatts (GW) for all the above segments.

The NORDIC Bike Sharing Market report is segmented by Bike Type (Traditional/Regular Bike and E-bike), Sharing System (Docked and Dockless), and Country (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland).

The Nordic Countries Electric Vehicle Charging Equipment Market report segments the industry into Vehicle Type (Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV), Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV), Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV)), Application (Home Charging, Workplace Charging, Public Charging), Charging Type (AC Charging (Level 1 and Level 2), DC Charging), and Geography (Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland).

The Nordic Data Center Market Report is Segmented by Data Center Size (Large, Massive, Medium, Mega, and Small), Tier Type (Tier 1 and 2, Tier 3, and Tier 4), Absorption (Non-Utilized and Utilized), and Country (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland). The Market Sizes and Forecasts are Provided in Terms of Volume in Megawatt (MW) for all the Above Segments.

From 2011 to 2022, Sweden had the highest gross domestic product (GDP) of the Nordic countries. In 2022, it was estimated to be at 591 billion U.S. dollars, and is expected to reach almost 720 billion in 2027. Norway had the second highest GDP in this time period, but it dropped significantly after the fall in the oil price in 2014. Denmark has consistently been the third largest Nordic economy in this time. Iceland has the lowest GDP in the region, with just 28 billion U.S. dollars in 2022; around 10 percent the size of Finland's.

Sweden's total Exports in 2024 were valued at US$195.76 Billion, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. Sweden's main export partners were: Germany, Norway and the United States. The top three export commodities were: Machinery, nuclear reactors, boilers; Vehicles other than railway, tramway and Electrical, electronic equipment. Total Imports were valued at US$188.97 Billion. In 2024, Sweden had a trade surplus of US$6.79 Billion.

The largest import country of pharmaceuticals to Sweden in 2024 was Germany, which accounted for around 19 percent of the total pharmaceutical imports value that year. Denmark was the second-largest country for Swedish pharmaceutical imports, and accounted for around 16 percent.

In 2022, the Port of Stockholm was the largest Swedish port with about 7.8 million passengers. Helsingborg with over six million passengers and Ystad with some 2.6 million passengers were the second and third largest ports in the Scandinavian country.

The Nordic Plastic Bottles Market report segments the industry into By Resin (Polyethylene (PE), Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), Polypropylene (PP), Other Resin Type (Polystyrene, PVC, Polycarbonate, etc.)), By End-Use Industries (Food, Beverage, Pharmaceuticals, Personal Care & Toiletries, Industrial, Household Chemicals, Paints & Coatings, Other End-Use Industries), and By Country (Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland).

In 2021, Sweden produced the most wood pulp out of the Nordic countries, with 11.7 million metric tons of the material. Finland was the second largest wood pulp producer of the Nordic countries that year, having produced 11.36 million metric tons. Denmark produced the lowest quantity, having only produced 5,000 metric tons of wood pulp in 2021.

Nordic countries Sweden and Finland had the largest shares of domestic electricity produced from clean sources among EU countries in 2024, with around **** and **** percent, respectively. Hydropower, nuclear, and wind energy were the main sources of electricity in Sweden. In contrast, in Malta, one of the European countries with the smallest shares of clean electricity generated, natural gas accounted for the largest share of power production.

The Scandinavian Commercial Real Estate Market Report is Segmented by Property Type (Offices, Retail and More), by Business Model (Rental and Sales), by End User (Individuals / Households and More) and by Country (Denmark, Norway and More). The Report Offers Market Size and Forecasts in Value (USD) for all the Above Segments.

As of 2024, the Danish Nykredit Bank reported the highest common equity tier 1 (CET1) ratio among the ten largest banks in the Nordic countries in terms of total assets. Nykredit Bank reported a CET1 ratio of 27.7 percent. OP Financial Group followed, with a CET1 ratio of 21.5 percent.

In 2022, Denmark's exports of goods and services made up the largest share of its gross domestic product (GDP) of the Nordic countries. The value of Denmark's export consistently amounted to over ** percent of its GDP in 2022. Iceland had similar values to Denmark at the beginning of the decade, but by 2022, it had decreased below ** percent of the country's GDP. Sweden exported goods and services for a value of ** percent of its GDP in 2022.

In the Nordic countries, the largest number of people emigrated from Denmark in 2022. Nearly 70,000 people emigrated from Denmark that year, even though its neighbor Sweden has a population that is nearly twice as large. Iceland, on the other hand, had the lowest number of emigrants that year. Meanwhile, the highest number of immigrants over the last years arrived in Sweden.

The majority of immigrants moving to Sweden in 2023 were Swedes returning to Sweden. Nearly 10,600 Swedes returned to their home country in 2023. The remaining top five countries of origin were India, Poland, Germany, and Syria. In total, 95,000 people immigrated to Sweden in 2023.

Syrians largest immigrant group

Of Sweden's foreign-born population, Syrians made up the largest group. Following the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War in 2011, many people left the country in search of a better life in Europe, some of which landed in Sweden. In 2022, Sweden hosted the world's 7th largest group of Syrian refugees.

Immigration drives population increase in Sweden

Over the past decade, Sweden has seen a positive migration rate, with more people immigrating to the country than people leaving. This is one of the main reasons why the country's population has been increasing steadily over recent years.