Real size
How big is Sweden really?
443,000 km²
171,000 sq mi · 58th largest of the 167 here · about the size of Uzbekistan
Normal web maps draw it 4.9× too big
Sweden covers 443,000 km² (171,000 sq mi), about the size of Uzbekistan. A normal web map draws it about 4.9 times too big, because it lies far from the equator (around 62°N), and those maps stretch land more the closer it gets to the North Pole.
Measured from our map outlines, so official figures can differ by a few percent. Ranks count the 167 countries and territories on these pages: those over 5,000 km², not counting disputed territories.
- Real area
- 443,000 km²
- Size rank
- 58th of 167
- On a normal web map
- 4.9× too big
- Latitude
- 62°N
Countries about the same size
- UzbekistanAbout the same size
- IraqAbout the same size
- YemenAbout the same size
- Papua New GuineaAbout the same size
- CameroonCameroon is 1.1 times the size of Sweden
Sweden through history
Borders here have moved many times. Step through our maps, from 2000 BCE to today, to see who ruled this land before, and how big their realms really were.
Open the history map →Browse the eras →
Common questions
- How big is Sweden?
- Sweden covers about 443,000 km² (171,000 sq mi). It is the 58th largest of the 167 countries and territories on these pages (those over 5,000 km²).
- Why does Sweden look so big on maps?
- Most web maps use the Mercator projection, which keeps shapes right but stretches area more and more toward the poles. Averaged over the whole country, it draws Sweden about 4.9 times too big.
- Is Sweden bigger than Yemen?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.
- Is Sweden bigger than Uzbekistan?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.