Skip to content

Population density: Sweden vs Vatican compared

Updated on by Georank team

Sweden has a population density of 67.8 people per square mile compared to 5,493 people in the Vatican. Sweden has 455,646 sq ft of land per person vs 5,274 sq ft in the Vatican. Sweden and the Vatican rank 163rd and 3rd by population density, respectively.

Population density is calculated as the ratio of population to land area. Sweden has 0.13% of the world's population and 0.27% of all countries' land area, compared to 0.00001% of the population and 0.0000003% of the land area for the Vatican, making the population density in Sweden 98.8% lower than in the Vatican.

Population density by year

Sweden
Vatican

people per square mile

1x
Year Population density
Sweden Vatican
2026 67.8 5,493
2025 67.5 5,460
2024 67.2 5,362
2023 67 5,460
2022 66.7 5,602
2021 66.2 5,723
2020 65.8 5,810
2019 65.4 5,886
2018 64.7 -
2017 64 5,886
2016 63.1 -
2015 62.3 5,886
2014 61.7 4,956
2013 61 4,939
2012 60.5 4,921
2011 60.1 4,897
2010 59.6 4,880
2009 59.1 4,862
2008 58.6 4,850
2007 58.2 4,833
2006 57.7 5,486
2005 57.4 5,421
2004 57.2 5,421
2003 57 5,362
2002 56.7 5,298
2001 56.6 5,239
2000 56.4 5,180
1999 56.3 5,180
1998 56.3 5,195
1997 56.2 5,217
1996 56.2 5,254
1995 56.1 5,306
1994 55.8 5,373
1993 55.4 5,388
1992 55.1 5,388
1991 54.8 5,395
1990 54.4 5,403
1989 54 5,418
1988 53.6 5,433
1987 53.4 5,418
1986 53.2 5,455
1985 53.1 5,462
1984 53 5,492
1983 53 5,507
1982 52.9 5,522
1981 52.9 5,522
1980 52.8 5,500
1979 52.7 5,492
1978 52.6 5,470
1977 52.5 5,448
1976 52.3 5,448
1975 52.1 5,448
1974 51.9 5,470
1973 51.7 5,477
1972 51.6 5,507
1971 51.5 5,559
1970 51.1 5,633
1969 50.7 5,797
1968 50.3 6,176
1967 50 6,317
1966 49.6 6,867
1965 49.2 6,830
1964 48.7 6,815
1963 48.4 6,815
1962 48.1 6,808
1961 47.8 6,837
1960 - 6,837

Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (1960–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20).

GeoRank.org/population-density/sweden/vatican | CC BY

From 2006 to 2026, population density in Sweden increased by 17.5%, compared to a 0.13% growth in the Vatican.

In 2006, Sweden ranked 155th by population density and is 163rd now. The Vatican was 3rd in 2006 and still ranks 3rd out of 197 currently.

Densely populated cities

Sweden
City Population
Stockholm 985K
Gothenburg 675K
Malmo 339K
Uppsala 175K
Vasteras 132K
Orebro 129K
Linkoping 117K
Helsingborg 116K
Jonkoping 103K
Lund 98.3K

Compare countries by 7 more topics

Population density in other countries

1x

Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10); U.S. Census Bureau (1961–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20).

GeoRank.org/population-density/sweden/vatican | CC BY

Help us show the world through your eyes

Share a photo of your city and help others discover what it looks like to live there. Your contribution makes our data come alive.

Data sources:

  1. World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06)
  2. United Nations | World Population Prospects (1960–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10)
  3. U.S. Census Bureau (1961–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08)
  4. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20)
  5. Wikidata (2019–2024, retrieved 2026-02-08)

Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) — you’re free to copy, share, remix, adapt, and use even commercially as long as you give appropriate credit and clearly indicate if you made changes. Other sources may be subject to different license terms.