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Saudi Arabia's area vs Sweden's: size comparison by land type

Updated on by Georank team

Saudi Arabia is 5.03 times bigger by total area compared to Sweden: 868,730 sq mi vs 172,752 sq mi. Without inland water, the land area of Saudi Arabia is 830,000 sq mi vs 157,248 sq mi for Sweden — a 5.28 times difference in territory size.

  • Saudi Arabia ranks 12/197 by total surface area vs 56/197 for Sweden.
  • Saudi Arabia occupies 1.44% of the land mass of all countries, compared with 0.27% for Sweden.
  • 80.8% of Saudi Arabia's area is agricultural land vs 7.32% in Sweden.
  • Saudi Arabia has 3.64% of the world's agricultural land area — Sweden has 0.06%.
  • 0.45% of Saudi Arabia is covered by forests, compared to 68.7% in Sweden.
  • 0.02% of the world's forests are in Saudi Arabia, and 0.69% are in Sweden.

True size map comparison: Saudi Arabia vs Sweden

See how Saudi Arabia and Sweden compare in true size on the map. Drag the outlines to different latitudes to see how the Mercator projection affects their apparent size.

Total size and land area comparison

Saudi Arabia Sweden
Total area 868,730
sq mi
172,752
sq mi
Size difference ratio 5.03 1
Total area rank 12/197 56/197
Share of all countries' surface area 0.44% 0.09%
Land area 830,000
sq mi
157,248
sq mi
Land area difference ratio 5.28 1
Land area rank 12/197 58/197
Share of all countries' land area 1.44% 0.27%
Population 35,300,280 10,569,709
Population density 44.1 ppl/mi² 67.8 ppl/mi²

Surface area by type

Saudi Arabia Sweden
Forest area 3,772
sq mi
108,031
sq mi
Forest area as share of land 0.45% 68.7%
Forest area rank 126/196 21/196
World's forests share 0.02% 0.69%
Agricultural land area 670,418
sq mi
11,514
sq mi
Agricultural land share 80.8% 7.32%
Agricultural land area rank 8/194 104/194
Share of global agricultural land 3.64% 0.06%
Arable land 13,245
sq mi
9,753
sq mi
Arable land share 1.6% 6.2%
Arable land area rank 65/191 74/191
Permanent cropland 799
sq mi
11.6
sq mi
Permanent cropland share 0.1% 0.007%
Permanent cropland area rank 82/192 171/192
Water area 38,730
sq mi
15,504
sq mi
Water as share of total area 4.46% 8.97%
Water area rank 9/197 15/197
Roads length 137,554
mi
356,129
mi
Land borders length 2,654
mi
1,374
mi
Coastline length 1,640
mi
2,000
mi
Share of marine protected waters 3.5% 16%

Saudi Arabia vs Sweden size on the map

Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (2026, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/size/saudi-arabia/sweden | CC BY

The map above outlines the borders of Saudi Arabia and Sweden but is not accurate for size comparison because it's a 2d map with Mercator projection that distorts territories near the poles. The farther a country is from the equator, the more magnified it appears. More about country size projections.

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Data sources:

  1. World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (2023–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06)
  2. Wikidata (2026, retrieved 2026-02-08)
  3. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2025, retrieved 2026-02-20)
  4. United Nations | World Population Prospects (2026, retrieved 2026-03-10)

Total agricultural land encompasses all areas used for agriculture: territories under permanent and temporary crops and pastures. It includes land under flowering shrubs, fruit and nut trees, and vineyards, but excludes sites utilized for timber production.

Arable land encompasses fields utilized for temporary crop production, pastures, market or kitchen gardens, and temporarily fallowed land. Land abandoned due to shifting cultivation practices is not included.

Permanent cropland refers to farmland for the long-term cultivation of crops, such as coffee, cocoa, and rubber, which do not require replanting after each harvest. This category encompasses land with permanent crops like flowering shrubs, fruit and nut trees, and vines, but does not include land under trees for timber production.

Inland areas under water, such as large rivers, lakes, and some coastal waterways.

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.