Population aged 65 years or older (thousands) in Sweden
Sweden: Population aged 65 years or older (thousands) was 2,215 thousands in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
2,215 thousands
Change on year
up 1.3%
World rank
48th
of 233 countries
All-time high
2,215 thousands
in 2025
All-time low
1,086 thousands
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Population aged 65 years or older in Sweden, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in thousands.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population aged 65 years or older in Sweden is 2,215 thousands, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.3% on the previous year and up 15.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population aged 65 years or older in Sweden peaked at 2,215 thousands in 2025 and was at its lowest, 1,086 thousands, in 1970.
Sweden ranks 48th of 233 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
Population aged 65 years or older (thousands) in Sweden, year by year
| Year | thousands | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1,086 thousands | — |
| 1971 | 1,113 thousands | +2.5% |
| 1972 | 1,141 thousands | +2.5% |
| 1973 | 1,168 thousands | +2.3% |
| 1974 | 1,196 thousands | +2.4% |
| 1975 | 1,225 thousands | +2.4% |
| 1976 | 1,251 thousands | +2.1% |
| 1977 | 1,274 thousands | +1.8% |
| 1978 | 1,301 thousands | +2.1% |
| 1979 | 1,324 thousands | +1.8% |
| 1980 | 1,345 thousands | +1.6% |
| 1981 | 1,362 thousands | +1.2% |
| 1982 | 1,378 thousands | +1.1% |
| 1983 | 1,395 thousands | +1.3% |
| 1984 | 1,410 thousands | +1.1% |
| 1985 | 1,424 thousands | +1.0% |
| 1986 | 1,454 thousands | +2.1% |
| 1987 | 1,477 thousands | +1.6% |
| 1988 | 1,493 thousands | +1.1% |
| 1989 | 1,504 thousands | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 1,517 thousands | +0.9% |
| 1991 | 1,526 thousands | +0.6% |
| 1992 | 1,531 thousands | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 1,534 thousands | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 1,536 thousands | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 1,540 thousands | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 1,543 thousands | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 1,543 thousands | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 1,542 thousands | -0.0% |
| 1999 | 1,537 thousands | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 1,532 thousands | -0.3% |
| 2001 | 1,531 thousands | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 1,532 thousands | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 1,534 thousands | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 1,542 thousands | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 1,555 thousands | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 1,565 thousands | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 1,582 thousands | +1.0% |
| 2008 | 1,609 thousands | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 1,645 thousands | +2.3% |
| 2010 | 1,691 thousands | +2.8% |
| 2011 | 1,737 thousands | +2.7% |
| 2012 | 1,785 thousands | +2.7% |
| 2013 | 1,828 thousands | +2.5% |
| 2014 | 1,872 thousands | +2.4% |
| 2015 | 1,913 thousands | +2.2% |
| 2016 | 1,947 thousands | +1.8% |
| 2017 | 1,977 thousands | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 2,006 thousands | +1.5% |
| 2019 | 2,036 thousands | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 2,066 thousands | +1.5% |
| 2021 | 2,088 thousands | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 2,119 thousands | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 2,147 thousands | +1.3% |
| 2024 | 2,186 thousands | +1.8% |
| 2025 | 2,215 thousands | +1.3% |
Sweden compared with similar countries
- Sweden's 2,215 thousands is above the median for high income countries, which is 291.46 thousands, 7.6× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Sweden's 2,215 thousands is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 974.42 thousands, 2.3× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1,208 thousands | 1,086 thousands | 1,324 thousands | 10 |
| 1980s | 1,424 thousands | 1,345 thousands | 1,504 thousands | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,535 thousands | 1,517 thousands | 1,543 thousands | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,563 thousands | 1,531 thousands | 1,645 thousands | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,879 thousands | 1,691 thousands | 2,036 thousands | 10 |
| 2020s | 2,137 thousands | 2,066 thousands | 2,215 thousands | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sweden
More population data for Sweden
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.0422 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -0.7238 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.0422 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.1458 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 11,902 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.4642 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate 0.1484 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.1% (2100)
- Population density 27.91 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 479,660 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population aged 65 years or older in Sweden?
- Population aged 65 years or older in Sweden was 2,215 thousands in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population aged 65 years or older recorded in Sweden?
- The highest recorded value was 2,215 thousands in 2025.
- What is the lowest population aged 65 years or older recorded in Sweden?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,086 thousands in 1970.
- How does Sweden rank for population aged 65 years or older?
- Sweden ranks 48th out of 233 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population aged 65 years or older rising or falling in Sweden?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sweden data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Population aged 65 years or older (thousands). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release