Sweden - Government
Based on the etymolgy of Sweden, it was name derives from the North Germanic Svea tribe that inhabited central Sweden; the tribe's name probably comes from the Old German word sweba, meaning "independent;" the local form of the country's name, Sverige, means "kingdom of the Svea". The Government system in this country is the parliamentary constitutional monarchy type and the different Administrative divisions includes: 21 counties (lan, singular and plural); Blekinge, Dalarna, Gavleborg, Gotland, Halland, Jamtland, Jonkoping, Kalmar, Kronoberg, Norrbotten, Orebro, Ostergotland, Skane, Sodermanland, Stockholm, Uppsala, Varmland, Vasterbotten, Vasternorrland, Vastmanland, Vastra Gotaland
National symbols
Three crowns, lion.
The flag
The National flag of Sweden has .
Info
The National Anthem
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More about the government of Sweden
| Date of Independence | 6 June 1523 (Gustav VASA elected king of Sweden, marking the abolishment of the Kalmar Union of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden) |
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| National holiday | National Day, 6 June (1983) |
| Legal system | civil law system influenced by Roman-Germanic law and customary law |
| International law organization participation | accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction |
| Constitution | |
| History | Sweden has four fundamental laws which together make up the Constitution: The Instrument of Government (several previous; latest 1974); The Act of Succession (enacted 1810; changed in 1937 and 1980); The Freedom of the Press Act (many previous; latest in 1949); The Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression (adopted 1991) |
| Amendment process | Proposed by Parliament; passage requires simple majority vote in two consecutive parliamentary terms with an intervening general election; passage also requires approval by simple majority vote in a referendum if Parliament approves a motion for a referendum by one third of its members; the results of such a referendum are only binding if a majority vote against the proposal |
| Citizenship | |
| Citizenship by birth | no |
| Citizenship by descent only | the father must be a citizen of Sweden; in the case of a child born out of wedlock, the mother must be a citizen of Sweden and the father unknown |
| Dual citizenship recognized | no, unless the other citizenship was acquired involuntarily |
| Residency requirement for naturalization | 5 years |
| Executive Branch | |
| Chief of state | King CARL XVI GUSTAF (since 15 September 1973) |
| Head of government | Prime Minister Ulf KRISTERSSON (since 18 October 2022) |
| Cabinet | Cabinet appointed by the prime minister |
| Election/appointment process | the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually becomes the prime minister |
| Legislative branch | |
| Legislature name | Parliament (Riksdagen) |
| Legislative structure | Unicameral |
| Number of seats | 349 (all directly elected) |
| Electoral system | Proportional representation |
| Scope of elections | Full renewal |
| Term in office | 4 years |
| Most recent election date | 9/11/2022 |
| Parties elected and seats per party | Social Democratic Party (SAP) (107); Sweden Democrats (SD) (73); Moderate Party (M) (68); Left Party (VP) (24); Centre Party (CP) (24); Christian Democrats (KD) (19); Green Party (Mpg) (18); Other (16) |
| Percentage of women in chamber | 45% |
| Expected date of next election | September 2026 |
| Judicial branch | |
| Highest court(s) | Supreme Court of Sweden (consists of 16 justices, including the court chairman); Supreme Administrative Court (consists of 18 justices, including the court president) |
| Judge selection and term of office | Supreme Court and Supreme Administrative Court justices nominated by the Judges Proposal Board, a 9-member nominating body consisting of high-level judges, prosecutors, and members of Parliament; justices appointed by the government; after a probationary period, justices' appointments are permanent |
| Subordinate courts | First instance, appellate, general, and administrative courts; specialized courts that handle cases such as land and environment, immigration, labor, markets, and patents |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador Urban AHLIN (since 15 September 2023) |
| Chancery | 2900 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20007 |
| Telephone | [1] (202) 467-2600 |
| FAX | [1] (202) 467-2699 |
| Email address and website | [email protected] https://www.swedenabroad.se/en/embassies/usa-washington/ |
| Consulate(s) general | New York, San Francisco |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Viraj LeBAILLY (since August 2025) |
| Embassy | Dag Hammarskjolds Vag 31, SE-115 89 Stockholm |
| Mailing address | 5750 Stockholm Place, Washington, DC 20521-5750 |
| Telephone | [46] (08) 783-53-00 |
| FAX | [46] (08) 661-19-64 |
| Email address and website | [email protected] https://se.usembassy.gov/ |
| National heritage | |
| Total World Heritage Sites | 15 (13 cultural, 1 natural, 1 mixed) |
| Selected World Heritage Site locales | Royal Domain of Drottningholm (c); Laponian Area (m); High Coast/Kvarken Archipelago (n); Birka and Hovgården (c); Hanseatic Town of Visby (c); Church Town of Gammelstad, Luleå (c); Naval Port of Karlskrona (c); Rock Carvings in Tanum (c); Engelsberg Ironworks (c); Mining Area of the Great Copper Mountain in Falun (c) |
Key Political parties and their leaders in Sweden
Info
International organization participation
All Important Facts about Sweden
Want to know more about Sweden? Check all different factbooks for Sweden below.
