Sweden: Death rate, crude (per 1,000 people)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Sweden's death rate, crude (per 1,000 people) fell 0.4 on 2023 (from 9 to 8.6).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was −0.07 and a typical year strayed about 0.29 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 0.9 in 2020 and the biggest yearly fall was 0.7 in 1989. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 27% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, Sweden had the 71st highest value of the 217 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Sweden in the 2024 ranking

• Niger — 68th of 217: 8.72
• St. Lucia — 69th of 217: 8.71
• Benin — 70th of 217: 8.71
• Mali — 72nd of 217: 8.51
• Togo — 73rd of 217: 8.49
• Albania — 74th of 217: 8.46

What this measures

Crude death rate indicates the number of deaths occurring during the year, per 1,000 population estimated at midyear. Subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate provides the rate of natural increase, which is equal to the rate of population change in the absence of migration.

Limitations: Vital registers are the preferred source for these data, but in many developing countries systems for registering births and deaths are absent or incomplete because of deficiencies in the coverage of events or geographic areas. Many developing countries carry out special household surveys that ask respondents about recent births and deaths. Estimates derived in this way are subject to sampling errors and recall errors.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 65 values

Death rate, crude (per 1,000 people) in nearby economies

• Albania — 8.46 (2024)
• Andorra — 6.14 (2024)
• Armenia — 8.4 (2024)
• Austria — 9.6 (2024)
• Azerbaijan — 5.8 (2024)
• Belarus — 13.14 (2024)
• Belgium — 9.5 (2024)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 13.52 (2024)
• Bulgaria — 15.6 (2024)
• Channel Islands — 10.4 (2024)
• Croatia

More health data for Sweden

• Population ages 00-04, female (% of female population) — 4.89% (2025)
• Population ages 00-04, male (% of male population) — 5.09% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female — 859,842 (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female (% of female population) — 16.35% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male — 910,481 (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male (% of male population) — 17.05% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, total — 1.77 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14 (% of total population) — 16.71% (2025)
• Population ages 05-09, female (% of female population) — 5.64% (2025)
• Population ages 05-09, male (% of male population)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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Questions people ask

What is Sweden's death rate, crude (per 1,000 people)?

8.6 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1960?

It is down 14% from 10 in 1960 (0.24% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 11.5 in 1988 and the lowest 8.6 in 2019.

How does Sweden rank?

71st highest of 217 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in death rate, crude (per 1,000 people) unusual for Sweden?

In 2024, Sweden's death rate, crude (per 1,000 people) fell 0.4 on 2023 (from 9 to 8.6). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was −0.07 and a typical year strayed about 0.29 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SP.DYN.CDRT.IN, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division; Statistical databases and publications from national statistical offices, National Statistical Offices (NSOs); Demographic Statistics, Eurostat (ESTAT); Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), United… Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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