Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Sweden instead of Hong Kong, you would:

Health

live 0.9 years less

In Hong Kong, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2022. In Sweden, that number is 83 years (81 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

be 19.1% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Hong Kong, 19.9% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Sweden, however, that number is 16.1% as of 2022.

be 93.1% more likely to be unemployed

In Hong Kong, 3.9% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Sweden, that number is 7.6% as of 2023.

pay a 3.8 times higher top tax rate

Hong Kong has a top tax rate of 15.0% as of 2016. In Sweden, the top tax rate is 57.1% as of 2016.

Life

have 40.8% more children

In Hong Kong, there are approximately 7.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Sweden, there are 10.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Expenditures

spend 80.0% more on education

Hong Kong spends 4.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Sweden spends 7.2% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

Geography

see 4.4 times more coastline

Hong Kong has a total of 733 km of coastline. In Sweden, that number is 3,218 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Skatteverket, Inland Revenue Department, Hong Kong.

Sweden: At a glance

Sweden is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 410,335 sq km. A military power during the 17th century, Sweden has not participated in any war for almost two centuries. An armed neutrality was preserved in both world wars. Sweden's long-successful economic formula of a capitalist system intermixed with substantial welfare elements was challenged in the 1990s by high unemployment and in 2000-02 and 2009 by the global economic downturns, but fiscal discipline over the past several years has allowed the country to weather economic vagaries. Sweden joined the EU in 1995, but the public rejected the introduction of the euro in a 2003 referendum.
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How big is Sweden compared to Hong Kong? See an in-depth size comparison.

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