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Why Sweden Dominates Scandinavia's Population
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Mar 31, 2025
Scandinavia is a fascinating region of the world! For one, it's usually considered to be the happiest with each of its respective countries often topping the global happiness list. But also, there's not that many Scandinavians relative to its size! In fact, the entire region has less than 1/4th the population of Germany. What's even more interesting is that, within Scandinavia, Sweden has about twice the population as its three siblings: Denmark, Finland, and Norway. So how did Sweden grow so much larger if it shares pretty much the same geographic region?
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Scandinavia, a region broadly consisting of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland, are generally always lumped in together
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But when we look at each individual country, Sweden actually has twice the population as any of the other three
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So why is Sweden so different if the popular conception is that all four of these countries are very similar
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Ah, Scandinavia. So beautiful, yet so, so cold. You might not know it, but each of these countries are farther north than all of Canada's major cities
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But despite a shared northerness, the physical geography of each country can be quite different
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Scandinavia is in an incredible part of the world. You would be hard-pressed to find a place on the planet with more dramatic geography and topography
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And within this part of the world are the countries of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland
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And yes, I know sometimes Finland is excluded from this specific geographic designation
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but bear with me here. But despite this shared regional identity, the physical geography of the four countries
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can vary quite a bit. Sweden, the largest of the four countries by area, is home to the Scandinavian mountains
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which stretch along the border with Norway. These mountains make up Sweden's most prominent physical features
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with Kebnikais standing as Sweden's highest peak. These mountains, heavily sculpted by glaciers during the last ice age
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give way to the rolling hills and extensive forests as one moves eastward
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This means that the central and southern parts of Sweden are less mountainous
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and more dominated by vast forests of pine and spruce, interspersed with numerous lakes, over 100,000 in total
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which were formed by the same glacial activity. The southernmost region, known as Jötaland
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includes fertile plains and is more densely populated with a milder climate influenced by
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the proximity of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. Meanwhile, Norway's geography is much more
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dominated by a rugged mountainous terrain, making it actually one of the most mountainous countries
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in Europe and the world. The Scandinavian mountains, known locally as the Kjelln Range
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extend through much of the country, creating awe-inspiring valleys and eventually the
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breathtaking fjords along the western coast that Norway is globally famous for. Inland
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the mountains do give way to high plateaus and deep glacial valleys, but these areas aren't much
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more hospitable. Instead, it's Norway's extensive coastline with its countless islands and inlets
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that is more amenable to settlement. This area is influenced by the North Atlantic
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which moderates the climate along the coast, leading to relatively mild winters despite the
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country's high latitude. In contrast, Norway's inland regions experience very harsh winters
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and heavy snowfall. Moving south, Denmark is very different from either Sweden or Norway
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Lacking the dramatic mountains of its neighbors, Denmark is dominated by flat plains, sandy coasts
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and a large number of islands, over 400 in total. The largest of these islands is Zeeland
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home to the capital Copenhagen, and the country's highest point, Möllehøj, reaches just 171 meters
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above sea level. And while Denmark's geography has been shaped by glacial activity much like
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Sweden and Norway's, it's resulted in a region rich in fertile soils and a landscape ideal for
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agriculture, which heavily contrasts with Norway. The North Sea and the Baltic Sea strongly influence
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Denmark's climate, which is temperate with mild winters and cool summers. Finally, in the far
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eastern edges of Scandinavia is Finland, which shares some geographic similarities with Sweden
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but mostly in its extensive forest cover and numerous lakes. Known as the Land of a Thousand
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lakes, Finland actually boasts somewhere around 188,000 lakes, many of which were formed by the
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same glacial activity that impacted the other three countries But unlike Sweden and Norway the Finnish landscape is generally flat with low hills vast forests and large areas of wetlands The eastern part of the country near
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the Russian border is a little more hilly, with the Corellian Isthmus marking the transition to
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the Russian plain, but still generally pretty flat. The climate in Finland is heavily influenced
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by its northern latitude, resulting in cold winters, particularly in the northern region of
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Lapland, where the Arctic Circle cuts across the country. Summers in Finland are short
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but can be surprisingly warm, especially in the southern part of the country
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Despite their differences, the Scandinavian countries share several geographic features that connect them. All four countries were heavily shaped by glacial activity during the
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Pleistocene Epoch, which left behind a landscape of fjords, lakes, and fertile plains. This glacial
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history is evident in the rugged mountains of Norway, the lake-studded terrain of Sweden and
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Finland and the fertile plains of Denmark. The Scandinavian mountains, while more prominent in
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Norway, also extend into Sweden, forming a natural border between the two countries and contributing
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to the shared geographic ties. So what we have here are four countries that broadly share similar
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geographic traits, but that's not all they share. Really quick guys, I have to tell you about Z
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no questions asked. This is probably not too surprising, but Sweden, Denmark, Norway
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and Finland all share similar histories, with the different cultures, kingdoms, and countries
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all intermingling and adapting to one another over the centuries. The Viking Age, spanning from somewhere around the year 800 to 1050
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was a significant starting point for the shared history of these countries. Well, except for Finland, who we'll get to in a little bit
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During this era, Norse explorers, traders, and warriors from what is now Denmark
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Norway, and Sweden ventured across Europe, influencing a wide range of regions through their raids, settlements, and trade
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Denmark, specifically with its strategic position in the south, played a very central role in Viking expeditions
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especially in invading both England and France, though this would be long before the modern iteration of either country
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Norway, with its rugged coastline, produced seafaring Vikings who explored and settled in places like Iceland, Greenland
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and potentially even North America by way of modern-day Newfoundland. Sweden, meanwhile, focused more on the east, establishing trade routes through Russia and
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interacting with the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic world. All three spread in different but
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very meaningful ways. As we hit the Middle Ages, the histories of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden
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become increasingly interconnected through something called the Kalmar Union, which was established in 1397 This union under a single monarch united the three kingdoms in response to external threats particularly from the Hanseatic League And while Finland isn directly called out here the Kalmar Union would encompass much of southern Finland that exists today
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But despite the shared threat and commonalities in culture, internal conflicts and differing national interests led to the dissolution of the Union in 1524
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with Sweden breaking away to become an independent kingdom, while Denmark and Norway remained united until 1814
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The Napoleonic Wars brought significant changes to the Scandinavian region. In 1814, Denmark was forced to cede Norway to Sweden as a result of the Treaty of Kiel
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though Norway retained its own constitution and a degree of autonomy. This union lasted until 1905, when Norway peacefully gained independence
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Finland, meanwhile, had been ceded by Sweden to Russia in 1809, becoming an autonomous Grand Duchy within the Russian Empire
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Finnish nationalism grew during the 19th century, and Finland eventually declared independence in 1917
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during the chaos of the Russian Revolution. The 1900s saw these countries develop distinct identities
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while maintaining close ties through cultural, economic, and political cooperation. But there were significant differences
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For example, Sweden pursued a policy of neutrality during both world wars
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emerging as a stable and prosperous country. But Denmark and Norway, despite a similar neutrality
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were occupied by Nazi Germany during World War II. Sweden would actually allow Nazi troops to traverse their territory in order to invade Norway
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Meanwhile, during this era, Finland fought two wars against the Soviet Union
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first in the Winter War of 1939-1940, and then in the Continuation War of 1941-1944
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managing to maintain its independence at great cost to both life and land
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Throughout history, these countries have been completely intertwined with one another. And despite being separate entities today, you would be hard-pressed to fully separate them from each other
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And this isn't to say that they don't have their differences. But they're uniquely similar to each other in ways that, say, Germany and France are not
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So it's kind of weird when you see one country, Sweden, with roughly twice the population as each of the other three
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Sweden's population is approximately twice that of each of its Scandinavian neighbors
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Despite their shared history, similar physical geography, and close regional ties within the
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broader region. And while weather and climate are usually the easiest way to explain this kind of
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discrepancy, that's not quite the case here. If it was, Denmark would probably have the larger
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population of the four, given that it has a milder climate and is in close proximity to mainland
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Europe, and Germany. So what's going on? Well, one of the primary reasons for Sweden's larger
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population is its greater land area and, kind of weirdly, more hospitable agricultural conditions
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something you maybe wouldn't expect given how far north the country is
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Sweden, of course, is the largest country in Scandinavia by land area, covering about 450,000
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square kilometers, compared to Denmark's 43,000 square kilometers, Norway's 385,000, and Finland's 338,000 square kilometers
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And within Sweden is a far more diverse range of landscapes, but crucially, it encompasses large areas of fertile land
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particularly in the southern regions of Jotaland and Svijaland. These regions actually kind of have a milder climate
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more similar to Denmark than either Norway or Finland, and more arable land, making them suitable for agriculture
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settlement, and sustained population growth over the centuries. In fact, if we look at where Sweden's population is primarily located, it's in these regions
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Svirland is home to Stockholm, the country's largest city and capital, and Jotaland is home to its second largest city, Gothenburg
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And while Denmark has fertile soils and a temperate climate ideal for agriculture it geographically much smaller and consists of many islands This limited land area has inherently restricted the potential for large population growth
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Denmark's relatively small size means that its population density is higher, but the total population remains lower due to these geographic constraints
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Similarly, Norway is also bound by its geographic reality. Its rugged terrain and harsher climate have limited population growth within the country
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Norway is largely dominated by mountains and fjords, which, while stunningly beautiful
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are less conducive to large-scale agriculture and dense human settlement. The habitable and arable land is concentrated in the narrow coastal areas and valleys
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such as where Oslo is located, and much of the interior remains sparsely populated
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The harsh winter climate in much of Norway also poses challenges for sustaining a larger population
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Finally, Finland shares some geographic similarities with Sweden, such as extensive forests and numerous lakes
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but its climate is generally colder, and its landscape is flatter and less fertile
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The northern parts of Finland, especially in Lapland, are subarctic, with long, harsh winters that limit agricultural potential
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But also, Finland just hasn't been an independent country as long as the others
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First, it was largely controlled by Sweden, and then later Russia. This has inevitably played a crucial role in its population development
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Beyond pure physical geography, though, Sweden has been remarkably lucky through the centuries
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From the early 1600s to the early 1700s, Sweden experienced a period of expansion and relative
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stability that allowed for population growth. The Swedish empire, which peaked in the late 1600s
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brought wealth and influence the likes of which it never experienced before, enabling the country
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to sustain and support a growing population. This wealth and growth, however
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would backfire a bit on Sweden when, in the mid-1800s, the country experienced rampant famine
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due to poor harvests and less wealth overall. As such, between 1850 and 1910
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it's estimated that over 1 million Swedes moved to the United States
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primarily around the modern-day state of Minnesota. While this might have seemed like a time
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when Norway, Denmark, and Finland would have gained some ground on Sweden, each would also have their own issues that limited their growth. Norway, then a part of Sweden after
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being invaded in the early 1800s, would suffer from the same famine. In fact, 800,000 Norwegians
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would also leave the country primarily to go to the United States. Denmark, meanwhile, got wrapped
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up in the broader European theater wars, such as the Napoleonic Wars, which saw Copenhagen get sacked
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by Britain. And then the Second Schleswig War, which saw Denmark get invaded and defeated by
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Prussia. And then Finland, given its constant subjugation by either Sweden or Russia, never
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really managed to carve out a historic period of prosperity in the same way as Sweden. And while
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the country did grow during this time, it simply wasn't enough to catch up to Sweden despite
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Sweden's famine and immigration issues. Today, Sweden would dominate in terms of population with
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about 10.5 million people. They would be followed by Denmark with 5.8 million people, Finland with
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5.6 million and Norway with 5.5 million people. And given recent growth rates, Sweden is poised
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to pull even farther ahead than the rest due to a population that has grown by about 10
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between 2010 and 2020. Sweden has a larger population mostly because it could simply
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support a larger population during a time when the country experienced a high level of wealth
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and prosperity. Norway, Denmark, and Finland all faced unique historic and geographic challenges
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that prevented them from doing the same. Oh, and be sure to check out
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some of these amazing maps over on my map store. Each one you buy helps support this channel
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You should definitely go visit any of the Scandinavian countries if you ever get a chance
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But if you don't, I hope you enjoyed learning more about the region in this video
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If you did enjoy it, consider subscribing. And of course, I'll see you all next week
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