How We Became 10 Million
This is the story of how we've been born, died, and moved since the mid-1750s—growing from two to ten million people.
Famines, disease, and war have greatly impacted the number of deaths
The chart shows the number of deaths in Sweden from 1750–2025
1773: Crop failure and dysentery
Widespread famine worsened by outbreaks of dysentery.
1809: Finnish War
Sweden is at war with Russia while dysentery claims lives.
1857: Disease epidemics
Multiple outbreaks of cholera and dysentery ravage the country.
1918: Spanish Flu
The Spanish Flu reaches Sweden, killing tens of thousands.
Method and Source
Sweden's population statistics are internationally unique. Only Sweden and Finland can present such a long and unbroken series of population data dating back to the 1750s.
Systematic compilation of population statistics began in 1749 with the so-called Tabellverket (Table Office). Parish priests were then required to annually compile statistics from church records according to a given format. Under the Church Law of 1686, it was mandatory to keep church registers of baptisms, burials, and household examinations.
In 1858, Statistics Sweden (SCB) was founded, and the collection of population statistics was reorganized. Instead of submitting completed tables, copies of parts of church records were sent to SCB from 1861 onwards, where statistics were compiled centrally.
In 1947, unique birth numbers were introduced for everyone, which later made it possible to combine different registers when producing population statistics. In principle, the foundation for population statistics remains the same today as in the 1700s. Sweden and the Nordic countries have some of the best population statistics in the world.