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The identity of the nation
Sweden is the largest country in Scandinavia (the northern European region that includes Sweden, Norway and Denmark), with about 10.6 million people spread across a long, cold territory that stretches from the Baltic coast into the Arctic Circle. Its capital, Stockholm, is built on fourteen islands linked by bridges, a symbol of the Swedish people’s relationship with water, order and careful planning.
For nearly a thousand years the Christian faith shaped Swedish identity. In the 16th century, King Gustav Vasa broke with Rome and made Lutheranism the official faith, and the country gained its first complete Bible in Swedish. The Church of Sweden was the state church until the year 2000, when it finally separated from the government. Today a good portion of the population is still baptized and registered as a member of that historic church, but that says little about a living, personal faith.
Sweden is today one of the most secularized nations in the world. Few people attend services, pray or say they believe in God, even among those who call themselves Christian by tradition. Prosperity, social organization and a high standard of living have created a climate where faith is treated as a private matter, almost embarrassing to mention in public. At the same time, interest is growing in alternative spiritualities and wellness therapies that try to fill the void secularism has left behind.
Paradoxically, Sweden has also received, in recent decades, hundreds of thousands of refugees from nations closed to the gospel, such as Afghanistan, Somalia, Iran and Arab countries. Among these groups, especially among Persians, a growing number of people are deciding to follow Jesus, often paying a high price of family rejection. Sweden has become, without planning to, a gateway for the gospel to reach peoples who would be hard to reach in their own countries.
Historically, Swedes also went out to serve in other parts of the world over the centuries, leaving behind a legacy of Bible translation and teaching that has spanned generations. Today the challenge is different: rekindling that same faith at home, among a prosperous, discreet people, weary of institutional religion but still thirsty for meaning and true community.
- Nordic peoples have inhabited the region for millennia, with polytheistic religions tied to nature and the Norse gods
- 8th-11th centuries Viking Age: Swedes sail and trade along rivers as far as the Byzantine Empire and the Middle East
- 829 The monk Ansgar arrives in Birka and founds the region's first Christian community, marking the start of Christianization
- 1000 Olof Skötkonung becomes the first Christian king of Sweden
- 1164 The archbishopric of Uppsala is established, consolidating the Church in the country
- 1397 Sweden enters the Kalmar Union, joining Denmark and Norway under a single crown
- 1523 Gustav Vasa frees the country from the Kalmar Union and becomes king, beginning the Vasa dynasty
- 1527 At the Diet of Västerås, the king breaks with the Catholic Church and nationalizes its assets, launching the Lutheran Reformation
- 1541 The Gustav Vasa Bible is completed, the first full translation of Scripture into Swedish
- 17th century Sweden becomes a major military power in northern Europe
- 1814 Beginning of more than two centuries without war, one of the longest periods of peace in the world
- 1905 Peaceful dissolution of the union with Norway
- 2000 The Church of Sweden ceases to be the official state church
- Today One of the most secularized countries in the world, but with growing immigrant churches
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Swedishofficial, spoken by nearly the entire population
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Finnishofficial minority language, spoken near the border with Finland
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Samiindigenous language of the Sami people, recognized as an official minority language
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MeänkieliFinnish dialect spoken in the Torne River valley, also officially recognized
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Arabic, Somali, Dari and other immigrant languagesspoken by growing refugee and immigrant communities
Sweden occupies most of the Scandinavian Peninsula, in northern Europe, bordering Norway to the west and Finland to the northeast. It is a long country, about 1,500 km from south to north, and about 15% of its territory lies within the Arctic Circle. Thousands of islands form archipelagos along the coast, most notably the Stockholm archipelago, while dense forests and nearly a hundred thousand lakes cover much of the country's interior.
Major cities
- StockholmCapital, built on fourteen islands; political, economic and cultural center
- GothenburgSecond largest city; the country's main seaport
- MalmöThird largest city; linked to Denmark by the Öresund Bridge
- UppsalaHistoric university city; seat of the Swedish archbishopric
- KirunaNorthernmost city, in Lapland; known for its iron mines and the northern lights
Climate and temperature
Köttbullar
Meatballs served with mashed potatoes, creamy gravy and lingonberry jam (a wild red berry similar to cranberry)
Gravlax
Raw salmon cured in salt, sugar and dill (an aromatic herb), thinly sliced and served with dark bread
Kanelbulle
Sweet spiral bun filled with cinnamon and cardamom; a symbol of fika, the Swedish coffee break
Surströmming
Fermented herring with a very strong smell, traditional in the north of the country, usually eaten outdoors
Räkmacka
Open-faced sandwich with shrimp, mayonnaise, egg and cucumber, popular in Swedish cafés
Lingonberry jam
Jam made from wild red lingonberries, a traditional accompaniment to savory dishes
Understand
Culture and spirituality
2a · The culture
Fika, the coffee break
Stopping for coffee with a pastry is an important social habit, more about connection than the drink itself
Lagom, the right balance
A cultural value meaning not too much, not too little; moderation is sought in everything, from consumption to behavior
Equality and informality
Relationships are not very hierarchical; even bosses are usually called by their first name
Reserve and personal space
Discretion is valued; physical contact and effusiveness are uncommon between strangers
Right of public access to nature
Allemansrätten (everyone's right) allows walking, camping and picking fruit on private land with respect
Punctuality
Appointments and schedules are taken seriously, even at informal social gatherings
- Speaking loudly or being effusive in public Swedes value discretion; this can be seen as impolite
- Interrupting someone while they speak Listening until the end before responding is a sign of respect in Swedish culture
- Asking about money or status The value placed on moderation makes showing off frowned upon
- Arriving late to appointments Punctuality is taken very seriously, even at informal gatherings
- Generalizing about faith or unbelief The country has both deep secularism and living faith communities; avoid assuming just one
2b · The field
Areas of spiritual battle and cultural captivity to cover in prayer. Tap each point to understand:
Most people dismiss organized religious practice, treating faith as something personal with no public relevance
The pursuit of personal autonomy weakens family and community ties
The high standard of living breeds spiritual complacency and little pursuit of God
Many call themselves Christian by tradition and baptism, without a living personal faith
The idea that every belief is equally valid makes it hard to proclaim Jesus as the only way
Growing interest in astrology, ancient Norse practices and therapies that substitute for faith
Reserve and individualism make loneliness common, even in a prosperous society
There is cultural pressure to keep Christian convictions to the private sphere
Newly arrived faith communities face suspicion, making it harder to build bridges with the local church
Historic buildings still stand, but with few attendees committed to the faith
In Sweden, religious freedom is guaranteed by law, and the vast majority of Christians live out their faith without fear of violence or imprisonment. The pressure that exists is more subtle: it comes from a secular culture that treats the Christian faith as outdated or embarrassing to mention at work, at school or on social media.
Pastors who publicly preach on more traditional moral topics have been investigated or prosecuted under hate speech laws, even when the charges don’t end in conviction. This creates a climate of caution among Christian leaders about what they can say in public.
The situation is more delicate for immigrants who convert from Islam to Christianity after arriving in the country. Many face rejection from their own family and community, and some report difficulty proving to immigration authorities that their faith is genuine, which can lead to deportation to countries where conversion is seen as betrayal.
For Sweden’s historic church, the greatest challenge is not violent persecution but irrelevance: centuries-old churches still stand in nearly every town, but few attend them, and for many, faith has become more cultural heritage than personal conviction.
The persecution score runs from 0 to 100: the higher it is, the greater the pressure on Christians.
Sweden has 74 catalogued ethnic groups, totaling just over 10.5 million people. Of that total, 24 groups (32.4% of the groups, about 578 thousand people) are still considered unreached, most of them Muslim immigrant and refugee communities, such as Somalis, Afghans and various Arab groups. The Swedish people themselves are already considered partially reached, with a church established for centuries, though today largely nominal. A sign of hope comes from the Persians: among Iranians living in the country, the proportion of Christians is noticeably higher than in their country of origin, one of the fruits of the encounter between refugees and the Christian faith on Swedish soil.
- 578K Unreached 5.5%
- 64K Minimally reached 0.6%
- 315K Superficially reached 3%
- 9.4M Partially reached 89.2%
- 186K Significantly reached 1.8%
- 24 Unreached 32.4%
- 3 Minimally reached 4.1%
- 14 Superficially reached 18.9%
- 27 Partially reached 36.5%
- 6 Significantly reached 8.1%
Source of people group data: Joshua Project (joshuaproject.net). Estimates, may vary.
Afghan
Northern Iraqi Arab
Hazara Frontier
Albanian
Yazidi
Western Punjabi Frontier
Southern Pashtun Frontier
Source: Joshua Project. Estimates, may vary.
Source: Joshua Project and Progress.Bible. Estimates, may vary.
Swedish Official
Mesopotamian Arabic
Levantine Arabic
Hazaragi
Tornedalen Finnish
North Mesopotamian Arabic
Southern Pashto
Pray
Intercede for this nation
Send and sustain
Not everyone goes, everyone takes part
Not everyone goes. Everyone takes part.
Behind every worker among these peoples stands a network of people who pray without ceasing, care for the family left behind, and faithfully sustain the work. Sending is mission too.
Start with your church: introduce this nation, adopt it in ongoing prayer, and walk alongside those God is raising up to go.
Go
Practical details for those who want to go
Local time
Cost of living
one of the most expensive countries in Europe, offset by good wages
Cost by city
Reference values (source: Numbeo). Confirm before traveling.
Practical points for those who go
- Learn a few words in Swedish: almost everyone speaks fluent English, but the effort is highly valued
- Respect fika, the Swedish coffee break: it is an important social moment, not wasted time
- Bring clothes for the extreme cold of winter, especially if traveling north
- Enjoy allemansrätten, the right of access to nature, to hike and camp with respect
- Avoid excessive effusiveness and physical contact; Swedes value personal space
- Prepare for the extreme light: days with almost no night in summer and long nights in winter