Sweden Tourism Statistics

International tourists spend over $10 billion in Sweden annually.

• Tourists spent a total of $10.02 billion in 2017. The following year, 2018, had a slight decrease in spending to $9.97 billion, and this dropped further in 2019 to $9.17 billion.
• The impact of the 2020 pandemic severely cut tourist spending to $4.35 billion.
• Nevertheless, a recovery commenced in 2021, with expenditure reaching $6.06 billion. This positive trend persisted into 2022, with expenditures recovering to $8.96 billion.
• 2024 spending reached $10.70 billion, up 8.1% on 2023 and 16.7% above the 2019 peak¹.

How much did visitors spend in Sweden in 2024?

• In 2024, tourists spent $10.7 billion while visiting Sweden. This exceeded the 2023 figure by 8.1% and 2019 figure by 16.7%.

• The pandemic led to a sharp decrease in Sweden’s tourism in 2020, with visitor numbers and spending falling to 26% and 47% of 2019’s levels, respectively, resulting in 1.96 million arrivals and $4.35 billion in expenditure.
• In 2021, a modest recovery occurred, with arrivals at 2.99 million and spending at $6.06 billion, marking increases of 53% in visitors and 39.3% in expenditure from 2020. However, these figures remained significantly below those before the pandemic.

• July was the busiest month in 2024, with approximately 1.76 million visitors, thanks to the peak summer holiday period, long daylight hours and country-wide festivals.
• August drew around 1.33 million visitors as late-summer vacations and events like Stockholm Culture Festival kept arrivals high.
• June welcomed nearly 1.04 million visitors, boosted by the traditional Midsummer celebrations and the start of Sweden’s summer travel season.
• May saw about 727,000 visitors as spring blossoms, warmer weather and public holidays encouraged early trips.
• September recorded approximately 646,000 visitors, benefitting from mild autumn weather and shoulder-season city breaks.

• The Göta Canal, Gothenburg to Stockholm: Often described as Sweden’s greatest feat of engineering, the canal offers a unique perspective on Sweden’s heartland.
• Northern Lights: Sweden’s far north is one of the top places in the world to experience the illuminating beauty of the Northern Lights.
• Gammelstad Church Town: A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this town is a living reminder of a traditional and rural Scandinavian village.
• Skansen: As the world’s oldest open-air museum, Skansen provides a glimpse into Sweden’s past with historical buildings and a zoo.
• Öland Bridge: Connecting mainland Sweden with the island of Öland, the bridge itself is a sight to behold, and the island hosts unique attractions including Iron Age burial grounds and old wooden windmills.