What is the capital of Sweden?
Stockholm is built across fourteen islands where Lake Mälaren flows into the Baltic Sea, linked by many bridges at the edge of a vast archipelago.
Stockholm is the capital and seat of government of Sweden, a role it has held since 1634. Sweden itself has an estimated population of 10,596,620 (2025).
Stockholm is also the largest city in Sweden, which is the usual arrangement, though it is far from universal: see the countries where capital and largest city differ.
Stockholm at a glance
| City population | 996,264 (2025) |
|---|---|
| Metropolitan area | 2,480,063 (2025) |
| Country | 🇸🇪 Sweden |
| Founded | 1252 |
| Capital since | 1634 |
| Largest city in Sweden | Stockholm |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| Currency | Swedish krona (SEK) |
About Stockholm
Stockholm was founded around 1252, traditionally by the statesman Birger Jarl.
Stockholm has been the capital of Sweden since 1634, Stockholm had been Sweden's de facto centre since the 15th century and became the official capital in 1634.
Stockholm is Sweden's largest city and the largest urban area in the Nordic countries.
Its setting across islands and water has earned it the nickname the 'Venice of the North'.
City facts sourced from Wikipedia: Stockholm.
Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of Sweden?
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Capitals of neighbouring countries
See the full profile of Sweden on its country page, or browse every capital city.
Capital and country data from open datasets; city and metropolitan populations are hand-curated per city and cited where they are shown. Populations of countries come from the World Bank (SP.POP.TOTL). Full sources and vintage on the data page. Last updated . Report a correction.