Sweden | World Heritage Explorer

Sweden has been a State Party to the World Heritage Convention since 1985. With 15 inscribed properties, the country maintains a well-established presence on the World Heritage List. The majority of its sites are cultural properties, reflecting a strong emphasis on historical and architectural heritage. Some of these properties are shared with neighboring countries, demonstrating cooperation across borders in heritage conservation.

Sweden as a State Party to the World Heritage Convention

State Party since: January 22, 1985

Status: Ratification

Mandates to the World Heritage Committee: 2007-2011

Total of Mandate Years: 4

Total of Mandates: 1

WHC Electoral Group: I (Western Europe/North America)

World Heritage Sites in Sweden (15)

Cultural: 13 | Natural: 1 | Mixed: 1

Agricultural Landscape of Southern Öland · Cultural
Birka and Hovgården · Cultural
Church Town of Gammelstad, Luleå · Cultural
Decorated Farmhouses of Hälsingland · Cultural
Engelsberg Ironworks · Cultural
Grimeton Radio Station, Varberg · Cultural
Hanseatic Town of Visby · Cultural
High Coast / Kvarken Archipelago · Natural (Transboundary)
Laponian Area · Mixed
Mining Area of the Great Copper Mountain in Falun · Cultural
Naval Port of Karlskrona · Cultural
Rock Carvings in Tanum · Cultural
Royal Domain of Drottningholm · Cultural
Skogskyrkogården · Cultural
Struve Geodetic Arc · Cultural (Transboundary)

Map of World Heritage Sites

This interactive map shows the location of all UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Sweden.

Tentative World Heritage Sites (1)

The Rise of Systematic Biology · submitted: December 2, 2009

Source: UNESCO Tentative Lists

Country Profile Sweden

Official Name: Kingdom of Sweden

Continent: Europe

Subregion: Northern Europe

UNESCO Region: Europe and North America

Capital: Stockholm

Population (2024): 10,569,709

Land Area: 407,280 km²

Currency: Swedish krona (SEK)

Country Data Sources

Links

UNESCO World Heritage Convention: State Party Sweden

About States Parties

States Parties are countries that have joined the World Heritage Convention. They commit to identifying, nominating, and protecting properties of outstanding cultural or natural value on their territory. States Parties are also expected to monitor and report on the condition of inscribed sites.

World Heritage Insights

How Politics and Institutions Shape the UNESCO World Heritage List

The UNESCO World Heritage List is usually seen as a catalogue of the world’s most important cultural and natural places. Yet behind every inscription there is a structured decision process: countries must first join the Convention, run for a seat on the World Heritage Committee, prepare nominations through a fixed procedure, and finally obtain enough votes for inscription.

World Heritage Info

Background

Learn about UNESCO, the World Heritage Convention, Tentative Lists, and how World Heritage Sites are selected and preserved. Explore the history, structures, and processes that protect humanity’s cultural and natural treasures.

Portions of this page are based on data from UNESCO — World Heritage List Dataset. Changes made. Original content by World Heritage Explorer (WHE) is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. WHE is not affiliated with UNESCO or the World Heritage Commission. Legal Notice. Privacy Policy.