---
title: "What is on Sweden's banknotes?"
description: "The Swedish krona: who is on each denomination, what was withdrawn and why, what the notes are printed on, and whether the sizes differ."
url: https://atoneplace.net/banknote/sweden/
site: "At One Place"
---

# What is on the money in Sweden?

**The money in Sweden: Swedish krona (SEK)**

6 denominations in issue · Paper

Sweden replaced its entire note series between 2015 and 2017 and chose cultural figures over political ones throughout — a children's author, a film director, an opera singer, a film star. It did so while becoming one of the least cash-dependent societies in the world: cash fell to a very small share of transactions, and the Riksbank has since had to caution against abandoning it entirely, on the grounds that a fully digital payment system has no fallback in a crisis.

## Who and what is on each note

| Note | Who or what is on it |
| --- | --- |
| 20 kr | Astrid Lindgren, author of Pippi Longstocking |
| 50 kr | Evert Taube, songwriter |
| 100 kr | Greta Garbo |
| 200 kr | Ingmar Bergman |
| 500 kr | Birgit Nilsson, soprano |
| 1,000 kr | Dag Hammarskjöld, UN Secretary-General |

## The unusual part

A country that redesigned its banknotes beautifully at the exact moment it stopped using them.

## The practical facts

- **Currency:** Swedish krona — ISO code SEK
- **Printed on:** Paper
- **Survives a wash?:** Not reliably. Paper notes disintegrate when soaked.
- **Can a blind person tell them apart?:** Yes — the denominations differ in size, which is the simplest and most reliable tactile cue there is.
- **Highest note in issue:** 1,000 kr — Dag Hammarskjöld, UN Secretary-General

> This page describes the notes rather than showing them. Reproducing a banknote image is restricted in most jurisdictions, and the restrictions differ between them.

## Common questions

### Who is on the money in Sweden?

20 kr: Astrid Lindgren, author of Pippi Longstocking. 50 kr: Evert Taube, songwriter. 100 kr: Greta Garbo. 200 kr: Ingmar Bergman. 500 kr: Birgit Nilsson, soprano. 1,000 kr: Dag Hammarskjöld, UN Secretary-General.

### Are Sweden's banknotes polymer or paper?

Paper.

## Related pages

- [Sweden](https://atoneplace.net/country/sweden/)
- [The flag of Sweden](https://atoneplace.net/flag/sweden/)
- [The money in United States](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/united-states/)
- [The money in Eurozone](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/eurozone/)
- [The money in United Kingdom](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/united-kingdom/)
- [The money in India](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/india/)
- [The money in Japan](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/japan/)
- [The money in Zimbabwe](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/zimbabwe/)
- [The money in Australia](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/australia/)
- [The money in Canada](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/canada/)
- [The money in China](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/china/)
- [The money in Switzerland](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/switzerland/)

## Sources

- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place (/about/)