Europe · Nordic cross
How to draw the flag of Sweden
The flag of Sweden is an off-centre cross with the upright shifted toward the hoist in blue and yellow. It flies at a ratio of 5:8.
Step by step
- Start with the right shape. Sweden flies at 5:8 — for every 8 units of width the flag is 5 tall. Sketch that rectangle first; a flag drawn too square is the fastest way to lose layout points.
- Block in the background. Fill the whole flag with blue first, then build the rest on top of it. Working from the largest area to the smallest keeps the proportions honest.
- Add the yellow. An off-centre cross with the upright shifted toward the hoist. Place these shapes by eye against the edges of the flag, not against each other.
- Finish with the off-centre cross. Detail is the last ten percent of the score, so leave it until the colour blocks are down. Size and position count for more than drawing every line of it.
Sweden flag colours
The colour codes below are the ones to reach for if you are recreating the flag digitally.
| Colour | Hex | RGB |
|---|---|---|
| Blue | #006AA7 | rgb(0, 106, 167) |
| Yellow | #FECC00 | rgb(254, 204, 0) |
What the flag means
A gold Nordic cross on blue, the colours of the national coat of arms.
Common mistakes
- Centring the cross. In every Nordic flag the upright is shifted toward the hoist.
- Watch out for Finland and Ukraine — they are close enough to Sweden that people draw the wrong one from memory.
- The proportions are unusual: 5:8 is slightly squarer than the usual 2:3 rectangle.
A trick for remembering it
Nordic rule: the vertical bar sits left of centre, so the two hoist-side panels are square-ish and the fly panels are long.
Flags that look like this one
Side-by-side breakdowns of the pairs people mix up:
Questions about the Sweden flag
What colours are on the flag of Sweden?
Sweden uses 2 colours: blue (#006AA7), yellow (#FECC00).
What are the proportions of the Sweden flag?
It flies at 5:8 (height to width). Drawing it at the wrong shape is one of the quickest ways to lose layout marks in the game.
What does the Sweden flag mean?
A gold Nordic cross on blue, the colours of the national coat of arms.
Which flags look like the Sweden flag?
Finland, Ukraine. The proportions are unusual: 5:8 is slightly squarer than the usual 2:3 rectangle.
How hard is the Sweden flag to draw from memory?
PlayVexle rates it 2 out of 5. Flat colour blocks and no fine detail, so most players score in the eighties or nineties.
