Over the last four years the all cause mortality has been the same for Sweden and Norway [0]. So it would appear more people died in Norway before the pandemic, and more people in Sweden since, equalling out over the last four years.

So maybe it's not geography we should be talking about, but instead the number of older vulnerable people at the start of the pandemic.

[0] https://www.news-medical.net/news/20201116/Study-compares-de...