Though Sweden seems to be far ahead of the rest of Europe in terms of smartphone adoption, Swedes aren't yet sold on using their phones to make mobile payments.

A new study by data analysts at eMarketer estimated that smartphone user penetration across Europe is at about 25 percent, but added that research from SBAB Bank suggests that it's much higher in Sweden, where 67 percent of Internet users are also smartphone users.

The same SBAB study, which was conducted this fall, found that consumers in Sweden are leery about using their smartphones to make in-store payments. Only 34 percent of those surveyed wanted to be able to pay by phone at brick-and-mortar retailers. Nearly half (49 percent) weren't interested in doing so, and 17 percent were undecided.

As usual, security was the greatest concern about mobile payments for the majority (58 percent) of survey participants. Forty percent said they were worried that they would be charged additional fees for using their smartphones.

Still, indications are that the climate in Sweden is right for the growth of mobile payments. In a Google survey, 24 percent of Swedes polled said they expected to make purchases on their smartphone more often over the next 12 months.

For more stories like this, visit the trends/statistics research center.