Sweden crime rate per 100K population for 2021 was 1.08, a 9.72% decline from 2020.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>Sweden crime rate per 100K population for 2020 was <strong>1.20</strong>, a <strong>10.63% increase</strong> from 2019.</li>
<li>Sweden crime rate per 100K population for 2019 was <strong>1.08</strong>, a <strong>1.71% increase</strong> from 2018.</li>
<li>Sweden crime rate per 100K population for 2018 was <strong>1.06</strong>, a <strong>5.4% decline</strong> from 2017.</li>
</ul>Intentional homicides are estimates of unlawful homicides purposely inflicted as a result of domestic disputes, interpersonal violence, violent conflicts over land resources, intergang violence over turf or control, and predatory violence and killing by armed groups. Intentional homicide does not include all intentional killing; the difference is usually in the organization of the killing. Individuals or small groups usually commit homicide, whereas killing in armed conflict is usually committed by fairly cohesive groups of up to several hundred members and is thus usually excluded.

The crime rate in Sweden was around 15,000 per 100,000 inhabitants from 2010 to 2020. However it fell in both 2021 and 2022. The total number of crimes also decreased in 2021.

Increased use of firearms

While Sweden usually is perceived as a peaceful country to live in, it has received unwanted attention in recent years for increasing gang violence and incidents involving the use of firearms. In 2022, the country recorded its highest number of shootings and its highest number of fatal-shootings.

The perpetrators

A high majority of the crime suspects in Sweden are men. In 2021, more than three in four crime suspects were men. In terms of age, 30-49-year-olds made up the highest share of suspects.

In 2022, there was a reduction in theft crimes by 11 percent compared to 10 years ago. On the other hand, the number of property damage cases increased by five percent and fraud crimes by three percent. In 2022, around 1.5 million crimes were committed in Sweden.

Types of crime

The most common crime in Sweden in 2022 was theft crime, which accounted for 27 percent of all crimes. Crimes against people was the second largest type of crime, which accounted for 20 percent of all crimes. On the other hand, traffic crimes made up only five percent of the crimes committed in Sweden that year.

 Theft crimes

While theft crimes made up the largest share of reported crimes, only one percent reported to have been victims of thefts in Sweden. On the other hand, eight percent reported to have been threatened at some point.

The number of homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in Sweden fluctuated over the past 20 years, but was usually around one. It was at its lowest in 2012, when 0.71 homicides per 100,000 inhabitant were registered, and at its highest in 2007 and 2020, reaching 1.2. In 2023, the homicide rate stood at 1.15. That year, 124 homicides were reported in Sweden.

The number of reported violent crimes in Sweden increased from 2014 to 2021, before falling slightly in 2022 and 2023. Overall, 1.45 million crimes were reported in Sweden in 2023.

Context

Swedish crime statistics from 1950 to 2015

Content

This data set contains statistics on reported crimes in Sweden (by 100.000) from 1950 to 2015. It contains the following columns:

1. crimes.total: total number of reported crimes
2. crimes.penal.code: total number of reported crimes against the criminal code
3. crimes.person: total number of reported crimes against a person
4. murder: total number of reported murder
5. sexual.offences: total number of reported sexual offences
6. rape: total number of reported rapes
7. assault: total number of reported aggravated assaults
8. stealing.general: total number of reported crimes involving stealing or robbery
9. robbery: total number of reported armed robberies
10. burglary: total number of reported armed burglaries
11. vehicle.theft: total number of reported vehicle thefts
12. house.theft: total number of reported theft inside a house
13. shop.theft: total number of reported theft inside a shop
14. out.of.vehicle.theft: total number of reported theft from a vehicle
15. criminal.damage: total number of reported criminal damages
16. other.penal.crimes: number of other penal crime offenses
17. fraud: total number of reported frauds
18. narcotics: total number of reported narcotics abuses
19. drunk.driving: total number of reported drunk driving incidents
20. Year: the year
21. population: the total estimated population of Sweden at the time

Acknowledgements

Raw data taken from: https://www.bra.se/bra/bra-in-english/home/crime-and-statistics/crime-statistics.html

Sweden - Population reporting occurrence of crime, violence or vandalism in their area was 9.40% in December of 2023, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Sweden - Population reporting occurrence of crime, violence or vandalism in their area - last updated from the EUROSTAT on June of 2025. Historically, Sweden - Population reporting occurrence of crime, violence or vandalism in their area reached a record high of 14.40% in December of 2018 and a record low of 9.40% in December of 2023.

In 2023, there were almost 53,000 men suspected of crimes against another person. Comparably, around 14,000 women were suspected of the same crime. Moreover, around 9,000 women were suspected of narcotics offenses, compared to nearly 47,000 men.

Historical chart and dataset showing Sweden murder/homicide rate per 100K population by year from 1990 to 2021.

The Study’s Subject: The German Statistical Office of the German Empire compiled a comparative representation of different countrie’s crime statistics. In this context the statistical office was faced with the problem of diverging methodologies and classifications of the countrie’s crime statistics data collections. After World War 1 the “International Statistic Institute (ISI)” and the “International Penal Law and Prison Commission” (IPPC) ) resumed their research activities in the fields of criminal statistics in international comparison. In this context the Statistical Office of the German Empire carried out an investigation of 33 european and non-european countries with the aim to work out a comparative compilation of various criminalstatistical classifications. Is was established that at the time of preparation a comparison of different classifications a comparable international data compilation could not be gathered due to significant differences between the classifications. Finally from the 33 countries it could be compiled time series on criminal statisics only for a small selection of countries. The reason for this situation was the lack of data material for many countries. Therefore, the development of crime could be presented in form of time series for the following countries: - Austria- England and Wales- France- German Empire- Sweden- Canada- Japan In terms of the crime statistical objective data on lawsuit processes (for example the number of criminal proceedings) has not been incorporated. Furthermore, no data on the military criminal justice are included in the data compilation. The following information, which was available in the statistics, has been taken from the statistics for the data compilation: Information on the persons, who has been accused or convicted: Number of persons totally, by gender, teenagers or adults.Information on the offences the persons were accused for: accused or convicted by groups of offences or single selected offences.The sentences imposed as results of lawsuit processes are not included in this data compilation. Data tables in HISTAT (Thema: Kriminaltiät): A. Österreich (Austria) A.1 Rechtskräftig Verurteilte nach Geschlecht (Legally convicted by sex)A.2 Rechtskräftig Verurteilte wegen Verbrechen nach ausgewählten Deliktarten (Legally convicted of crimes by selected types of offences)A.3 Rechtskräftig Verurteilte wegen Verbrechen und Übertretungen zusammen nach ausgewählten Deliktarten (Legally convicted of crimes and violations by selected types of offences)A.4 Verurteilte auf 100.000 Strafmündige nach ausgewählten Deliktarten (Kriminalitätsziffern) (Convicted per 100.000 of population of the age of criminal responsibility by selected offences (crime rate)) B. England und Wales (England and Wales)B.1 Angeklagte wegen schwerer Vergehen vor Schwurgerichten und Vierteljahressitzungen nach Deliktarten (Accuesed of heavy offences at the jury court (Assizes) and at the „Quarter Sessions“ by types of offences)B.2 Angeklagte wegen schwerer und leichter Vergehen vor allen Gerichten insgesamt und vor den Gerichten für summarische Rechtsprechung (Accused of heavy offences and of petty offences at all types of courts and at courts of summary jurisdiction)B.3 Angeklagte und Verurteilte nach Geschlecht C. Frankreich (France) C.1 Verhandlungen vor Schwurgerichten (Hearings at the jury courts)C.1.1 Angeklagte vor Schwurgerichte nach Geschlecht (Accused at jury courts by gender)C.1.2 Anzahl der Verurteilten durch Schwurgerichte (Number of convicted by the jury court)C.1.3 Erhobene Anklagen nach Deliktart vor Schwurgerichten (Prosecutions by types of offences at the jury court) C.2 Verhandlungen vor Strafgerichten (Hearings at the tribunal court)C.2.1 Angeklagte vor und Verurteilte der Strafgerichte insgesamt (Accused and convicted of tribunal courts, totaly)C.2.2 Anklagen vor Strafgerichte nach Deliktarten (Prosecutions at the tribunal court by types of offences) D. Deutsches Reich (German Empire) D.1 Abgeurteilte Personen und verurteilte Personen nach Geschlecht, Jugendliche und Vorbestrafte (1882-1927) (Persons judged and convicted persons by sex)D.2 Verurteilte Personen nach Deliktgruppen (1882-1927) (Convicted Persons by types of offences)D.3 Kriminalitätsziffern der verurteilten Personen - auf 100.000 der strafm. Bevölkerung (1882-1927) (Crime rate of convicted Persons – per 100.000 of population of the age of criminal responsibility)D.4 Kriminalitätsziffern der verurteilten Personen nach Deliktgruppe - auf 100.000 der strafm. Bevölkerung (1882-1927) (Crime Rate of convicted Persons by type of offence – per 100.000 of population of the age of criminal responsibility)D.5 Die Strafmündige Bevölkerung des Deutschen Reiches (1882-1928) (Population of the German Empire of the a...

The research project is a subproject of the research association “Strengthening of integration potentials within a modern society” (Scientific head: Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Heitmeyer, Bielefeld) which contains 17 subprojects and is supported by the ministry of education and research.
In almost all the economically highly developed countries violent crime increased significantly in the second part of the last century - in contrast to the long term trend of decline of individual (non-governmental) violence since the beginning of modern times. The authors develop an explanatory approach for these facts which is inspired mainly by Norbert Elias´s civilization theory and Emil Durkheim´s theory on society. Detailed time series on the development of different forms of violent crime are presented and set in relation with certain aspects of economic and social structural changes in three countries and also refer to the changes in integration of modern societies. The analysis deals especially with effectivity and legitimacy of the governmental monopoly of violence, the public beneficial security and power system, forms of building social capital, economic and social inequality, precarity of employment, different aspects of increasing economization of society, changes in family structures and usage of mass media and modern communication technologies.

Register of tables in HISTAT:

A: Crime statistics

A.01 Frequency of types of crimes in different countries (1953-2000) A.02 Suspects by crimes of 100.000 inhabitants of Germany, England and Sweden (1955-1998) A.03 Murders, manslaughter and intentional injuries by other persons by sex of 100.000 persons after the statistics of causes of death (1953-2000) A.04 Clearance rate by types of crimes in Germany, England and Sweden (1953-1997) A.05 Prisoners of 100.000 inhabitants of Germany, Great Britain and Sweden (1950-2000)

B: Key indicators for economic development in Germany, Great Britain, Sweden and the USA

B1: Data on the overall economic framework

B1.01 Percent changes in the real GDP per capita in purchasing power parities (1956-1987) B1.02 Percent changes in GDP per capita in prices from 2000 (1955-1998) B1.03 GDP of Germany, Sweden and the United Kingdom in purchasing power parities in percent og the US GDP (1950-1992) B1.04 Labor productivity index for different countries, base: USA 1996 = 100 (1950-1999) B1.05 GDP per hour of labor in different countries in EKS-$ from 1999 (1950-2003) B1.06 Foreign trade - exports and imports in percent of the GDP of different countries (1949-2003) B1.07 GDP, wages and Unit-Labor-Cost in different countries (1960-2003)

B2: Unemployment

B2.01 Standardized unemployment rate in different countries with regard to the entire working population (1960-2003) B2.02 Share of long-term unemployed of the total number of unemployed in different countries in percent (1992-2004) B2.03 Youth unemployment in different countries in percent (1970-2004) B2.04 Unemployment rate in percent by sex in different countries (1963-2000)

B3: Employment

B3.01 Employment rate in percent in different countries (1960-2000) B3.02 Share of fixed-term employees and persons in dependent employment in percent in different countries (1983-2004) B3.03 Share of part-time employees by sex compared to the entire working population in different countries (1973-2000) B3.04 Share of un-voluntarily part-time employees by sex in different countries (1983-2003) B3.05 Share of contract workers in different countries in percent of the entire working population (1975-2002) B3.06 Share of self-employed persons in different countries in percent of the entire working population (1970-2004) B3.07 Shift worker rate in different countries in percent (1992-2005) B3.08 Yearly working hours per employee in different countries (1950-2004) B3.09 Employment by sectors in different countries (1950-2003) B3.10 Share of employees in public civil services in percent of the population between 15 and 64 years in different countries (1960-1999) B3.11 Female population, female employees and female workers in percent of the population between 16 and 64 years in different countries (1960-2000) B3.12 Employees, self-employed persons in percent of the entire working population in different countries (1960-2000)

B4: Taxes and duties

B4.01 Taxes and social security contributions in percent of the GDP (1965-2002) B4.02 Social expenditure in percent of the GDP (1965-2002) B4.03 Social expenditure in perc...

In 2022, robberies and thefts was the type of crime reported most often in Sweden. That year, there were registered over 390,000 cases of robberies and theft. Graffiti and vandalism was the second most reported type of crime in Sweden, followed by fraud and counterfeiting. That year, there were registered 395 homicides or violence causing death in Sweden.

Since 2014, Sweden has the highest rate of reported serious assaults of the Nordic countries. In 2022, 44.4 serious assaults per 100,000 citizens were reported in the country, compared to 38.8 in Iceland in second. Sweden has experienced increasing problems with gang violence in recent years.

More than half of students admit to committing crime during the past 12 months. Each documented year, almost 40 percent state that they have participated in theft.

The crime rate in Stockholm fluctuated somewhat between 2000 and 2022. It stood at 20,000 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2000 compared to 19,600 in 2022. It was at its highest in 2016, when it reached 24,000 per 100,000 inhabitants. This was also the year that the total number of reported crimes was it at highest during the period.

More men than women are victims of homicide in Sweden. The number of men who were killed in violent crimes increased from 2012 to 2015, but has remained more stable since. Meanwhile, the number of female homicide victims was usually between 25 and 30 during the past decade. In 2022, 93 men and 23 women were confirmed as homicide victims in Sweden. Compared to other European countries, Sweden's homicide rate was around the average.

After having decreased from 2012 to 2016, the number of crime suspects in Sweden increased again on an annual basis until 2020, before falling slightly again the following years. Moreover, a significant majority of the suspects are men. In 2022, over 146,000 of the 189,185 crime suspects in Sweden were men.

For the first time, more than half of Swedes worried about crime in the country to a large extent in 2023. The share increased gradually from 2014. Sweden has experienced increasing levels of gang-related violence recently, including bombings.

In 2022, more than half of the identified hate crimes were motivated by xenophobia and racism, 17 percent of these were Afrophobic. Out of the hate crimes, 16 percent were directed towards different religious groups, with Islamophobia representing eight percent of these incidents. Hate crimes against LGBTQIA+ individuals accounted for 12 percent of the reported incidents.

In Europe, the Baltic countries of Latvia and Lithuania had the highest and third highest homicide rates respectively in 2022. Latvia had the highest rate at over four per 100,000 inhabitants. Meanwhile, the lowest homicide rate was found in Liechtenstein, with zero murders The most dangerous country worldwide Saint Kitts and Nevis is the world's most dangerous country to live in in terms of murder rate. The Caribbean country had a homicide rate of 65 per 100,000 inhabitants. Nine of the 10 countries with the highest murder rates worldwide are located in Latin America and the Caribbean. Whereas Celaya in Mexico was listed as the city with the highest murder rate worldwide, Colima in Mexico was the city with the highest homicide rate in Latin America, so the numbers vary from source to source. Nevertheless, several Mexican cities rank among the deadliest in the world when it comes to intentional homicides. Violent conflicts worldwide Notably, these figures do not include deaths that resulted from war or a violent conflict. While there is a persistent number of conflicts worldwide, resulting casualties are not considered murders. Partially due to this reason, homicide rates in Latin America are higher than those in countries such as Ukraine or the DR Congo. A different definition of murder in these circumstances could change the rate significantly.