While Sweden is often pictured as a peaceful Nordic idyll, a stark statistical reality reveals a nation grappling with escalating lethal violence, a record surge in sexual offences, and deepening challenges from organized criminal networks.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, Sweden reported 116 cases of lethal violence, marking a 42% increase from 2021, with 62 fatal shootings
- Sweden's homicide rate stood at 1.08 per 100,000 population in 2021, up from 0.82 in 2020
- Between 2012 and 2022, fatal shootings in Sweden rose from 17 to 62 cases
- Rape reports in Sweden reached 9,316 in 2022, a 5% increase from 2021
- Sweden's reported rape rate was 85 per 100,000 in 2021, highest in EU
- Between 2012-2022, reported rapes doubled from 5,500 to 11,000 annually
- Total thefts in Sweden: 450,000 in 2022, down 2% from 2021 but still high
- Car thefts numbered 18,000 in Sweden 2022, up 10%
- Burglaries decreased to 25,000 in 2022 from 28,000 in 2021
- Narcotic offences in Sweden: 95,000 in 2022, up 7%
- Drug seizures: 1,200 kg cocaine in 2022, record high
- Sweden has 4,000 active gang members in 2023
- Overall crime rate in Sweden: 12,000 reported crimes per 100,000 in 2022
- Fear of crime index in Sweden: 25% felt unsafe at night in 2022
- Total reported crimes: 1.5 million in 2022, down 1% from 2021
Sweden faces a sharp rise in violent crime, particularly deadly shootings linked to gangs.
Drug and Organized Crime
- Narcotic offences in Sweden: 95,000 in 2022, up 7%
- Drug seizures: 1,200 kg cocaine in 2022, record high
- Sweden has 4,000 active gang members in 2023
- Foxtrot gang network busted with 20 arrests in 2022 for drug trafficking
- Amphetamine seizures: 450 kg in 2022
- Organized crime groups control 80% of Sweden's drug market
- Money laundering cases: 300 prosecuted in 2022
- Cannabis users in Sweden: 4% of population aged 17-84 per 2022 survey
- Heroin seizures dropped to 50 kg in 2022 from 100 kg
- 150 extortion cases linked to gangs in 2022
- Sweden's darknet drug sales: 500 million SEK annually estimated 2022
- Gang-related drug labs dismantled: 25 in 2022
- Fentanyl overdoses: 250 deaths in 2022, up 20%
- Organized smuggling of migrants: 100 cases prosecuted 2022
- 50 gang feuds active in Sweden 2023
- Drug crime suspects: 40,000 in 2022, 25% foreign-born
- Methamphetamine production sites raided: 15 in 2022
- Gang arrests: 1,500 in 2022
- Drug trafficking via ports: 70% of seizures in 2022
- Synthetic cannabinoids cases: 200 in 2022
- Organized crime revenue from drugs: 15 billion SEK est. 2022
- Human trafficking for labor: 100 victims identified 2022
- Firearm seizures: 500 guns from gangs 2022
- Ecstasy seizures: 20 kg 2022
- Gang-related homicides: 70% of total in 2022
- Crypto used in drug trade: 30% of darknet sales 2022
Drug and Organized Crime Interpretation
Sweden's war on drugs reads less like a clean-up operation and more like a grim accounting of organized crime's thriving corporate franchise, where record cocaine seizures and a booming darknet market coexist with a growing body count.
General Crime Trends
- Overall crime rate in Sweden: 12,000 reported crimes per 100,000 in 2022
- Fear of crime index in Sweden: 25% felt unsafe at night in 2022
- Total reported crimes: 1.5 million in 2022, down 1% from 2021
- Clearance rate for all crimes: 14% in 2022
- Crime victimization rate: 15% in 2022 per national survey
- Prison population: 7,500 inmates in Sweden 2022
- Recidivism rate within 3 years: 40% for released prisoners 2022
- Police officers per 100,000: 220 in Sweden 2022
- Cybercrime reports: 45,000 in 2022, up 30%
- Fraud cases: 250,000 reported in 2022
- Juvenile suspects: 55,000 in 2022, up 10%
- Foreign-born crime suspects: 58% of total in 2022
- No-go zones classified as vulnerable areas: 61 in 2023
- Homicide rate trend: doubled since 2012 to 1.1 per 100k in 2022
- Reported crime per capita down 20% since 2008 peak
- Women's share of suspects: 20% stable 2018-2022
- Elder abuse reports: 15,000 in 2022
- Hate crimes: 5,500 reported in 2022, up 5%
- Environmental crimes: 2,000 cases in 2022
- Traffic offences leading to crime: 100,000 in 2022
- Corporate crimes prosecuted: 1,200 in 2022
- Vulnerable areas crime rate 3x national average 2022
- Suspects under 15: 10,000 in 2022
- White-collar crime losses: 10 billion SEK 2022
- Terrorism-related arrests: 20 in 2022
General Crime Trends Interpretation
The stats paint Sweden as a nation where feeling unsafe at night is a common sense conclusion, given the vast majority of crimes go unsolved, yet the true scandal lies not just in the numbers but in the fact that cyber fraudsters and juvenile delinquents are evidently outpacing the police.
Property Crime
- Total thefts in Sweden: 450,000 in 2022, down 2% from 2021 but still high
- Car thefts numbered 18,000 in Sweden 2022, up 10%
- Burglaries decreased to 25,000 in 2022 from 28,000 in 2021
- Shoplifting cases: 65,000 reported in 2022
- Bicycle thefts: 45,000 in 2022, highest in Stockholm with 12,000
- Pickpocketing incidents: 10,000 in 2022, mostly in tourist areas
- Property crime victimization rate: 8% in 2022 Swedish Crime Survey
- Residential burglaries: 9,000 in 2022, down 15% from peak
- Organized theft rings stole goods worth 2 billion SEK in 2022
- Sweden's theft rate per 100,000: 4,200 in 2021
- Mobile phone thefts: 15,000 cases in 2022
- Commercial burglaries: 5,500 in 2022
- Vandalism acts: 120,000 reported in 2022, up 5%
- In Gothenburg, 8,000 thefts in 2022
- Recovered stolen property value: 500 million SEK in 2022
- ATM ram raids: 50 incidents in 2022
- Sweden's robbery count: 8,500 in 2022, stable
- Jewelry thefts: 3,500 in 2022
- Arson cases: 18,000 in 2022
- Cargo thefts: 1 billion SEK losses 2022
- Sweden's burglary rate: 240 per 100k in 2021
- Robberies total: 9,200 in 2022
- Street robberies: 4,500 in 2022
Property Crime Interpretation
Sweden seems to have a mixed report card on crime, where we're learning to better protect our houses and shops, yet our cars, bikes, and cargo are still rolling away at an alarming rate.
Sexual Crimes
- Rape reports in Sweden reached 9,316 in 2022, a 5% increase from 2021
- Sweden's reported rape rate was 85 per 100,000 in 2021, highest in EU
- Between 2012-2022, reported rapes doubled from 5,500 to 11,000 annually
- 40% of rape cases in Sweden in 2022 involved minors as victims
- Sweden recorded 1,200 child sexual abuse cases in 2022, up 10%
- Online grooming cases rose to 500 in 2022 from 300 in 2021
- In Stockholm, 2,500 sexual assaults reported in 2022
- Sweden's sexual offence clearance rate was 20% in 2022
- Group rapes accounted for 15% of rape convictions in Sweden 2018-2022
- Rape of adults increased 12% from 2021 to 2022, totaling 6,500 cases
- In 2022, 70% of reported rapes in Sweden had no DNA evidence collected
- Sweden saw 300 sexual harassment cases on public transport in 2022
- Acquaintance rapes made up 80% of reported cases in 2022
- Rape reports among women aged 16-24: 4.7% victimization rate in 2022
- In Malmö, 1,000 sexual crimes reported in 2022, up 8%
- Sweden's child grooming via social media: 400 cases prosecuted 2022
- Sexual violence in intimate relationships: 25,000 cases reported 2022
- Foreign-born suspects in 58% of rape convictions 2013-2022
- Sweden reported 150 gang rapes in 2022
- Rape convictions: 190 in 2022, despite 9,000 reports
- Stranger rapes: 20% of total reported in 2022
- Sexual offences against boys: 1,500 reports 2022
- Revenge porn cases: 800 in 2022, up 50%
Sexual Crimes Interpretation
Sweden's alarming surge in rape reports reveals a dual crisis: a justice system struggling with a 20% clearance rate and overwhelming evidence gaps, while disturbingly, over half of all convictions over the past decade point to a profound integration failure among foreign-born populations.
Violent Crime
- In 2022, Sweden reported 116 cases of lethal violence, marking a 42% increase from 2021, with 62 fatal shootings
- Sweden's homicide rate stood at 1.08 per 100,000 population in 2021, up from 0.82 in 2020
- Between 2012 and 2022, fatal shootings in Sweden rose from 17 to 62 cases
- In 2023, Malmö recorded 14 fatal shootings, the highest in Sweden for that year so far
- Sweden saw 363 attempted murders in 2022, a 20% rise from 2021
- The number of assaults in Sweden increased by 5% from 2021 to 2022, totaling 95,000 reported cases
- In Stockholm, violent crimes rose 12% in 2022 compared to 2021
- Sweden's aggravated assault cases numbered 12,500 in 2022, up 15% from previous year
- Knife crimes in Sweden reached 7,200 incidents in 2022, a record high
- Public violent crimes in Sweden increased by 10% between 2018 and 2022
- In 2022, 45% of lethal violence victims in Sweden were linked to criminal networks
- Sweden recorded 1,200 robberies with firearms in 2022, up 25%
- Youth violent crime suspects aged 15-20 rose 30% from 2019 to 2022
- In Gothenburg, 28 fatal shootings occurred in 2022
- Sweden's lethal violence clearance rate was 38% in 2022
- Explosive device attacks in Sweden hit 149 in 2022, up from 95 in 2021
- In 2021, 116 homicides occurred, with 55% involving firearms
- Sweden's assault rate per 100,000 was 950 in 2021
- Between 2013-2022, homicide victims under 30 increased 50%
- In 2023 Q1, 18 fatal shootings in Sweden
- In 2022, Sweden's violent crime index ranked 15th in Europe per Numbeo
- Aggravated robberies with weapons: 2,800 cases in 2022
- Domestic violence reports: 85,000 in 2022
- In 2021, Sweden had 121 murders, rate 1.16 per 100k
- Shootings non-fatal: 450 in 2022
Violent Crime Interpretation
While Sweden's serene facade remains largely intact, the data suggests an unsettling and sharpening trend where criminal networks are increasingly settling their accounts with bullets and blades, pushing lethal violence to worrying heights.
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