Sweden's murder rate fell to its lowest level in more than a decade in 2025, official data showed on Tuesday, Reuters reported.
This is due to new tools and methods that have helped police curb organized crime that has gripped the country for 20 years.
The Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention said 84 people were murdered last year, down from 92 in 2024. That's significantly lower than the highest number in 2020, when 124 people were killed.
„The development in the number of deadly crimes represents the second consecutive year of decline and is the lowest level since 2012,“ said the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention.
The statistics are good news for the right-wing government, which won the 2022 election partly on a promise to tackle organised crime, which has led to the highest rate of gun deaths in the European Union.
Sweden's deadliest mass shooting in February last year, which was not linked to organised crime and killed 10 people, has had a significant impact on the 2025 statistics, accounting for almost a quarter of all deaths from gun crime, the agency added.
Sweden is preparing for elections in September this year and crime is among the most important issues for voters, even though the number of shootings in Sweden has more than halved since 2022
Authorities and politicians point to new methods, additional resources and expanded powers, such as sweeping wiretapping laws, as reasons for the decline in crime. The changes include anonymity for some court witnesses, increased electronic surveillance, tougher sentences and so-called safe zones, where police can search people even if they are not suspected of a crime. Police say the measures have allowed them to seize the assets of criminal groups and become more effective at preventing shootings.
Gun crime remains the leading cause of death in such cases, claiming 42 lives in 2025, three fewer than the previous year.