Sweden

Sweden regularly reports hate crime data to ODIHR. Sweden's criminal law contains a general penalty enhancement provision. Sweden includes defamation, hate speech and discrimination crimes in its data. Hate crime data are collected by the National Council for Crime Prevention and are based on information from the police and the prosecution authority. Since 2012, the number of hate crime cases is estimated based on a statistical sample of police reports. Since 2016, hate crime reports are published only every second year. Three different victimization surveys, used to measure unreported hate crime, are conducted regularly at one, two and three-year intervals, respectively.

SELECT YEAR

OFFICIAL DATA

Year	Hate crimes recorded by police	Prosecuted	Sentenced
2020	3150	334	Not available
2019	Not available	Not available	Not available
2018	5858	218	-
2017	Not available	Not available	Not available
2016	4862	257	Not available
2015	4859	255	Not available
2014	4258	279	Not available
2013	3943	161	Not available
2012	5518	344	Not available
2011	5493	347	Not available
2010	5139	440	Not available
2009	5797	450	Not available

About 2011 Data

Police figures include incidents related to defamation, hate speech and unlawful discrimination.

By bias motivation
By type of crime

Download official data

National developments

The Police Authority of Skane County continued to develop and implement the training of specialized police officers in each district on registering and recording hate crimes. The Crime Victim Compensation and Support Authority funded several projects on hate crimes, aimed to increase knowledge of victims. The Authority funded a research project in 2011 to explore the causes and consequences of hate crime, and to examine possible means of prevention, with a focus on identifying strategies to improve the situation for victims. Other awareness-raising and capacity-building initiatives targeting specific groups are included in this report under the relevant sections.

There were several projects to address LGBT hate crime. The Police Authority of Vasta Götaland County participated in the local LGBTQ festival with a mobile police office and conducted seminars about the importance of reporting hate crimes to police. The Crime Victim Compensation and Support Authority similarly organized a seminar on hate crime at Stockholm Pride 2011. The Crime Victim Support Unit also continued to work on outreach to support LGBT victims of hate crime, including launching a website specifically targeting young LGBT people who have been the target of hate crime (aldrigokej.se).

The Swedish Committee Against Anti-Semitism (SCAA), has several ongoing projects in the educational field to address of anti-Semitic hate crime, including two different educational programmes targeting students in secondary schools. The first programme focuses on the life story of a person who survived Auschwitz-Birkenau and includes exercises to encourage students to reflect upon modern-day Sweden and a “hate crime quiz”. The second programme uses interactive materials addressing anti-Semitism and other modern forms of intolerance, including anti-Muslim bias and racism against different types of ethnic groups. The latter programme was developed and published by SCAA and the Living History Forum, together with the Anne Frank House and ODIHR. A third educational programme is aimed primarily at teachers and day-care providers and explores anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim bias in the educational setting, including how to respond and counter prejudices, while also discussing issues around hate crime.

Incidents reported by civil society, international organizations and the Holy See

Reports

Anti-Semitic hate crime

The Kantor Center reported one case of threats in Malmö and several cases of vandalism against Jewish cemeteries and against a memorial to Raoul Wallenberg, who saved Jews during the Holocaust.

Anti-LGBTI hate crime

ILGA-Europe reported two cases of threats, including one involving a group and one against a lesbian couple; and one physical assault against a transgender person involving a knife.

Developments

Anti-Muslim hate crime

The Swedish Committee Against Anti-Semitism (SCAA) engaged in several ongoing projects in the educational field, including a programme aimed primarily at teachers and day-care providers. The training explores anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim bias in the educational setting, including how to respond and counter prejudices, as well as issues around hate crime.