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  • Overview
  • Hate crimes - Official data
  • ODIHR's key observations
  • Hate incidents - Unofficial data
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Sweden

Sweden regularly reports hate crime data to ODIHR. Hate crime reports are published every second year. Since 2016, the Government has implemented a national plan against racism, similar forms of hostility and hate crime. The plan takes an integrated approach and comprises strategies and measures to prevent and combat racism and hate crime through co-ordination and monitoring, education and research, and support for and co-operation with civil society. Three different victimization surveys are conducted at one, two and three-year intervals in order to measure unreported hate crime.

Hate crime data collection in Sweden
Support for hate crime victims in Sweden
Access more information at the Legislation Online website Legislationline TANDIS Access more information at the Tolerance and Non-Discrimination Information System (TANDIS) website

SELECT YEAR

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OFFICIAL DATA

Year Hate crimes recorded by police Prosecuted Sentenced
2021 Not available Not available Not available
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 2013 Data

    Figure reported to ODIHR comprised estimated 5508 police reports. This number included incidents related to defamation, hate speech, and unlawful discrimination. A number displayed represents only hate crimes according to OSCE definition. A year-to-year drop in police number displayed here is thus due to improved separation of hate crimes from other cases.

Hate crime recorded by police

  • By bias motivation
  • By type of crime
Download official data
Download official data

National developments

The Swedish Prosecution Authority commissioned the development of an improved methodology for the identification and tracking of hate crimes in the judicial and law enforcement systems. The new methodology should improve pre-trial investigations and increase prosecution rates.

In 2013, the Swedish Police issued an inspection report on the ability of police authorities to detect and investigate hate crimes, including recommendations for the future. The Police Authority of Jönköping County, together with the local municipality, organized a public panel discussion on hate crimes to raise awareness and increase reporting rates. The Police Authority of Norrbotten County has also worked to raise awareness among potential victims about hate crimes and their rights.

Approximately 20 municipalities were actively engaged in the work of a network of municipalities put together by the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions. Best practices among municipalities in combating hate crimes are shared within the network and published in a report.

The Swedish Association for Victim Support worked with more than 90 local hate crime victim-support organizations on collecting hate crime data. Data on incidents were compiled in a report that identified 279 hate-motivated incidents. The Swedish Crime Victim Compensation and Support Authority provided funding to Malmö University to conduct a comparative research study on exposure to and experience with hate crimes, which will compare the situation among students in the United Kingdom and in Sweden. The Anti-Discrimination Bureau in Uppsala continued its project "Web presence" by training 790 persons from schools and non-governmental organizations on Internet hate. The project enables online reporting of Internet hate crimes, resulting in 111 reports being received and forwarded to police in 2013.

The Swedish Crime Victim Compensation and Support Authority also supported training programmes on law enforcement and hate crimes, which aimed to enhance the capacity of the National Association of Afro-Swedes to provide support services to hate crime victims of Afro-Swedish origin.

Two-day seminars were held in Umeå, Göteborg and Malmö that aimed to raise awareness among teachers, police and civil servants about anti-Semitic hate crimes and crimes motivated by bias against Muslims. The series was organized by the Swedish Committee against anti-Semitism.

The Swedish Committee against anti-Semitism has translated and disseminated ODIHR’s "Guidelines for Educators on Countering Intolerance and Discrimination against Muslims" in schools.

The Swedish Association for Victim Support, together with the Expo Foundation and the Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights, continued to train its volunteers and staff to increase their ability to identify hate incidents and provide better support to victims of hate crimes and offences.

KEY OBSERVATION

ODIHR observes that Sweden has not reported information on sentenced hate crime cases to ODIHR.

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

Reports

Anti-LGBTI hate crime

The Swedish Federation for LGBT Rights reported 52 homophobic, biphobic (bias against bisexual people) or transphobic hate incidents, including three cases of threats, against a transgender person, a lesbian couple and a gay man, respectively.

read more ›

Anti-Semitic hate crime

World Without Nazism reported one incident of threats, in which a flag with a swastika was attached to the doors of a synagogue.

read more ›

Anti-Muslim hate crime

World Without Nazism reported one physical assault against a Muslim woman by a group, during which her headscarf was pulled off her head.

read more ›

Hate crime against Christians and members of other religions

World Without Nazism reported one arson attack on a Pentecostal church.

The Holy See reported the attempted arson of a church, motivated by anti-Christian bias. Swedish authorities reported back that the case was investigated as a suspected arson not involving a bias motive, and that the investigation was closed due to a lack of leads.

read more ›

INTERNATIONAL REPORTS

Anti-Semitic hate crime

The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) published findings from a survey on experiences and perceptions of anti-Semitism conducted in Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The survey showed that many respondents have been victims of anti-Semitic violence and harassment, and feared becoming hate crime victims in the future. The survey also mapped the extent of unreported anti-Semitic hate crime. The FRA recommended that EU Member States consider taking a number of steps to improve the reporting, recording, investigating and prosecuting of hate crimes.

Racist and xenophobic hate crime

The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) recommended that Sweden introduce a common and clear definition of hate crime that allows all reported hate crimes to be tracked through the justice system; replicate the establishment of police hate crime units and special investigators in all parts of the country; and extend to all parts of the country the hate crime training given to police, prosecutors and judges.

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HCRW announcement banner

2021 Hate Crime Data Now Available!

16 Nov 2022
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20220412_ODIHR 2021 impact_image_EN

ODIHR's impact in 2021: Marking 15 years of reporting hate crimes

12 Apr 2022
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ODIHR's impact in 2021: Lifting up indigenous voices to counter racism and promote diversity and inclusion

01 Apr 2022
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ODIHR's impact in 2021: Delivering tools to support hate crime victims

24 Mar 2022
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2021 Call for Civil Society Submissions

16 Feb 2022
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2020 Announcement Page

2020 Hate Crime Data Now Available!

15 Nov 2021
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FAQ.png

Hate Crime Data: Frequently Asked Questions

15 Nov 2021
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Steps to Meet Hate Crime Victims' Needs

ODIHR's impact in 2020: Strengthening Support for Hate Crime Victims

16 Apr 2021
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10 practical steps to respond to the security needs of Muslim communities

ODIHR's impact in 2020: A holistic and inclusive response to anti-Muslim hate crimes

15 Apr 2021
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2019 Announcement_Page_1.png

2019 Hate Crime Data Now Available!

29 Jan 2021

Contact Us

Email tndinfo@odihr.pl
Tel +48 22 520 06 00
Fax +48 22 520 06 05
OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR)
Tolerance and Non-Discrimination Department
Ul. Miodowa 10
00-251
Warsaw, Poland

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