Sweden
Konungariket Sverige
Europe · Northern Europe
SE · SWE
- Capital
- Stockholm
- Population
- 10,605,098
- Area
- 450,295 km²
- Democracy index
- 96
- Regime type
- Robust Democracy
Konungariket Sverige
Europe · Northern Europe
SE · SWE
Events
The latest elections, referendums, and opinion polls from Sweden. Community totals are not official results.
Classification
The score and regime label are assigned by Porto Voto using our in-house democracy index and classification framework, not ratings from governments or external agencies.
Democracy index
96/100
Regime type
Robust Democracy
Sweden remains a highly stable and mature parliamentary democracy characterized by strong institutional safeguards, a robust commitment to the rule of law, and consistently high levels of transparency. The political system functions through a multiparty model that facilitates competitive and fair elections, leading to peaceful transfers of power and effective executive accountability. The judiciary operates with complete independence, and the nation maintains exceptionally strong protections for fundamental civil liberties, including freedom of the press and active civil society participation. While the political landscape has become more polarized in recent years due to debates surrounding integration, public safety, and the role of the welfare state, these discussions occur entirely within a deeply entrenched democratic framework. Governmental and administrative processes remain highly efficient and accessible, ensuring that the state remains responsive to its citizens and continues to uphold high standards of democratic governance.
Last evaluation:
How we classify regimes →World Factbook
A concise introduction to Sweden, together with notes on how power and law are organized, to put local ballots in context.
A military power during the 17th century, Sweden maintained a policy of military non-alignment until it applied to join NATO in 2022. Sweden has not participated in any war for two centuries. Stockholm preserved an armed neutrality in both World Wars.
Since then, Sweden has pursued a successful economic formula consisting of a capitalist system intermixed with substantial welfare elements. Sweden joined the EU in 1995, but the public rejected the introduction of the euro in a 2003 referendum. The share of Sweden’s population born abroad increased from 11.3% in 2000 to 20% in 2022.