Homicides in Sweden
Sweden: Homicides was 114 deaths in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
114 deaths
Change on year
down 1.7%
World rank
48th
of 113 countries
All-time high
128 deaths
in 2020
All-time low
39 deaths
in 1961
Years of data
73
1951–2023
Homicides in Sweden, 1951–2023
Source: WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths.
Analysis
The most recent figure for homicides in Sweden is 114 deaths, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of down 1.7% on the previous year and up 42.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicides in Sweden peaked at 128 deaths in 2020 and was at its lowest, 39 deaths, in 1961.
Sweden ranks 48th of 113 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 73 years of available data.
Homicides in Sweden, year by year
| Year | deaths | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 43 deaths | — |
| 1952 | 48 deaths | +11.6% |
| 1953 | 47 deaths | -2.1% |
| 1954 | 56 deaths | +19.1% |
| 1955 | 48 deaths | -14.3% |
| 1956 | 65 deaths | +35.4% |
| 1957 | 54 deaths | -16.9% |
| 1958 | 51 deaths | -5.6% |
| 1959 | 52 deaths | +2.0% |
| 1960 | 45 deaths | -13.5% |
| 1961 | 39 deaths | -13.3% |
| 1962 | 39 deaths | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 63 deaths | +61.5% |
| 1964 | 62 deaths | -1.6% |
| 1965 | 56 deaths | -9.7% |
| 1966 | 65 deaths | +16.1% |
| 1967 | 70 deaths | +7.7% |
| 1968 | 54 deaths | -22.9% |
| 1969 | 71 deaths | +31.5% |
| 1970 | 67 deaths | -5.6% |
| 1971 | 76 deaths | +13.4% |
| 1972 | 87 deaths | +14.5% |
| 1973 | 82 deaths | -5.7% |
| 1974 | 102 deaths | +24.4% |
| 1975 | 94 deaths | -7.8% |
| 1976 | 103 deaths | +9.6% |
| 1977 | 97 deaths | -5.8% |
| 1978 | 82 deaths | -15.5% |
| 1979 | 112 deaths | +36.6% |
| 1980 | 97 deaths | -13.4% |
| 1981 | 119 deaths | +22.7% |
| 1982 | 101 deaths | -15.1% |
| 1983 | 101 deaths | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 92 deaths | -8.9% |
| 1985 | 104 deaths | +13.0% |
| 1986 | 120 deaths | +15.4% |
| 1987 | 99 deaths | -17.5% |
| 1988 | 117 deaths | +18.2% |
| 1989 | 127 deaths | +8.5% |
| 1990 | 108 deaths | -15.0% |
| 1991 | 125 deaths | +15.7% |
| 1992 | 117 deaths | -6.4% |
| 1993 | 113 deaths | -3.4% |
| 1994 | 107 deaths | -5.3% |
| 1995 | 85 deaths | -20.6% |
| 1996 | 110 deaths | +29.4% |
| 1997 | 95 deaths | -13.6% |
| 1998 | 98 deaths | +3.2% |
| 1999 | 109 deaths | +11.2% |
| 2000 | 91 deaths | -16.5% |
| 2001 | 86 deaths | -5.5% |
| 2002 | 103 deaths | +19.8% |
| 2003 | 82 deaths | -20.4% |
| 2004 | 100 deaths | +22.0% |
| 2005 | 84 deaths | -16.0% |
| 2006 | 79 deaths | -6.0% |
| 2007 | 108 deaths | +36.7% |
| 2008 | 71 deaths | -34.3% |
| 2009 | 87 deaths | +22.5% |
| 2010 | 88 deaths | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 71 deaths | -19.3% |
| 2012 | 62 deaths | -12.7% |
| 2013 | 80 deaths | +29.0% |
| 2014 | 79 deaths | -1.2% |
| 2015 | 98 deaths | +24.1% |
| 2016 | 87 deaths | -11.2% |
| 2017 | 108 deaths | +24.1% |
| 2018 | 102 deaths | -5.6% |
| 2019 | 108 deaths | +5.9% |
| 2020 | 128 deaths | +18.5% |
| 2021 | 97 deaths | -24.2% |
| 2022 | 116 deaths | +19.6% |
| 2023 | 114 deaths | -1.7% |
Sweden compared with similar countries
- Sweden's 114 deaths is above the median for high income countries, which is 63 deaths, 1.8× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Sweden's 114 deaths is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 63.5 deaths, 1.8× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 51.56 deaths | 43 deaths | 65 deaths | 9 |
| 1960s | 56.4 deaths | 39 deaths | 71 deaths | 10 |
| 1970s | 90.2 deaths | 67 deaths | 112 deaths | 10 |
| 1980s | 107.7 deaths | 92 deaths | 127 deaths | 10 |
| 1990s | 106.7 deaths | 85 deaths | 125 deaths | 10 |
| 2000s | 89.1 deaths | 71 deaths | 108 deaths | 10 |
| 2010s | 88.3 deaths | 62 deaths | 108 deaths | 10 |
| 2020s | 113.75 deaths | 97 deaths | 128 deaths | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sweden
More social development data for Sweden
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 144,116 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 128 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 1 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 128 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0136 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is homicides in Sweden?
- Homicides in Sweden was 114 deaths in 2023, according to WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest homicides recorded in Sweden?
- The highest recorded value was 128 deaths in 2020.
- What is the lowest homicides recorded in Sweden?
- The lowest recorded value was 39 deaths in 1961.
- How does Sweden rank for homicides?
- Sweden ranks 48th out of 113 countries with data for 2023.
- Is homicides rising or falling in Sweden?
- Over the last ten years it is up 42.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sweden data come from?
- The figures come from WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Homicides. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Annual number of homicides.