Sweden gang shootings have continued to decline in early 2026, according to national police chief Petra Lundh, who says the trend in shootings has now been broken after three consecutive years of reductions.
Early 2026 data show a sharp drop in gang shootings
The number of shootings linked to criminal networks in Sweden fell again in the opening months of 2026. According to Lundh, there were 15 shootings in the first months of the year, compared with 39 in the same period in 2025. She described the difference as significant and said the decline suggests that a new police approach, combined with legislative changes, has started to produce results.
The comments were made in an interview with Swedish public broadcaster SVT. Lundh said police are not ready to claim victory over the gangs, but argued that authorities have at least reduced their capacity to carry out violent attacks.
Police credit new methods and legislation for the decline
Lundh linked the reduction in gun violence in Sweden to changes in policing methods and stronger coordination across institutions. In her assessment, that combination has been central to weakening the ability of criminal networks to organise shootings and order attacks.
The broader policy context also matters. Sweden’s government has made the fight against organised crime a national priority, combining tougher criminal legislation with measures aimed at reducing access to firearms, explosives and criminal financing. In early 2026, the government also moved forward with additional proposals targeting participation in criminal organisations.
The decline matters politically as well as socially. Gang-related violence has dominated the Swedish public debate for years, shaping discussions on policing, criminal law, migration, social policy and state capacity. A third straight annual fall in shootings is therefore likely to be read as an important sign for the government and law enforcement agencies, even if the broader picture remains fragile.
Explosions and child recruitment still worry Swedish police
The more positive trend in shootings does not mean that Sweden’s gang problem is receding across the board. Lundh warned that other forms of serious crime are rising, especially explosions, while more children and teenagers are being drawn into criminal networks.
That concern is backed by official crime data. Sweden’s National Council for Crime Prevention (Brå) said in March 2026 that reported explosion offences rose from 162 in 2018 to 621 in 2025, the highest level in the period reviewed. Police monthly data also show that detonations remained high in early 2026, underlining the risk that criminal violence is changing form rather than disappearing.
She stressed that this is not a problem the police can solve on their own. When children aged 13 or 14 are involved, they are below the age of criminal responsibility in Sweden, which limits police powers and shifts part of the response to social services and other institutions.
That point reflects a wider Nordic and European debate: whether tougher criminal laws alone can reduce organised crime, or whether long-term prevention, youth protection and local social intervention are just as important.
Swedish gangs are adapting faster than the authorities
Lundh also issued a warning that criminal networks in Sweden are adapting quickly to police tactics. She said the groups are well organised, well financed and able to respond rapidly to changes in enforcement.
That means the recent decline in shootings may not be stable. The police view is that criminal groups can shift methods when pressure increases in one area, moving from shootings to other forms of violence or criminal activity. In practice, this makes the current improvement meaningful, but still uncertain.
Around 17,500 active gang criminals remain in Sweden
One of the clearest signs of the scale of the problem is the estimated number of people still involved in organised crime. According to Lundh, Sweden has around 17,500 active gang criminals, a figure she described as extraordinary.
The number suggests that even where shootings are falling, the criminal infrastructure remains extensive. Police also note that these networks are not focused only on violence, but also on drug trafficking, extortion, fraud and the broader shadow economy.
A decline in shootings is real, but Sweden’s gang crisis is evolving
The fall in Sweden gang shootings is one of the clearest signs in years that the authorities may have managed to disrupt part of the violence associated with criminal networks. But Swedish police are also making clear that the underlying threat has not disappeared.
For now, the picture is mixed: fewer shootings, but more explosions, persistent recruitment of minors and a still very large organised crime environment. For Sweden, and for other Nordic countries watching closely, the key question is no longer only whether gang violence can be reduced, but whether it can be prevented from changing form.
