Sweden shootings have fallen to their lowest level since police began keeping comparable statistics in 2017, according to new half-year figures released by the Swedish Police Authority. The data show a sharp decline in both shootings and explosions in the first six months of 2026, although police officials stress that the level of conflict among criminal networks remains high.
Between January and June 2026, Sweden recorded 39 shootings, including eight fatal cases and 15 people injured. In the same period of 2025, police registered 86 shootings, with 27 deaths and 20 people injured. The decrease marks one of the clearest statistical shifts in Sweden’s recent struggle with gang-related gun violence.
“It is very positive to see the downward trend, with significantly fewer people being killed or injured in firearm violence,” said Hanna Paradis, acting head of the police’s national operations centre (tillförordnad chef för polisens nationella driftcenter).
Sweden shootings reach the lowest level since 2017
The decline in Sweden shootings is notable because the country has faced years of recurring gun attacks linked to criminal networks, often connected to disputes over drugs, territory and internal gang conflicts.
Police data show that shootings were far higher in previous years. In the first half of 2022, there were 205 shootings, with 34 deaths and 49 injured people. In the same period of 2023, police recorded 187 shootings, with 23 deaths and 58 injured people. The 2026 figure of 39 shootings is therefore not only lower than last year, but also far below the peak years of Sweden’s gang violence crisis.
For the whole of 2024, Sweden recorded 149 shootings, with 18 deaths and 29 injured people. Police later reported that shootings declined further in 2025, even as fatal violence remained a major political and public concern.
The Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Brottsförebyggande rådet, Brå) has noted that Sweden’s homicide rate increased over the past decade mainly because of gun violence. The latest police figures do not mean that the problem has disappeared, but they suggest that one of its most visible forms has weakened in the first half of 2026.
Explosions also decline, but remain frequent
The police also reported a decline in explosions in Sweden. In the first six months of 2026, there were 68 detonations, compared with 108 in the same period of 2025. Stockholm County remained the most affected area, with 28 explosions recorded so far this year.
Explosives have become one of the most distinctive elements of Sweden’s recent gang conflicts. They are often used to intimidate rivals, attack homes or send signals within criminal environments. While the number of successful detonations has fallen, the police said they also recorded 122 cases in which perpetrators allegedly prepared an explosion but failed or were stopped before it happened.
This figure points to a continuing operational threat. The decrease in completed explosions may reflect stronger preventive work, but it also shows that criminal groups still try to use explosive devices.
Police credit local, digital and international work
Swedish police link the decline to changes in working methods developed over several years. According to Paradis, the reduction is the result of action “on all arenas: locally, nationally, internationally and digitally”, combined with real-time information sharing.
Police say this has helped them arrest and prosecute hundreds of people and weaken some of the most violence-driving criminal networks. Paradis said these groups are now “significantly weaker than before”, but warned that the conflict level remains high.
The police also highlighted the role of local communities. Parents, school principals, social services, train staff, taxi drivers and shop workers have increasingly reported suspicious or unusual behaviour, helping police intervene before violent crimes are carried out.
This community-based element is important in Sweden’s current strategy. Criminal networks have frequently recruited minors, sometimes through digital platforms, to carry out shootings or other violent acts. Early warnings from families, schools and local services can therefore be decisive in stopping violence before it happens.
Sweden’s gang violence remains a European concern
The fall in shootings comes after years in which Swedish gang violence attracted international attention. Swedish criminal networks have not only operated domestically, but have also been linked to crimes in other European countries.
Europol has warned that methods associated with Swedish gangs, including the recruitment of children and young people for violent assignments, have spread beyond Sweden. In 2025, Europol described the phenomenon as a wider European problem rather than only a Swedish one.
This European dimension has made Sweden’s experience relevant for neighbouring countries, including Denmark. Danish authorities have also faced cases involving young people allegedly recruited by criminal networks for violent tasks, sometimes across borders. The issue has contributed to a broader debate in the Nordic region about organised crime, youth recruitment and cross-border policing.
The Swedish case is therefore being watched not only as a domestic crime issue, but also as a warning for European law enforcement agencies dealing with increasingly mobile and digitally connected criminal groups.
A decline, not a conclusion
The new figures give Swedish police grounds for cautious optimism. Fewer shootings and fewer explosions mean fewer deaths, fewer injuries and less visible violence in public spaces. The decline also suggests that stronger intelligence work, international cooperation and local reporting may be having an effect.
At the same time, the police’s own assessment remains careful. The number of attempted explosions is still high, criminal networks continue to recruit young people, and Sweden’s recent history of gang violence has left deep political and social consequences.
The decrease in Sweden shootings may mark a turning point, but it does not yet amount to a resolution of the country’s organised crime problem. For Sweden and its Nordic neighbours, the next test will be whether the decline can be sustained while reducing recruitment, preventing retaliation and limiting the spread of gang methods across Europe.
