The Swedish Crime Survey (SCS or Nationella trygghetsundersökningen – NTU – in Swedish) is an annual survey of the attitudes and experiences of the general population of Sweden (aged 16-84 years) regarding victimisation, fear of crime, confidence in the criminal justice system, and crime victims' contacts with the criminal justice system.
The Swedish Crime Survey has been conducted since 2006. The survey includes a sample of 200,000 people. In the SCS 2020, approximately 73,800 people from the sample participated.
The method used for the SCS was revised in 2017. At this point, the collection procedure changed from mainly telephone interviews to internet questionnaires or postal questionnaires. The selection was also expanded and some of the questions were reformulated and new questions were added. Since one main purpose of the SCS is to be able to make comparisons over time, a method has been developed to enable the results for the period 2007–2016 to be compared with 2017–2020. Every effort has been made to ensure that all the descriptions of development over time for the results described in the report are unaffected by the change in method. It is important to emphasise this, as the purpose of the study is to study development over time and compare different groups in the population rather than to estimate exact levels. Read more about this in the 2018 SCS.
The questions about pickpocketing, sales fraud, card/credit fraud and online harassment were introduced in the 2017 SCS, which means that results regarding victims of these types of offences are only available for the period 2016–2019.
Victimisation was investigated for the calendar year preceding the year on which the question was asked. This means that incidents where the respondent was a victim reported in the 2020 SCS reflect offences that took place in 2019. Victimisation in terms of offences against an individual is reported as the percentage of victims, unlike victimisation in terms of property offences against households, which is reported as the percentage of victimised households.
In the 2020 SCS, 22.6 percent of the population (aged 16–84) state that they were a victim of one or more of the types of offences referred to in the report as offences against an individual: assault, threats, sexual offences, robbery, pickpocketing, sales fraud, card/credit fraud and online harassment¹ in 2019. This is a decrease compared with the preceding year (in 2018 the proportion was 23.1%).The type of offence that had the highest proportion of victims according to the 2020 SCS was threats (9.2%) while robbery was the least common (1.5%).
The proportion of self-reported victimisation has basically remained unchanged for almost all types of offences against an individual compared to 2018. The exceptions are sexual offences. Seen over a longer period of time, self-reported victimisation due to sexual offences has been most evident in recent years, as the proportion of respondents stating this type of victimisation clearly increased up to and including 2017. In the past two surveys, a decrease has been seen and it remains to be seen if this is the beginning of a downward trend. The proportion of people who state that they have been a victim of threats has increased every year since 2015. Furthermore, the proportion of people who state that they have been the victims of robberies has increased annually from 2015, and an increasing trend is also noted for assault, as the proportion has increased for the fourth year in a row.
Most people who state that they have been a victim of offences against an individual state that they were a victim once in 2019, while 26.4 percent of these (corresponding to 6.0% of the population aged 16–84) state that they were victims four times or more. Individuals in this group make up three-quarters (75.1%) of all incidents of offences against an individual.
¹ Victims of harassment were included in the category “offences against an individual” until SCS 2020. Since then, harassment has been presented as a separate category.
The percentage of individuals who state that they were a victim of assault in 2019 is 3.6 percent of the population (aged 16–84). The level is approximately the same as 2018, when 3.5 percent were a victim of assault. The trend for the period 2006–2015 was one of a weak decline, albeit with some yearly variations, but the last four years show a slightly increasing trend.Men (4.6%) state that they were victims of assault more often than women (2.7%) during 2019.In terms of age, self-reported victimisation regarding assault was most common in the 16–19 age bracket (13.6% among men and 7.3% among women).
A proportion of 0.7 percent of the population (aged 16–84) state that they were a victim of serious assault, which in the SCS refers to assaults leading to injuries requiring medical treatment by a doctor, nurse or dentist. Self-reported victimisation due to serious assault offences has remained at the same level since 2016.Men (0.9%) state that they were victims more often than women (0.5%) in 2019.Self-reported victimisation due to serious assault was most common among young people in the 16–19 age bracket. Among men the proportion was 0.9 percent and among women the proportion was 0.5 percent.
In 2019, 1.5 percent of the population (aged 16–84) state they were a victim of robbery or a victim of attempted robbery, which means that the proportion is virtually unchanged compared to 2018 when the proportion was 1.4 percent. The proportion was at a relatively stable level until 2015, but an increase was noted in 2016 and the proportion has since remained at the higher level, with a slightly increasing trend. Men (2.3%) state that they were victims of robbery or attempted robbery during 2019 more often than women (0.7%). In terms of age, self-reported victimisation in men due to robbery was most common in the 16–19 age bracket (5.9%) and in women, self-reported victimisation due to robbery was most common in the 20–24 age bracket (1.4%).
In connection with the follow-up interviews, it emerged that some people had misunderstood the screening question about harassment. They may have understood it as including telephone sales, for example. The wording of the question and how the results are reported were reviewed before the 2020 SCS and therefore only the results for 2019 are presented.
Of the population (aged 16–84), 6.5 percent state that they were victims of harassment in 2019. Women (7.6%) state that they were victims of harassment in 2019 more often than men (5.2%). Among both men and women, self-reported victimisation due to harassment was most common in the youngest age bracket (aged 16–19), where 8.1 percent of the men and 15.2 percent of the women state that they had been a victim.The 2020 SCS shows that 14.6 percent of households were victims of car theft, theft out of or from a vehicle, bicycle theft, or burglary (all referred to as property offences against households) in 2019.The most common property offence reported for 2019 is bicycle theft (11.4%), while vehicle theft is the least common (1.0%).The reported victimisation has increased in terms of bicycle thefts in 2019 and has been virtually unchanged in terms of theft out or from vehicles, burglary and car theft compared to 2018. The property offences that have seen the most significant development since 2006 are car-related crimes, which have decreased significantly.A majority of those who were victims of property offences against households state that they were victims once in 2019, while a smaller percentage of the victimised households (6.7%) state that they were victims four times or more. This group suffered 30.5 percent of all property offences.
According to the SCS 2020, 1.7 percent of households were victims of burglary during 2019, which is about the same level as in 2016–2018. For most of the measurement period the proportion of reported victimised households has varied around a relatively stable level, but in 2016 the level increased somewhat, and the proportion has remained at the slightly higher level since then.
In 2019, 1.0 percent of households report that they were victims of car theft, which means that the proportion is unchanged compared to 2018. The proportion declined significantly during the period 2006–2014, but the proportion increased slightly in 2015. The percentage has since remained relatively stable at that level, which despite the increase, is nevertheless considerably lower than when measurements started.
The percentage of households stating that they were victims of theft out of or from a vehicle was 4.6 percent in 2019. This is at about the same level as 2018, when the proportion was 4.7 percent. During the period 2006–2010, the percentage of households that were victims of theft out of or from a vehicle decreased dramatically and victimisation has remained at a relatively stable level since then.
The proportion of households stating that they were victims of bicycle theft was 11.4 percent in 2019. This is at about the same level compared with 2018, when the proportion was 11.1 percent. The level of the proportion of victimised households has remained relatively stable throughout the measurement period, though the latest measurement is the highest since 2006.
Measuring fear of crime is complicated, but the SCS can contribute by providing a number of key indicators on the subject. The reference periods reflected in the section on fear of crime vary depending on the type of question. Questions about concern regarding various types of offences refer to the most recent twelve months (prior to the time of interview). The more comprehensive questions refer to the perception respondents had at the time the question was asked (2020). Regarding concerns about being a victim of crime, the questions about burglary and theft or vandalism of vehicles are the only ones that have been included in their present form every year since the survey was initiated, while the questions on concern about the remaining offences were added in conjunction with the revision of the survey in 2017.
The results in the 2020 SCS show that a total of 30 percent of the population (aged 16–84) state that they feel very unsafe or quite unsafe when outdoors alone at night or that they avoid going out alone at night due to feeling unsafe. Of these, 6 percent state that they do not go out due to feeling unsafe. The level decreased during the first period of the survey and then remained at a stable level. However, a significant increase occurred in 2016 and the proportion has since then remained at that higher level.It is significantly more common for women (38%) to state that they feel unsafe than for men (22%).
The percentage of people who state that they feel unsafe is highest in the 20–24 and 75–84 age brackets. The proportion is particularly high among the youngest and the oldest women while among men the proportion is more similar across different age groups. The greatest percentage was found in the 75–84 age bracket among men (24%) and in the 20–24 age bracket among women (45%).
A total of 81 percent of the population (aged 16–84) believes that the number of crimes in Sweden has increased over the past three years, which is approximately at the same level as 2019 when this proportion was 80 percent. Over time, the proportion has remained stable, but it is at slightly lower levels in recent years compared to the first years of measurement.
A greater proportion of women (83%) than men (80%) state that they believe that the number of crimes in Sweden has increased over the past three years. The proportion is greatest in the youngest age bracket (aged 16–19) among men (86%) and in the older age brackets, particularly the oldest (aged 75–84) among women (91%).
The percentage of people who stated that they are concerned very often or quite often about being a victim of assault is 12 percent, which is an increase compared to 2019 (10%). The percentage of people who are concerned about being a victim of assault is approximately the same for women (12%) and men (11%). The highest percentage is found among men aged 20–24 and 25–34 (15%), and among women aged 20–24 (17%).
The percentage of people who, in 2020, are often concerned about being a victim of rape or another type of sexual assault is 12 percent of the population (aged 16–84), which is at the same level as in 2019 and 2018 and approximately the same level as in 2017 (11%). It is significantly more common for women (21%) to be concerned about being a victim of rape or another type of sexual assault than men (2%). In terms of age groups, the proportion is highest among women in the 20–24 age group, where 46 percent report this concern. Among men the proportion is highest in the 25–34 age bracket (4%).
Among the respondents in the population (aged 16–84), 19 percent state that they are concerned about being a victim of robbery in 2020, which is an increase compared to 2019 (17%). It is more common for women (22%) to be concerned about robbery than men (16%). The level of concern about being a victim of robbery is highest among men in the youngest age brackets 16–19, 20–24 and 25–34 (19%) and among women aged 20–24 and 25–34 (23%).
In 2020, 27 percent of the population (aged 16–84) state that they are concerned about burglary, which is at the same level as in 2019. The proportion remained relatively stable during the first years, followed by an increase in 2012 that lasted until 2017. Since then the proportion has remained stable. It is more common for women (28%) to state that they are concerned about burglary than men (25%). The percentage concerned about burglary is greatest in the 55–64 age bracket among men (31%) and in the 45–54 and 55–64 age brackets among women (32%).
A significantly larger proportion of women than men state that they often have chosen another route or another mode of transport, and refrained from any activity due to concern about being a victim of crime. For the other questions, the differences are small.
The criminal justice system comprises several different public agencies and the SCS asks questions about the criminal justice system as a whole, as well as more specific questions regarding four of its agencies – the police, the public prosecutors, the courts, and the prison and probation service. The section on confidence in the criminal justice system reflects the respondents’ perception at the time the questionnaire was answered.
The results shown on confidence in the criminal justice system are mainly for the percentage stating that they have high (very high or quite high) confidence. The other response alternatives are low (very, or quite low) confidence or no opinion. This means that respondents that do not have high confidence do not by definition need to have low confidence. They could have stated that they have no opinion. However, the fact that some respondents have no particular view on a given issue, or are unwilling to commit themselves, is in itself an important factor to consider when assessing levels of public confidence. For this reason, those who state that they have no opinion in relation to the questions on confidence in the justice system are included in the result.
A little less than half (49%) of the population (aged 16–84) state that they have a high (very high or quite high) degree of confidence in the criminal justice system as a whole, which is approximately at the same level as in 2019, when the proportion was 48 percent. The proportion for high degree of confidence was relatively stable from 2011 until 2017, when there was a clear decline. The proportion then increased again, which means that it has returned to the previous level.
It is more common for women (52%) to state that they have a high degree of confidence in the criminal justice system as a whole than for men (45%)In terms of age, the proportion is greatest among men aged 35–44 (48%) and among women in the 35-44 and 45-54 age brackets (54%).In terms of age, the proportion is greatest in the age group 16–19 among men (43%) and in the age group 45–54 among women (44%).
In terms of age, the proportion is greatest in the 16–19 age bracket among both men and women (men, 41% and women, 36%).
When a person has been subjected to an offence that is reported to the police, the person gains experience of one or more of the agencies within the criminal justice system. The experience is customarily limited to the person’s contact with the police in connection with the police report, but may also comprise contact with public prosecutors, counsel for injured parties and, in the event the offence comes to trial, courts. The section on crime victims’ contact with the criminal justice system reports experiences in the most recent three years (at the date the question was answered).
¹).The results regarding victimisation 2006–2015 are recalculated since the SCS was then carried out with another method. For the corresponding results before the recalculation, see previous SCS publications.
²). In connection with the follow-up interviews, it has emerged that some people have misunderstood the screening question of harassment. Instead, it may have involved telephone sales or the like. The results regarding the exposure to harassment should therefore be interpreted with great caution. The wording of the question and how the results are reported will be reviewed before the 2020 SCS.