Swedish Crime Survey 2025

Trends over time

Sales fraud and harassment have decreased compared with the previous measurement

One in five people (20.0%) in the population (aged 16–84) state that they were exposed to one or more offences against the person in 2024. The proportion has remained relatively stable around this level since 2020. However, there is a decrease in the proportion exposed to sales fraud, from 6.9 per cent in 2023 to 6.6 per cent in 2024, following a clear upward trend between 2016 and 2023. It remains to be seen whether this constitutes a trend break or a temporary deviation from the otherwise upward trend. Exposure to harassment has also decreased slightly in this year’s survey (5.6% in 2024 compared to 5.8% in 2023).

For the remaining types of offences against the person (assault, threats, sexual offences, robbery, pickpocketing, card and credit fraud, and online harassment), the proportions are at roughly the same levels as in the previous measurement (2023). For sexual offences and threats, this year’s results thus represent a deviation from the previously decreasing trend observed since 2018 and 2020 respectively. Assault and robbery, on the other hand, have remained at stable levels since 2020 and 2022 respectively.

Property offences against households continue to decrease

The proportion of households exposed to one or more property offences (burglary, car theft, theft out of or from a vehicle, or bicycle theft) continues to decrease. Since 2019, the proportion has fallen from 14.6 per cent to 11.4 per cent in 2024. In this year’s survey, exposure to theft out of or from a vehicle and bicycle theft has decreased compared with the previous measurement (2023), while the proportion exposed to burglary and car theft remains at approximately the same level.

The proportion feeling unsafe is about the same level as in 2024, while worry about crime in society has increased

A quarter (25%) of the population in 2025 state that they feel unsafe outdoors late at night in their own residential area. The proportion is essentially unchanged compared with 2024 but has decreased somewhat since 2021, when it was 28 per cent. Worry about being subjected to different types of crime also remains at approximately the same levels as the previous year but has generally decreased since 2020, although to varying degrees. The exception is worry about being subjected to fraud on the internet, which has instead increased since 2022 (from 32% in 2022 to 39% in 2025).

The proportion who, to large extent, worry about crime in society has once again increased after a decrease in last year’s survey. This marks a continuation of the general upward trend observed over the past ten years. The proportion has risen from 28 per cent in 2014 to 54 per cent in 2025.

Regarding the proportion stating that worry about crime has led to negative consequences in everyday life, such as refraining from an activity or choosing a different route or means of transport, the results are essentially unchanged compared with the previous year.

A slight increase in confidence in the police, and the prison and probation system

The proportion with a high level of confidence in the police and in the prison and probation system has increased somewhat in 2025 compared with 2024 (by 2 percentage points each), while confidence in the criminal justice system as a whole, the courts, and public prosecutors remains at about the same levels as in 2024. In general, confidence in the criminal justice system as a whole, the police, public prosecutors and the courts has increased since 2017, although to varying degrees. The increase is most evident for the police. Confidence in the prison and probation system, on the other hand, has remained at a relatively stable level, albeit with some annual fluctuations.

Differences among groups in SCS 2025

Exposure to most types of crime is more common among men, but sexual offences are significantly more common among women

Men report higher levels of exposure than women to assault, threats, robbery, pickpocketing, sales fraud, card and credit fraud, and online harassment. However, the gender differences are not as pronounced as for sexual offences, where a considerably larger proportion of women than men have been victimised (6.2% and 1.0% respectively in 2024). Women are also more often exposed to harassment.

Women feel more unsafe but have greater confidence in the criminal justice system

The proportion who feel unsafe or often worry about being subjected to different types of crime is generally larger among women than among men, particularly when it comes to worry about being subjected to rape or other sexual assaults (17% and 2% respectively). Women also report to a significantly greater extent than men that they completely refrain from going out in the evening due to feelings of unsafety, that they have refrained from an activity, or that they have chosen a different route or means of transport because of worry about crime.

Having a high level of confidence in the criminal justice system as a whole and in its various parts (the police, public prosecutors, the courts and the prison and probation system) is more common among women than among men. Women who have been exposed to crime and have been in contact with the police in the past three years also state to a greater extent than the corresponding group among men that they have had positive experiences of the police and are satisfied with various aspects of police work.

Younger people are generally more exposed to crime than older people

Exposure is generally higher among younger than older individuals. For example, men aged 16–19 are the group most likely to report having been subjected to assault in 2024, and women aged 20–24 report particularly high levels of exposure to sexual offences. In contrast, for fraud offences (sales fraud and card and credit fraud), exposure is more common among those in the middle age groups (35–64 years).

When it comes to unsafety and worry about crime, differences are visible depending on the specific question studied. For example, younger people worry more than older individuals about being subjected to assault, robbery, or rape or sexual assault. Women aged 20–24 stand out as particularly worried about rape or sexual assault compared with other groups, as well as regarding the proportion who have often chosen a different route or means of transport due to such worry. The proportion worried about being subjected to fraud on the internet and worried about crime in society is instead larger among older people than among younger people, for both men and women.

Swedish-born people with foreign-born parents and single people are more exposed to and more worried about crime

One-person households (especially those with children) are more often exposed than cohabitants to most types of offences against the person. The same applies to Swedish-born people with two foreign-born parents, who are exposed to crime to a greater extent than people with other backgrounds. Exposure is also often higher among people with elementary education than among those with higher levels of education. These groups also tend to have higher levels of worry and unsafety compared with other groups.

Furthermore, Swedish-born people with at least one Swedish-born parent and people with post-secondary education are more likely to have a high level of confidence in the criminal justice system as a whole and in its various parts (the police, public prosecutors, the courts and the prison and probation system), compared with people with other backgrounds or lower levels of education.

Residents of socioeconomically disadvantaged areas feel more unsafe and have less confidence in the criminal justice system

Among residents of socioeconomically disadvantaged areas, the proportion who feel unsafe when outdoors is almost twice as high as among residents of areas with good socioeconomic conditions (40% and 21% respectively). Worry about being subjected to assault, robbery, or theft of or damage to a car is also more common among residents of socioeconomically disadvantaged areas, as is having refrained from an activity or chosen a different route or means of transport due to worry about crime. For other questions, such as worry about being subjected to sexual offences or worry that someone close will be a victim of crime, the differences between area types are smaller or virtually non existent.

Exposure, particularly to sales fraud, card and credit fraud, pickpocketing, burglary and bicycle theft, is more common among residents of socioeconomically disadvantaged areas than among those living in areas with better socioeconomic conditions. The overall pattern for exposure shows that residents of areas with good socioeconomic conditions are generally exposed to a lesser extent than residents of other area types.

Furthermore, the proportion with a high level of confidence in the criminal justice system as a whole and in its various parts (the police, public prosecutors, the courts and the prison and probation system) is generally higher among residents of areas with good socioeconomic conditions and decreases the poorer the socioeconomic conditions of the area.