Sweden boosts justice budget to tackle rising crime rates

For the year 2025, Sweden is increasing spending on its justice system by 3.46 billion krona ($335 million) in an effort to address rising crime rates, stated the nation’s justice minister on Wednesday.

The justice system budget is set to increase by 10 percent year over year to 86.7 billion krona ($8.5 billion) in 2025.

Over the past decade, Sweden has experienced a surge in gang violence, often involving minors, resulting in the highest per-capita rate of gun violence in the European Union.

Sweden’s population is just under 10.5 million people.

According to Swedish Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer, while the number of shootings related to organized crime this year is lower than in 2023, there is a continued risk of further outbreaks of violence.

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Strömmer explained, “Our goal is to restore security in Sweden for all law-abiding citizens by focusing on combating serious violence, disrupting criminal activities, and preventing the recruitment of children and youth into gangs.”

The government plans to increase justice system spending to 100 billion krona ($9.7 billion) by 2027, up from 69 billion krona ($6.7 billion) in 2023, as per Strömmer.

The center-right government coalition, backed by the right-wing Sweden Democrats, will present its budget bill for 2025 to parliament on Sept. 19.

Strömmer mentioned earlier this week that it could take a decade to effectively address the issue of gang violence in the country.

As Strömmer told the Financial Times, “The challenges are substantial, and it will require sustained efforts to reverse the trend, particularly with young individuals.”

Earlier this year, the Swedish Parliament granted police the authority to establish security zones, allowing them to conduct searches without a warrant or probable cause in specific areas. Strömmer also noted that the government would enhance penalties for juvenile offenders.

“There is a constant threat of new violence emerging,” he added.

Authorities estimate that approximately 62,000 individuals in Sweden are affiliated with criminal gangs, mostly recruiting members from immigrant communities, with the majority of violence concentrated in Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmo.

The recent surge in gang violence has strained relations between Sweden and Denmark.

Last month, Copenhagen announced increased inspections on trains across the Øresund bridge connecting the Danish capital with Malmö in Sweden.

Denmark’s Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard emphasized the need for enhanced surveillance to prevent Swedish youth from being hired as mercenaries for gang-related activities in Denmark.

Since April, there have been 25 incidents involving young Swedes hired by Danes for criminal purposes, as per Hummelgaard.

Reuters contributed to this report.