Violent crime in the Nordics - statistics & facts
The Nordic countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden have long been considered some of the most peaceful to live in worldwide, with low crime rates and low levels of violence. However, Sweden has seen unprecedented levels of gang-related violence in recent years. A quick look at the number of shootings over the past six years shows that the number of fatalities in shootings reached a new record in 2022. Moreover, a report published by the Swedish national council for crime prevention in 2021 found that Sweden was the only European country in which the number of fatal shootings per 100,000 inhabitants increased the most since 2000. Furthermore, 2023 was a new record year for explosive attacks in the country, with a 24-year-old innocent woman killed in an attack in October.
Looking at all homicides, Finland was the Nordic country with the highest homicide rate in Europe. Finland, Sweden, Iceland, and Denmark had murder rates of over one per 100,000 inhabitants, while Norway had one of the lowest in Europe. However, ways of reporting and registering homicides vary somewhat between countries. In Sweden, all cases that the police investigate as a possible murder or manslaughter are registered as such, even if they are later found to have been accidents or suicides. Hence, the number of reported cases of homicides and manslaughter may actually be higher in Sweden than in other European countries with a more restrictive way of counting.
It is hotly debated whether increasing immigration and a lack of integration have contributed to the rise in violence. In 2022, the Swedish prime minister at the time, Magdalena Andersson, admitted that the country had failed to successfully integrate many of the people who immigrated to Sweden over the past 20 years. For instance, Sweden welcomed a large number of Syrian refugees in 2015 and 2016, with over 110,000 Syrian refugees residing in the Scandinavian country. Local authorities have struggled to successfully integrate some of the newcomers. Furthermore, unemployment rates are higher among foreign-born citizens than among Swedish-born citizens, and the at-risk-of-poverty rate is also significantly higher among immigrants from outside the EU than EU-immigrants and Swedish citizens.
Third highest gun murder rate in Europe
Numbers on shootings and explosive attacks were not available for all of the other Nordic countries, partly because they rarely ever occur. For instance, there were only four homicides reported in Iceland in 2022. Nevertheless, Norway saw an increase in the number of homicides involving firearms in 2023, but the number of gang-related shootings in Denmark decreased remarkably since 2017.Looking at all homicides, Finland was the Nordic country with the highest homicide rate in Europe. Finland, Sweden, Iceland, and Denmark had murder rates of over one per 100,000 inhabitants, while Norway had one of the lowest in Europe. However, ways of reporting and registering homicides vary somewhat between countries. In Sweden, all cases that the police investigate as a possible murder or manslaughter are registered as such, even if they are later found to have been accidents or suicides. Hence, the number of reported cases of homicides and manslaughter may actually be higher in Sweden than in other European countries with a more restrictive way of counting.
Poverty drives crime
The reasons behind the rising violent crime in Sweden are complex, but there is a clear correlation between poverty and increasing crime levels. Sweden has the highest unemployment rate of the five countries, and the difference was even larger when looking at youth unemployment. At the same time, the number of youth suspected of murders involving firearms increased over the past 10 years, and the Swedish police have found that gangs increasingly are recruiting among youth. Moreover, Sweden has a higher at-risk-of-poverty rate than the four other Nordic countries, another factor explaining its increasing crime levels.It is hotly debated whether increasing immigration and a lack of integration have contributed to the rise in violence. In 2022, the Swedish prime minister at the time, Magdalena Andersson, admitted that the country had failed to successfully integrate many of the people who immigrated to Sweden over the past 20 years. For instance, Sweden welcomed a large number of Syrian refugees in 2015 and 2016, with over 110,000 Syrian refugees residing in the Scandinavian country. Local authorities have struggled to successfully integrate some of the newcomers. Furthermore, unemployment rates are higher among foreign-born citizens than among Swedish-born citizens, and the at-risk-of-poverty rate is also significantly higher among immigrants from outside the EU than EU-immigrants and Swedish citizens.
