Safest cities in Sweden
7 cities with 100k+ population · data updated 2026-09-04
What official travel advice warns about
Terrorism
- Terrorism in SwedenTerrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in Sweden.
Political demonstrations
- Demonstrations in Sweden are usually peaceful. Avoid demonstrations wherever possible and follow the advice of the local authorities.
Crime
- Protecting your belongingsTake particular care of your belongings in major cities as pickpockets often target tourists for passports and cash.
Laws and cultural differences
- Illegal drugsIllegal drugs, including cannabis, are strictly prohibited, even in small quantities. Severe penalties apply for possessing, using or smuggling illegal drugs, including when transiting through airports. You should expect long jail sentences of up to 10 years and heavy fines.
- LGBT+ travellersSame-sex sexual activity is legal in Sweden. Read more advice for LGBT+ travellers.
Transport risks
- Road travelIf you are planning to drive in Sweden, see information on driving abroad and check the rules of the road in the RAC’s Sweden guide. The guide lists driving regulations and other legal requirements you need to be aware of.
Extreme weather and natural disasters
- Arctic travelParts of Sweden are in the Arctic Circle, including some very remote areas of land. Emergency medical assistance and search and rescue are limited in these areas. See Arctic travel safety advice.
Headings and opening lines from the UK FCDO “Safety and security” travel advice for Sweden, updated 2026-08-11 (Open Government Licence v3.0). Read the full advice on gov.uk →
Country figures
- Homicide rate
- 0.87 /100k2024
- Income inequality
- Gini 29.32023
- Human development
- HDI 0.9592023
- Income
- $76,090/yrGNI per capita PPP
- Road deaths
- 3.1 /100kWHO, 2019
- Political stability
- 76/100WGI, 2024 · higher = more stable
- Rule of law
- 87/100WGI, 2024
- Corruption perceptions
- 80/100Transparency Intl, 2025 · higher = cleaner
- Natural-hazard risk
- 2.7/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
- Women, Peace & Security
- 0.92GIWPS, 2025 · 0-1, higher = better
- Air quality
- 5.3 µg/m³PM2.5, 2023 · WHO guideline is 5
- Safe drinking water
- 100%of population, 2024 · WHO/UNICEF JMP
- Healthcare capacity
- 4.4 doctors /1k1.9 hospital beds per 1,000
Natural hazards
- Flood
- 6.3/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
Hazard types scoring under 1 out of 10 are not listed.
Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Sweden (as of 2025).
How Sweden compares
| Measure | Sweden | World median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homicide rate | 0.9 /100k | 2.4 /100k | −1.5 /100k — better for Sweden |
| Income inequality (Gini) | 29.3 | 35.2 | −5.9 — better for Sweden |
| Human development (HDI) | 0.959 | 0.763 | +0.196 — better for Sweden |
| Road deaths | 3.1 /100k | 15.4 /100k | −12.3 /100k — better for Sweden |
| Rule of law | 87/100 | 52/100 | +35/100 — better for Sweden |
| Corruption perceptions | 80/100 | 39/100 | +41/100 — better for Sweden |
| Air quality (PM2.5) | 5.3 µg/m³ | 19.7 µg/m³ | −14.4 µg/m³ — better for Sweden |
| Natural-hazard risk | 2.7/10 | 3.8/10 | −1.1/10 — better for Sweden |
| Measure | Sweden | Europe median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homicide rate | 0.9 /100k | 1.0 /100k | −0.1 /100k — better for Sweden |
| Income inequality (Gini) | 29.3 | 30.7 | −1.4 — better for Sweden |
| Human development (HDI) | 0.959 | 0.907 | +0.052 — better for Sweden |
| Road deaths | 3.1 /100k | 5.8 /100k | −2.7 /100k — better for Sweden |
| Rule of law | 87/100 | 73/100 | +14/100 — better for Sweden |
| Corruption perceptions | 80/100 | 56/100 | +25/100 — better for Sweden |
| Air quality (PM2.5) | 5.3 µg/m³ | 11.8 µg/m³ | −6.5 µg/m³ — better for Sweden |
| Natural-hazard risk | 2.7/10 | 2.5/10 | +0.2/10 — better for Europe median |
Medians, not means, so one extreme country cannot drag the reference value. Each row compares only the countries that have a published figure for that measure, and differences are plain arithmetic between stored values.
All 7 cities, safest first
- Stockholm84.1 · #405 worldwide
- Gothenburg84.1 · #406 worldwide
- Malmo84.1 · #407 worldwide
- Uppsala84.1 · #408 worldwide
- Handen84.1 · #409 worldwide
- Västerås84.1 · #410 worldwide
- Helsingborg84.1 · #411 worldwide