Big cities pose Kristdemokraterna’s biggest election challenge

Kristdemokraterna has gained strong support in rural areas but faces major difficulties in the most populous constituencies, according to SVT election reporter Fouad Youcefi. The party needs to outperform its current support in two key areas in the 2026 election.

“Forget the Bible Belt. Kristdemokraterna has major problems in the big cities,” Youcefi says.

The party has performed well in opinion polls in recent months. After falling below Sweden’s parliamentary threshold in several polls during the current parliamentary term, it is now polling at a reassuring level of just over 6 percent.

In the 2022 election, Kristdemokraterna increased its support in many rural municipalities. In Vilhelmina, for example, the party gained ground while its former Alliance partner Centerpartiet lost support. However, the party has struggled in the most populous constituencies. “The richer a district is, the less likely people are to vote for Kristdemokraterna,” Youcefi says.