Swedish prison population more than doubles in ten years

The number of people held in Swedish prisons has more than doubled over the past decade, SVT reports, citing statistics from Brå. New admissions also reached their highest level in 30 years in 2025.

A total of 9,087 people were in Swedish prisons on 1 October 2025, an increase of 115 percent from the same date in 2016.

Nearly half of those admitted in 2025, or 45 percent, had never previously been given a correctional sentence.

Increase linked to tougher sentences

“Over the past decade, there has been a clear increase in both new prison admissions and the number of people serving longer sentences,” Charlotta Lindström, a statistician at Brå, said. “The increase is mainly explained by the tougher sentences introduced in recent years.”

The number of people sentenced to more than four years in prison rose by 319 percent, from 318 in 2016 to 1,331 in 2025.

In 2025, 31 people began serving life sentences, compared with 11 in 2016.

Few places remain

Prison occupancy currently stands at 141 percent, measured against the number of available places. That compares with 92 percent in 2018, when Brå began measuring occupancy.

According to Lindström, the figures show that reserve places are being used more frequently. These places are intended to allow prisoners to be moved between different units and prisons. She said an occupancy rate of 92 percent, as recorded in 2018, means that all regular places are in use.