This is how Sweden is governed

A democratic monarchy

Sweden is a democracy but also a monarchy with a king or queen as head of state. The current king is called Carl XVI Gustaf and in 2023 he celebrated his 50th anniversary on the throne. The king or queen has no political power but serves mostly as a symbol for the country.

The Riksdag and the government

The Riksdag

The Riksdag decides on Swedish laws and Sweden’s government budget. The government budget finances government agencies, child support and universities.

The Swedish Riksdag should consist of 349 members. Swedish citizens vote for the party that best matches their values and opinions about how Sweden should be governed.

Based on the election results, the seats in the Riksdag are distributed to the various parties elected. If a party has received 15 percent of the votes, that party will receive 15 percent of the seats in the Riksdag. The party then fills the seats with people who have been nominated by the party to be in the Riksdag. These people are called members of parliament.

Read more on the Riksdag website External link, opens in new window.

The government

The government governs Sweden at a national level. The government’s task is, among other things, to propose new laws or legislative amendments to the Riksdag and to ensure that the Riksdag’s decisions are implemented.

The head of the government is the Prime Minister of Sweden. In addition to the Prime Minister, the government is made up of secretaries of state. The government usually has a title based on the area for which they are responsible, such as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Migration.

Region and Municipality

In order for the region and the municipality to be able to carry out the functions they are responsible for, they need money.

Regions and municipalities are largely financed by taxes paid by residents. This means that anyone who has an income within the region or municipality pays a portion of their salary as a tax.

The Region

The primary task of Sweden’s regions is to conduct healthcare and dental care in Sweden. But the regions also have other responsibilities, such as ensuring that public transport is available in the region.

The Regional Council decides how to govern the region. The members of the regional council are politicians elected by those who are eligible to vote in the regional elections. This election takes place on the same day as the parliamentary and municipal elections.

The Municipality

The municipalities in Sweden are responsible for the local service where you live. School, elderly care, social services, waste management and water are things that are controlled at a municipal level.

The municipal council decides how the municipality should be governed. On the municipal council are politicians elected by residents of the municipality via the general elections that take place on the same day as the elections to the parliament and the region.

The European Union

Sweden is a member of the European Union, which is abbreviated the EU. The Union consists of 27 European countries that cooperate on several issues, such as trade and the environment.

The EU consists of seven institutions with different tasks. The three most important are the European Parliament, the Council of Ministers and the European Commission.

The European Parliament consists of elected members from all Member States. The number of members from each country varies based on the population of the countries. Citizens elect their members through general elections every five years. Parliament decides on the EU budget and decides on new laws with the Council of Ministers.

If you want to immerse yourself in the European Union’s connection to Sweden, you can read more on the Riksdag’s website: How the EU functions | Swedish Parliament (riksdagen.se) External link, opens in new window.

Read more

If you want to read more about Sweden’s elections, democracy or democratic history, you can do so at To influence in Sweden | Informationsverige.se External link, opens in new window.