How connected is Sweden, and who is left out?
Short answer: On 1 October 2025, 98.2 per cent of households and workplaces could get at least 1 gigabit per second via fibre or cable TV, according to PTS, so the goal of 98 per cent by 2025 has been met. In sparsely populated areas the figure is 88 per cent. Being able to get fibre is not the same as having it: 61 per cent have a fixed broadband subscription. 97 per cent of Swedes use the internet, but among those over 75, one in five does not.
More on the same questions: Rural and urban shows the distance to services, Infrastructure the roads and public transport, Sweden in the world how Sweden compares with other countries and Elderly care the conditions for the oldest.
Fibre has reached almost everyone, but not sparsely populated areas.
The government's broadband strategy from 2016 set the goal that 98 per cent of households and businesses should have access to at least 1 Gbit/s 2025. It was met already in 2023. In urban areas fibre is largely built out, while the share in sparsely populated areas has gone from half in 2018 to almost nine in ten in 2025. Choose a municipality at the top to compare with Sweden as a whole.
Share of households that have or can get at least 1 Gbit/s on 1 October each year, in per cent. Can get means that the fibre or cable TV network is in or right next to the building, even if nobody has ordered anything. Sparsely populated means outside urban areas and small localities; in metropolitan municipalities so few live there that the share jumps between years. At least 100 Mbit/s is counted on households up to 2014 and on the population from 2021, and the national value for 2025 is not shown because it is rounded to 100.
The 15 municipalities where fewest can get 1 Gbit/s.
155 of the 290 municipalities have reached 98 per cent. Furthest to go are mostly sparsely populated municipalities in the Norrland interior, such as Pajala, Arjeplog and Strömsund, where a larger share of households live outside urban areas.
Share of households with access or the possibility of at least 1 Gbit/s on 1 October 2025.
Possible, connected and paid for are three different things.
PTS counts access as the network being close enough for the building to be connected. Fewer have the cable brought in, and fewer still pay for a subscription. Among households that can get 1 Gbit/s, PTS estimates that 27 per cent do not use the possibility: some have not connected the house, others have a connection but no subscription.
| Households and workplaces, 1 October 2025 | Share |
|---|---|
| Can get at least 1 Gbit/s | 98.2 % |
| Can get at least 1 Gbit/s, sparsely populated areas | 88.1 % |
| Has fixed broadband brought into the building | 86 % |
| Has a subscription, estimated | 61 % |
PTS broadband mapping 2025 (PTS-ER-2026:11). The table counts households and workplaces together, the chart above only households, so the figures differ slightly.
How fast it is when people measure for themselves.
Bredbandskollen is the Swedish Internet Foundation's measuring tool, where anyone can test their connection. The average download speed has risen every year since 2021, both in the browser and in the mobile app. It reflects which subscriptions people have and who measures, not only what the network can do.
Average download speed in Mbit/s among the measurements during the year. The browser usually measures a fixed connection via wifi, the mobile app usually the mobile network.
Coverage where people live, gaps where they travel.
In November 2025 the mobile network covers almost 90 per cent of Sweden's entire area, including sea, lakes and mountains, with basic capacity. In 81 per cent of populated areas the capacity is good, but along roads and railways only in 63 per cent. According to the EU's measurement, 5G reaches 99 per cent of households, and about 60 per cent of mobile subscriptions used 5G during 2025.
| Measure | Share | When |
|---|---|---|
| Sweden's area with basic mobile coverage | 90 % | November 2025 (87 % the year before) |
| Populated areas with good capacity | 81 % | November 2025 |
| Roads and railways with good capacity | 63 % | November 2025 |
| Households with 5G coverage | 98.6 % | 2024, EU measurement |
| Mobile subscriptions using 5G | about 60 % | 2025 |
| 5G's share of mobile data traffic | 30 % | 2025 |
PTS broadband mapping 2025 and the Swedish telecom market 2025; 5G coverage from the European Commission's country report on the Digital Decade 2025. Good capacity is about 50 Mbit/s according to PTS. Mobile coverage is measured outdoors.
Almost everyone is online, but not the oldest.
In the Swedish Internet Foundation's survey from early 2025, 97 per cent of those aged 16 and older use the internet, and 93 per cent do so every day. Those left out are usually old: 11 per cent of pensioners do not use the internet, and among those aged 76 and older it is 19 per cent. The same pattern shows in e-identification, which is needed to log in to the bank, healthcare and public authorities.
| 2025 | Everyone, 16 and older | 18 to 64 years | 65 and older | 76 and older |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Does not use the internet | 3 % | 11 % | 19 % | |
| Uses Mobile BankID | 99 % | 84 % | just over 70 % | |
| Has no digital mailbox | 17 % | 44 % |
Svenskarna och internet 2025, the Swedish Internet Foundation. Novus asked 3,362 people in January 2025, weighted against the population. Empty cells are not reported in the report. The survey does not break down internet use by income.
Above the EU average almost everywhere.
The EU has set goals for 2030 in the Digital Decade programme, and the Commission follows up each country. Sweden is above the EU average in digital skills, fibre, 5G, business digitalisation and public e-services. Below the average is online access to one's own health records, and fewer order subscriptions of 1 Gbit/s. In rural areas 53 per cent have basic digital skills, against 72 per cent in cities.
| Measure | Sweden | EU |
|---|---|---|
| Basic digital skills, 2023 | 66 % | 56 % |
| Fibre all the way in, households 2024 | 86 % | 69 % |
| Very high capacity fixed networks, households 2024 | 90 % | 82 % |
| 5G coverage, households 2024 | 99 % | 94 % |
| Subscriptions of at least 1 Gbit/s, 2024 | 10 % | 22 % |
| Small and medium-sized businesses with basic digitalisation, 2024 | 87 % | 73 % |
| Public e-services for citizens, index 0 to 100 | 86 | 82 |
| Public e-services for businesses, index 0 to 100 | 90 | 86 |
| Online access to one's own health records, index 0 to 100 | 78 | 83 |
| ICT specialists, share of the employed | 8.6 % | 5.0 % |
The European Commission's country report for Sweden in the Digital Decade report 2025. The goals for 2030 include 80 per cent of residents having basic digital skills and all households having gigabit networks. More on how Sweden compares with other countries on Sweden in the world.
The state issues its own e-identification.
95 per cent of internet users use an e-identification, according to the Swedish Internet Foundation. Until now it has come from the banks and other private issuers. In January 2026 the government proposed a state e-identification issued by the Police on a physical card, with the highest assurance level. It will be available from age 9, be developed together with the Agency for Digital Government (Digg) and make things easier for those who today have no e-identification. The law is proposed to apply from 1 December 2026.
Government press release of 23 January 2026 and Svenskarna och internet 2025.
Shops and pharmacies must accept cash.
Most people pay by card or mobile, but those who cannot or will not need to be able to use cash. On 27 May 2026 the Riksdag decided on the government's proposal in bill 2025/26:199. The Riksbank recommends that all households have several ways to pay and that retailers accept cash for purchases of up to 10,000 kronor.
| What | What changes |
|---|---|
| Grocery shops and pharmacies | As a main rule must accept cash at staffed checkouts. Exceptions exist for staff safety and if the cost becomes too high (Act 2026:769). |
| Depositing cash | Consumers must be able to deposit cash across the country (amendment to the Payment Services Act, Act 2026:770). |
| The banks | Since 1 January 2021 the largest banks have been obliged to provide cash services. |
| Public authorities and municipalities | The Riksdag wants the government to investigate whether some public services should also be covered. |
| Entry into force | Proposed for 1 July 2026. |
Bill 2025/26:199, the Committee on Finance report 2025/26:FiU39 and the Riksbank's pages on payment habits.
Most incidents are mistakes, not attacks.
- In 2024, 319 IT incidents were reported to MSB. Only 163 of about 900 organisations required to report did so, and 21 per cent of the incidents came via a supplier.
- For 2025, 266 reports came in to the Swedish Civil Defence and Resilience Agency, which took over MSB's tasks on 1 January 2026. 10 per cent were cyberattacks against 20 per cent the year before, almost half concerned suppliers, and mistakes and system faults were most common. The agency writes that many incidents go unreported.
- The Cybersecurity Act (2025:1506) applies from 15 January 2026 and implements the EU's NIS2 directive. More organisations, including municipalities and regions, must protect their systems and report incidents.
- The government is investing 300 million kronor in 2026, 350 million in 2027 and 400 million in 2028 in the National Cyber Security Centre at FRA and in the cybersecurity of municipalities and regions.
MSB's report on IT incidents 2024, the Swedish Civil Defence and Resilience Agency in March 2026, the act and the government press release of 9 September 2025.
What the parties want.
| Party | In brief | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Centre Party | Wants fibre and 5G across the country and a national strategy against cyber threats | Centre Party, Digitalisation |
| Christian Democrats | Wants broadband built out across the country and digitalisation to take older people and people with intellectual or cognitive disabilities into account | Christian Democrats, Digitalisation |
| Liberals | Wants a national AI strategy and Europe to become more technologically independent, also for protecting critical infrastructure | Liberals, Digitalisation |
| Green Party | Wants the state to support broadband and mobile coverage where the market does not build, and important data to be kept under Swedish and European control | Green Party, AI and digitalisation |
| Moderates | Wants broadband classed as national infrastructure, municipal networks allowed to build across municipal borders, 5G built out and a measurable digitalisation goal | Moderates, Digitalisation |
| Social Democrats | Wants stronger cyber defence for healthcare and electricity among others, and clearer responsibility for the state | Social Democrats, Cybersecurity |
| Sweden Democrats | Wants to protect cash | Sweden Democrats, What we want |
| Left Party | Wants more businesses to accept cash, including cafés, restaurants, petrol stations, clothes shops and public transport | Riksdag, FiU39 reservation 5 |
Summarised from the parties' own pages and the Riksdag committee report, retrieved in October 2026. More on each party at The parties.
Municipality by municipality.
The share of households that can get fixed broadband and the measured speed, latest year. Sorted by name.
| Municipality | 1 Gbit/s, % | 1 Gbit/s built-up, % | 1 Gbit/s sparsely populated, % | At least 100 Mbit/s, % | Download in the browser, Mbit/s | Download in the mobile app, Mbit/s |
|---|
The shares apply on 1 October 2025, the speeds are the average of Bredbandskollen's measurements during 2025. The share in sparsely populated areas is uncertain in municipalities where few live outside urban areas.
Where the figures come from.
- Source: Kolada. PTS shares with 1 Gbit/s, in total, in built-up and sparsely populated areas, and at least 100 Mbit/s, plus Bredbandskollen's measured speeds, by municipality 2010–2025.
- Source: PTS broadband mapping 2025 and the follow-up of the broadband strategy. Subscriptions and mobile coverage.
- Source: Swedish Internet Foundation, Svenskarna och internet 2025.
- Source: European Commission, State of the Digital Decade 2025 with the country report for Sweden.
- Source: Government, state e-identification and national investment in cybersecurity.
- Source: bill 2025/26:199, committee report 2025/26:FiU39 and Riksbank, payment habits.
- Source: MSB, IT incidents 2024, Swedish Civil Defence and Resilience Agency, incidents 2025 and the Cybersecurity Act (2025:1506).
- Not included: how many have BankID and how large a share of purchases is paid in cash, because we have not found the figures in a source we can check.
Nothing is estimated by us.