The justice system: are the courts, the police and the prisons keeping up?

Criminal cases received by the district courts rose from 92,424 in 2010 to 143,894 in 2025. The backlog grew less, from 33,475 to 46,989 cases, because the district courts also decide more cases. In the courts of appeal the backlog has roughly doubled, from 3,092 to 6,343 criminal cases.

Times in the district courts have become shorter despite more cases: 3.0 months for three in four criminal cases 2025, against 4.7 months 2010. In the fast-track procedure for certain simpler offences, the median time from offence to judgment was 8.7 weeks 2025, according to the National Courts Administration's annual statistics.

Of the 1,466 095 offences processed 2025, 12.95 percent were cleared with a person, almost the same share as 2016. Within offence types there has been more movement. Clearance of drug offences fell from 53.6 to 36.6 percent and of weapons offences from 32.2 to 16.9 percent, while for robbery it rose from 11.5 to 16.3 percent. Frauds are rarely cleared: 2.3 percent 2025. How many offences are reported in each municipality is on Crime.

The number of prosecutors has risen from 931 in 2015 to 1,422 in 2025, and 124,281 persons were subject to a prosecution decision by a prosecutor 2025, against 110,391 in 2015. The share of suspects brought to a prosecution decision has nonetheless stayed around 65 percent throughout. The median time for a case at the prosecutor was 65 days 2025.

Prosecution decisions have risen from 98,443 in 2016 to 119,227 in 2025. They are still fewer than in the 1970s, when summary penalties were much more common: 199,159 in 1975 against 25,761 in 2025. The number of court convictions is about the same as 1975. Which laws against gang crime have changed since 2022 is on Organised crime, and prosecution decisions for bribery on Corruption and procurement.

The goal of 10,000 more police employees covered all employees, not only police officers, and was counted from 2016 to 2024. In December 2024 the Police Authority had 39,690 employees, more than the 38,264 required, according to Brå's evaluation. Over the same period the number of police officers rose from around 19,900 to 23,844. Stockholm has the most police officers per resident but has grown least; region Nord has grown most. In the budget bill for 2026, the government's goal is for police density to at least match the EU average.

In September 2026 the prisons had 8,749 places, of which 6,056 permanent, and the remand prisons 3,875 places, of which 2,787 permanent. Occupancy was then 134 percent in prisons and 119 percent in remand. The Prison and Probation Service estimates that around 20,000 places will be needed 2035 and that operations will then cost around 41 billion kronor a year. Among the largest new prisons are Trelleborg with 720 places and Värnamo with 250, both planned for 2030.

Sweden and Estonia signed an agreement on 18 June 2025 to rent 400 places in the prison in Tartu, for up to 600 inmates. The Riksdag approved the agreement on 3 June 2026, and the law applies from 3 July 2026. How the number of inmates has grown against the places year by year is on Crime.

Confidence has risen for all the agencies since 2017. The police have the highest confidence, 64.7 percent 2026, and the Prison and Probation Service the lowest, 37.1 percent. What people themselves say they have been exposed to is on Crime.