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An aerial view of Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, showing the old town by the water
Image: imago imagesImage: imago images

Sweden

Sweden is a wealthy country in Scandanavia. It is a member of the EU and after decades of military non-alignment, is now bidding to join NATO in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

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All Content on this topic

Rasmus Paludan at a rally in 2023

Sweden jails activist who burned Quran for inciting hatred

Far-right activist Rasmus Paludan caused outrage when he burned a copy of the Quran at protest in 2022.
CrimeNovember 5, 2024
Kylian Mbappé seen during a Real Madrid game

Kylian Mbappé rejects Swedish rape claim

He also appeared to link the reports to his ongoing wage dispute with former club Paris Saint-Germain.
CrimeOctober 15, 2024
Police near the scene of the shooting

Sweden: Police investigate shooting near 'Israeli target'

Police in Sweden have arrested an individual after a shooting incident near an Israeli defense contractor's office.
CrimeOctober 10, 2024
A Nobel Prize medal, with an image of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, being forged with a blow torch

Is the Nobel Prize still relevant today?

The Nobel Prize faces criticism over how winners are chosen, and may give a warped idea of scientific progress.
ScienceOctober 7, 2024
DW Eco India (Sendungslogo Composite)

Ways to survive

A community collects and shares local weather data. Rural self-reliance instead of urban stress. Sweden cuts emissions.
Nature and EnvironmentSeptember 19, 202426:04 min
Swedish teacher Asa Lind points to a sign saying no mobile phones are allowed

Back to basics: Sweden aims to de-digitalize youth

The government says excessive screen time is causing a severe health crisis for youth, both mentally and physically.
EducationSeptember 16, 2024
People walk on a promenade in Malmö.

'Coolcation': Is climate change transforming travel?

Could vacation spots with cooler temperatures be the trend of the future?
TravelSeptember 11, 2024
Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom

Sweden: Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom steps down

During Billstrom's tenure as the country's top diplomat, Sweden abandoned two centuries of military non-alignment.
PoliticsSeptember 4, 2024
"MADE" logo superimposed over an image of a temperature display reading 48 degrees celcius

Innovative ideas for combating climate change — MADE

Climate deaths are rising with temperatures. Can we beat the heat, and can we stop climate change?
BusinessSeptember 3, 202426:04 min
DW Fokus Europa | Schweden Gotland

Sweden sounds alarm over Russia's 'shadow ships'

Russia circumvents sanctions by sending oil shipments past Sweden. Residents feel threatened by the "shadow ships."
ConflictsAugust 30, 202405:23 min
DW Fokus Europa | Schweden Gotland

Focus on Europe – Spotlight on People

Swedish authorities report that hundreds of tankers are traveling from St. Petersburg to India or China.
PoliticsAugust 29, 202426:04 min
Bangladeshi Muslims staged protest against defaming and burning of the holy Quran in Sweden at Paltan in Dhaka, Bangladesh on July 07, 2023

Sweden puts Quran burners on trial for hate crimes

Two men have been accused of "offenses of agitation against an ethnic or national group" for publicly burning Qurans.
Law and JusticeAugust 28, 2024
DW Podcast | Science Unscripted

Will mpox become the next pandemic?

A top German virologist explains why you shouldn't compare the spread of mpox clade 1b with COVID-19
ScienceAugust 22, 202413:42 min
This photo shows a fisherman in front of the Swedish Parliament and the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden, on January 28, 2024.

Germany charges 'IS' supporters with Sweden attack plot

Federal prosecutors in Germany allege that two men were planning a shooting near the Swedish parliament.
CrimeAugust 21, 2024
A brown bear (Ursus arctos) photographed in the woods in Halsingland, Sweden. Archive image from 2022.

Sweden opens brown bear hunting season amid criticism

Sweden has opened this year's brown bear hunting season amid resistance from animal welfare groups.
Nature and EnvironmentAugust 21, 2024
A person with a dog with a building in the background and lots of snow

People leaving Sweden will exceed immigrants in 2024

Emigrants will outnumber immigrants this year — thanks in part to the government's restrictive migration policies.
MigrationAugust 18, 2024
A doctor uses a cellphone to photograph patient's sores caused by a monkeypox infection

Sweden reports first mpox clade 1 case outside Africa

Sweden's public health agency reported a case of the new, more dangerous clade 1 variant of mpox.
HealthAugust 15, 2024
DW Thumbnail | Planet A

How Sweden balances emission cuts with economic growth

Sweden has cut 80% of its net emissions since 1990 — while growing its economy twofold. How have they done it?
Nature and EnvironmentAugust 12, 2024
Maria Malmer Stenergard

Sweden: Net emigration for first time in over 50 years

For the first time in over half a century the country has net emigration, according to the Swedish Ministry of Justice.
MigrationAugust 8, 2024
DW Thumbnail | Planet A

Why Sweden is light-years ahead on climate

Sweden has cut 80% of its net emissions since 1990. How have they done it?
Nature and EnvironmentJuly 5, 202412:43 min
A panoramic view of a mountainous area in Norway

'Coolcations' on the rise as summer temperatures soar

Record summer heat is leading many European vacationers to begin swapping Mediterranean beaches for northern fjords.
TravelJuly 3, 202401:43 min
A file photo of armed German police

Germany, Sweden arrest 8 over suspected war crimes in Syria

German authorities have said the men are suspected of killing civilians during Syria's civil war.
Law and JusticeJuly 3, 2024
Three soldiers lie on their stomachs on the ground, during NATO training

Sweden sends more soldiers to Gotland amid fears of Russia

Sweden plans to post more soliders on Gotland as the island's proximity to Russia increases its strategic importance.
SocietyJuly 1, 202404:38 min
external

Native fish species returns to Sweden

Researchers in Sweden have reintroduced the Atlantic sturgeon, not seen in local rivers for over a century.
Nature and EnvironmentJune 23, 202402:22 min
US armed forces personnel standing by their military vehicles

Sweden approves controversial US defense deal

The US Defense Cooperation Agreement with Sweden grants the US access to 17 Swedish military bases.
PoliticsJune 19, 2024
Johan Floderus attends a court session in Tehran on December 10, 2023

Sweden-Iran prisoner swap frees EU diplomat

Swedish EU diplomat Johan Floderus was detained by Tehran on spying charges in 2022.
PoliticsJune 15, 2024
A Swedish Marine watches the USS Gunston Hall approach from the gun turret of his CB-90 fast assault boat near Tovik, Norway.

What are Moscow's plans in the Baltic region?

Tensions have been high around the Baltic Sea since Russia's war in Ukraine prompted Sweden and Finland to join NATO.
ConflictsJune 3, 202403:00 min
DW Dokumentationen | Wake up on Mars

Mystery syndrome - Why are refugee kids falling into comas?

A Roma family from Kosovo hopes for asylum in Sweden.
MigrationJune 1, 202452:03 min
Nemo, representing Switzerland, wins the final of the 68th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest at the Malmö Arena, in Malmö, Sweden, Saturday, May 11, 2024

Eurovision: Switzerland wins 2024 song contest

Switzerland has won the 2024 contest following political protest, disqualifications and withdrawals.
MusicMay 12, 2024
Protesters carrying flags and banners in the Swedish city of Malmo, where this year's ESC is taking place

Thousands protest Israel's Eurovision participation

According to police estimates, more than 10,000 people turned up to protest Israel's inclusion in the song competition.
PoliticsMay 10, 2024
City in a snowy landscape

Kiruna: A town makes way for an iron ore mine

Iron ore deposits lie beneath the Swedish city of Kiruna. Now, the city must relocate.
BusinessMay 8, 202406:15 min
DW Fokus | Russland LGBTQ+

Focus on Europe - Spotlight on People

Why is Konstantin fleeing from Moscow to the West?
SocietyApril 18, 202426:05 min
DW Made in Germany | Sendung vom 17. April 2024 | MADERareEarth

Rare earths found in Sweden: a game-changer?

Sweden has huge deposits of rare earths. Could the discovery reduce Europe’s dependence on China?
BusinessApril 17, 202405:59 min
The Stockholm District Court building

Syrian ex-general faces Swedish court over war crime charges

Sweden has put on trial the highest-ranking Syrian military official to date to face a court in Europe.
CrimeApril 15, 2024
A baker holds a tray of fresh cinnamon buns.

Cinnamon Buns are Sweden’s favorite pastry

This yeasted pastry is so popular among Swedes that it’s got its own national holiday.
LifestyleApril 15, 202405:01 min
DW Euromaxx (Sendungslogo Composite)

Euromaxx - Lifestyle Europe

The world’s oldest subway, a drag queen star and top travel tips for seeing Regensburg.
LifestyleApril 14, 202426:06 min
In this April 6, 1974 file photo, members of Swedish group ABBA and close associates celebrate the victory of their song "Waterloo" in the Eurovision Song Contest in Brighton, England.

ABBA's unexpected success story started 50 years ago

Nobody thought five strangely dressed Swedes with a song about Napoleon would win the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest.
CultureApril 6, 2024
Iraqi Christian asylum seeker Salwan Momika with a megaphone

Sweden Quran burner says he will go to Norway

A Christian Iraqi who burned the Quran in Stockholm said "freedom of speech" in the country is a "big lie."
ReligionMarch 27, 2024
Foreign Minister Tobias Billström comments on reports that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has invited Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson to negotiate Swedens NATO application on January 23, 2024.

Sweden joining NATO bolsters Baltic Sea security — Billstrom

Sweden and Finland joining NATO will "significantly" boost Baltic Sea security and stability, Tobias Billstrom told DW.
PoliticsMarch 22, 2024
external

Swedish FM: 'Prolonged period of conflict with Russia' ahead

Sweden recently became NATO's 32nd member state. In Berlin, DW spoke to Sweden's Foreign Minister Tobias Billström.
ConflictsMarch 21, 202411:01 min
DW Euromaxx (Sendungslogo Composite)

Euromaxx - Lifestyle Europe

Millions clicking to watch Irish dance, tips for a day in Madrid and the Swedish pastry semla.
LifestyleMarch 18, 202426:06 min
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg (C) is led away by police after being arrested during a sit in outside the Swedish parliament

Greta Thunberg removed from blocking Swedish parliament

The 21-year-old and several other climate activists began their sit-down protest at the site on Monday.
ClimateMarch 12, 2024
Two soldiers ringed by flags

NATO marks Sweden's entry with flag raising ceremony

Swedish Prime Minister Kristersson said that NATO's newest member will now share "burdens, responsibilities, and risks."
PoliticsMarch 11, 2024
Firefighters try to extinguish a wildfire burning at the Dadia National Park in the region of Evros, Greece, September 3, 2023

Climate risks could be 'catastrophic' in Europe, EU warns

Europe is facing climate risks that could reach "catastrophic levels" by the end of the century, a new report has found.
ClimateMarch 11, 2024
Sailors stand in front of the Swedish submarine HMS Gotland, as it lies in a port at the naval base of Karlskrona, Sweden.

What does NATO gain from Sweden and Sweden gain from NATO?

Sweden has become the 32nd NATO member in what the US secretary of state called a "strategic debacle" for Russia.
ConflictsMarch 11, 202402:37 min
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (foreground L) and Norwegian Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram (foreground R) visit soldiers taking part in the NATO Nordic Response military exercises

Germany looks to Scandinavia for new conscription model

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is looking for a potential blueprint for reintroducing conscription in Germany.
PoliticsMarch 7, 202402:24 min
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, seen here with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during the accession ceremony

Sweden officially joins NATO as PM Kristersson visits US

Sweden has become the 32nd member of NATO, with the diplomatic community calling it a 'historic' day for the alliance.
ConflictsMarch 7, 2024
A Swedish marine looks at a military vessel in the sea during NATO military exercises near Tovik, Norway.

With Sweden onboard, NATO's north is now sealed

It's the moment Stockholm has been impatiently awaiting as it felt left out between allies Norway and Finland.
PoliticsMarch 7, 2024
DW Podcast | Inside Europe | provisorisch f ROAD

Inside Europe - 29 February 2024

NATO membership and the shift in the Swedish psyche, Russian fishing vessels in Norwegian ports, and refugee-led mental health interventions in Prague. Also: quantifying extremism in Germany's AfD, enshrining abortion in the French constitution, dealing with the aftermath of ISIS terror in Turkey and bringing refugee children and their peers together through music.
PoliticsFebruary 29, 202455:00 min
To the Point | Totale

Sweden and Finland join NATO: Strategic defeat for Russia?

NATO expansion plus Macron's remarks on ground troops. How will Putin react?
ConflictsFebruary 29, 202426:06 min