Sweden’s criminal justice system was once held up as an example of moderation – focusing on rehabilitation and minimising the use of imprisonment. But the Scandinavian nation could soon join countries such as Russia, Belarus and Nicaragua as a world leader in punitiveness.
Throughout 1990s and up to the mid-2010s, Sweden had a total prison population of 4,000-6,000 people. But over the last decade, the prison population has increased to over 9,000 people in 2025.
