Shootings Fall Dramatically After New Crime-Fighting Measures

Sweden cut shooting incidents by more than half between 2022 and 2025, marking a major reduction in gun violence after new policing strategies and tougher laws targeting gang crime.

“New tools, resources and methods are starting to hit the criminal networks,” said Gunnar Strömmer, Sweden’s Minister of Justice.

Police recorded 147 shootings in 2025, down from 390 in 2022, a decline of about 63%. Authorities attribute the progress to expanded surveillance powers, stricter sentencing and targeted policing operations that disrupt criminal networks and seize gang assets, while continuing efforts aim to prevent the online recruitment that still draws young people into gangs.