View source for Religion in Sweden

{{Short description|none}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Pie chart
|thumb = right
|caption = Religious affiliation in Sweden (2021)<ref name="statistik2021" /><ref name="svenskakyrkan stats"/><ref name="CoS member stats"/>
|label1 = [[Church of Sweden]] ([[Lutheran]])
|value1 = 53.2
|color1 = RoyalBlue
|label2 = Other Protestants
|value2 = 3.5
|color2 = DodgerBlue
|label3 = [[Eastern Orthodox Church]]
|value3 = 1.5
|color3 = Orchid
|label4 = [[Catholic Church in Sweden|Catholic Church]]
|value4 = 1.2
|color4 = Indigo
|label5 = Other Christian
|value5 = 0.2
|color5 = Red
|label6 = [[Islam in Sweden|Islam]]
|value6 = 2.1
|color6 = Green
|label7 = Other religions
|value7 = 0.4
|color7 = DarkOrange
|label8 = [[Irreligion in Sweden|No religion]]
|value8 = 37.9
|color8 = Gainsboro
}}
[[File:Uppsala Domkyrka.jpg|thumb|upright|250px|Side view of [[Uppsala Cathedral]], the headquarters of the [[Church of Sweden]].]]
'''Religion in Sweden''' has, over the years, become increasingly diverse. [[Christianity]] was the religion of virtually all of the Swedish population from the 12th to the early 20th century, but it has rapidly declined throughout the late 20th and early 21st century.<ref name="statistik2021" />

Christianity came to Sweden as early as the 9th century mainly as a result of an expansion in trade. The ancient [[Norse religion|Nordic religions]] were slowly replaced. By the 12th century, Christianity became the established national religion and the [[Archdiocese of Uppsala]] was established as the first [[national church]]. Swedish Christians belonged to the [[Catholic Church]] until 1527 when the Swedish state church was established as a Protestant church based on Lutheran principles, following the [[Reformation|Protestant Reformation]] enacted by [[Martin Luther]] which converted most of [[Germanic peoples|Germanic]] Europe.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-policies/eurydice/content/population-demographic-situation-languages-and-religions-80_en|title=Sweden; Population: Demographic Situation, Languages and Religions|last=Doe|first=John|date=10 October 2017|website=Eurydice - European Commission|language=en|access-date=8 January 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[Lutheranism|Lutheran]] [[Church of Sweden]] was formed and remained the [[Christian state|official religion of the Christian state]] until the turn of the 21st century.

In recent years, the Swedish religious landscape has become increasingly [[Cultural diversity|diverse]], with Christians comprising in 2021 some 59.6% (of which 53.2% belonging to the Church of Sweden) of the total population and rising numbers of people of other religions (2.5%) and unaffiliated people (37.9%).<ref name="statistik2021" /> The [[Lutheranism|Lutheran]] [[Church of Sweden]] – which was the [[state religion]] until 2000 – is by far the largest Christian denomination but is facing a continuous decline in registered membership.<ref name="svenskakyrkan stats">{{cite web|url=https://www.svenskakyrkan.se/statistik|title=Svenska kyrkan i siffror|trans-title=The Church of Sweden in numbers|language=sv|website=svenskakyrkan.se|publisher=[[Church of Sweden]]}}</ref><ref name="CoS member stats">{{Cite web|url=https://www.svenskakyrkan.se/filer/1374643/Medlemmar%20i%20Svenska%20kyrkan%201972-2022.pdf?id=2554894|title=Medlemmar i Svenska kyrkan 1970-2022|publisher=Church of Sweden|language=sv|access-date=25 August 2023}}</ref> Other minor Christian denominations include [[Free church]]es, the Catholic Church and [[Eastern Orthodox Church]]es.<ref name="statistik2021" /> [[Islam|Muslims]] make up the largest non-Christian religious group, followed by [[Buddhism|Buddhists]], [[Jews]] and [[Hindus]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |title=Det mångreligiösa Sverige: ett landskap i förändring |date=2015 |publisher=Studentlitteratur |isbn=978-91-44-10176-7 |edition=3., [rev., omarb. och uppdaterade] uppl |location=Lund |pages=15}}</ref> [[Jews]] are one of Sweden's five official [[national minorities]] with [[Yiddish]] one of the [[Official minority languages of Sweden|officially recognised minority languages]].<ref name=SI>{{Cite web|url=https://sweden.se/life/equality/national-minorities-in-sweden|title=National minorities in Sweden|author=<!--Not stated-->|date=25 September 2024|website=sweden.se|publisher=[[Swedish Institute]]|language=en-GB|access-date=23 December 2024}}</ref> The country has ratified the [[Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities]] and the [[European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages]].<ref name=SI/>

==History==
===Historical Norse religion===
[[File:Gamla uppsala.jpg|thumb|[[Gamla Uppsala]], the centre of worship in Sweden until the temple was destroyed in the late 11th century.]]
Before the 11th century, Swedes practised [[Norse religion]], worshipping a variety of [[list of Germanic deities|Germanic deities]]. An important religious centre was the [[Temple at Uppsala]]. The shape and location of this temple is sparsely documented, but it is referenced in the [[Norse saga]]s and Saxo Grammaticus' {{lang|la|[[Gesta Danorum]]}}, and is also described by [[Adam of Bremen]]. It was probably destroyed by King [[Ingold I]] in 1087.

While Norse religion was officially abandoned with the [[Christianization of Scandinavia]], belief in many spirits of [[Norse mythology]] such as [[nisse (folklore)|''tomtar'']], [[troll]]s, [[elf|elves]] and [[dwarf (mythology)|dwarves]] lived on for a long time in [[Scandinavian folklore]].

===9th–12th century: Conversion to Catholicism===
[[File:Vadstena kloster från luften.jpg|thumb|The historical [[Vadstena Abbey]] of the Catholic order of the [[Bridgettines]], founded by [[Bridget of Sweden]].]]
{{main|Christianization of Sweden}}
The oldest evidence of Christian burial sites in Sweden are dated to the 6th century, but they are very few in number. The earliest documented campaign to Christianise the Swedes was made by the monk [[Ansgar]] (801–865). Making his first visit to [[Birka]] in 828–829, he was granted permission to build a church. In 831, he returned home and became [[Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen]], with responsibility for Christianity in the north. Around 850, he came back to Birka, where the original congregation had been shattered. Ansgar tried to reestablish it, but it only lasted a few years.

Christianity first gained a hold in [[Västergötland]], probably due to mercantile ties to the Christian Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in England. Remnants of a 9th-century church building has recently been excavated in Varnhem. The diocese of Skara, which is the oldest diocese in Sweden, emerged under the Archdiocese of Hamburg-Bremen, in the late 10th century. According to [[Adam of Bremen]], the Christian king [[Olof Skötkonung]], who ruled from c. 995 to c. 1022 was forced to limit Christian activities to the western province. When [[Stenkil of Sweden|King Stenkil]] ascended to the throne in 1060 Christianity was firmly established throughout most of Sweden, although the people of [[Uppland]], and probably Sodermanland, resisted the new religion.

The last king adhering to the old religion was [[Blot-Sweyn]], who reigned 1084–1087. A handful of local saints (canonized on diocesan level before the centralized process became normative in 1170–1200), [[folk saints]] and clerics were allegedly martyred as late as the 1120s, most of them in Sodermanland and Uppland. Under the reign of [[Eric IX of Sweden|Eric the Saint]] (1150–1160), Christianity became an ideological factor of the state and the [[First Swedish Crusade]] took place. The crusade was a military expedition aimed at converting the [[Finns]] to Christianity and conquering [[Finland]] as Swedish territory. A national church of Sweden was not established until 1164, when the first [[Archbishop of Uppsala]] received his pallium from the [[Archbishop of Lund]].

[[Pre-Reformation Catholic|Pre-Reformation]] Swedish Catholic religious leaders – including [[Bridget of Sweden]], founder of the continuously functioning Catholic [[Vadstena Abbey]] – continue to be held in high regard by the population as a whole. Her nunnery at Vadstena is one of Sweden's pre-eminent tourist attractions.

===16th century: Protestant Reformation; conversion to Lutheranism===
[[File:Alvastra kloster - KMB - 16000300037888.jpg|thumb|Ruins of [[Alvastra Abbey]] in [[Ödeshög]]. Various ruined medieval Catholic monasteries such as this one stand as testimonies of the appropriation of Catholic properties by the Swedish state during the Protestant Reformation.]]
{{Main|Swedish Reformation}}
Shortly after [[Gustav I of Sweden|Gustav Vasa]] was elected king in 1523, he asked the [[Pope]] to confirm [[Johannes Magnus]] as [[Archbishop of Sweden]], replacing [[Gustav Trolle]], who had supported the Danish king [[Christian II of Denmark|Christian II]] and was convicted for treason. When the Pope refused, Gustav Vasa – he himself a proponent of a "Renaissance Biblical Humanism" – started to promote the Swedish [[Lutheranism|Lutheran]] reformers [[Olaus Petri|Olaus]], [[Laurentius Petri]], and [[Laurentius Andreae]]. Gustav Trolle was eventually forced into exile, and soon all ecclesiastical property was transferred to the Crown. In 1531, Laurentius Petri was appointed by the Crown to become the first Lutheran primate of Sweden, and was ordained by five Catholic bishops without papal assent. The ties with Rome were irreversibly cut in 1536, when [[Canon Law]] was abolished.

Originally, no changes were made to official church doctrine, and the episcopal organization was retained. Gradually, in spite of popular protests against the introduction of "Luthery", teachings were aligned with continental Lutheranism. Calvinism was, otherwise, refuted as heresy at the synod of Stockholm in 1565. In order to appease [[the Holy See]], king [[John III of Sweden]], one of Gustav Vasa's sons, took measures to bring the Church of Sweden to a theological position influenced by [[George Cassander]], but, in the heat of controversy, such a compromise position did not achieve its intent of reunion. However, after his death, his brother, [[Charles IX of Sweden|Duke Charles]], summoned the [[Uppsala Synod]] in 1593, which declared [[the Holy Scriptures]] the sole guideline for faith, with four documents accepted as faithful and authoritative explanations of it: the [[Apostles' Creed]], the [[Nicene Creed]], the [[Athanasian Creed]], and the unaltered [[Augsburg Confession]] of 1530.<ref>N.F. ''Lutheran Cyclopedia'', article, "[https://books.google.com/books?id=93ErAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PA528&vq=%22Upsala+The+Diet+of%22#PRA1-PA529,M1 Upsala, Diet of]", New York: Schrivner, 1899. p. 528–29.</ref> The Uppsala Synod also reinstated The Swedish Church Ordinance of 1572, which remained in use until 1686.

The move put Charles at odds with the heir to the throne, his nephew [[Sigismund III Vasa|Sigismund]], who was raised in the Catholic faith. Although Sigismund promised to uphold Lutheranism, Duke Charles's aspirations to power led to the [[War against Sigismund]], a power struggle that was effectively decided at the [[Battle of Stångebro]] in 1598, in favour of Charles and [[Protestantism]].

During the era following the [[Protestant Reformation]], usually known as the period of [[Lutheran Orthodoxy]], small groups of non-Lutherans, especially Calvinist [[Dutch people|Dutchmen]], the [[Moravian Church]] and [[Walloon immigration to Sweden|Walloon immigrants]] from the [[Southern Netherlands]], played a significant role in trade and industry, and were quietly tolerated as long as they kept a low profile.

===17th–18th century: Conversion of the Sami, freedom for Christian minorities and Jews===
The [[Sami people|Sami]], who originally had their own shamanistic religion, were converted to Lutheranism by Swedish missionaries in the 17th and 18th centuries. Citizens of foreign nations, mainly Russians, were granted freedom to practice Eastern Orthodox Christianity since the [[Treaty of Stolbovo]] in 1617. Anglican and Calvinist foreigners were granted freedom to practice their religions in Stockholm (1741) and Gothenburg (1747). Similar liberties were granted to Catholics in 1781, and an apostolic vicar was sent to Sweden in 1783. In 1782, with the passage of ''[[Judereglementet]]'', Jews were allowed to settle in three cities and practice their religion, although they were not allowed to proselytize or marry Christians.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Religionsfrihet |url=https://stockholmskallan.stockholm.se/teman/manskliga-rattigheter/religionsfrihet/ |access-date=16 March 2023 |website=[[Stockholmskällan]] |language=sv}}</ref>

===18th–19th century: Crackdown on Pietism and enforcement of Lutheranism===
In order to curb [[Pietism]], several royal decrees and parliament acts were issued in the 18th century, such as the [[Conventicle Act (Sweden)|Conventicle Act]] and ''[[Kyrkogångsplikt]]'' {{Lit|church attendance duty}}. They forbade Swedish citizens to engage in practices other than mandatory Lutheran Sunday Mass and daily family devotions. Without the presence of a Lutheran clergyman, public religious gatherings were forbidden. It remained illegal until 1860 for Lutheran Swedes to convert to another confession or religion.

===19th–20th century: Liberalisation of all religions===
In 1860 it became legal to leave the Church of Sweden for the purpose of becoming a member of another officially recognised religious denomination. From 1951, it became legal to leave the church, without providing any reason. From 1951 to 1977 all religious institutions could only be established with the permission of the [[Monarchy of Sweden|Crown]].

==Demographics==
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="float:left; margin:1em;"
!Religion, formal affiliation (in 2021)<ref name="tableexplanation">This table only contains religious organizations eligible for financial support through the government.</ref><ref name="statistik2021">{{Cite web|url=https://www.myndighetensst.se/bidrag/organisationsbidrag/bidragsgrundande-statistik/statistik-2021.html|title=Statistik 2021 - Myndigheten för stöd till trossamfund|date=2021|publisher=[[Swedish Agency for Support to Faith Communities]]|language=sv|access-date=25 August 2023|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="CoS member stats"/>
!Members
!Percent
|-
! style="text-align:left" |[[Christianity]]
! style="text-align:left" |6,228,708
! style="text-align:left" |59.6%
|-
|''[[Church of Sweden]]''
|5,563,351
|53.2%
|-
|''[[Eastern Christianity|Eastern Christian Churches]]''
|160,266
|1.5%
|-
|''[[Catholic Church in Sweden|Catholic Church]]''
|126,286
|1.2%
|-
|''[[Pentecostalism|Pentecostal congregations]]''
|115,403
|1.1%
|-
|''[[Uniting Church in Sweden]]''
|111,456
|1.1%
|-
|[[Evangelical Free Church in Sweden|''Evangelical Free Church'']]
|44,163
|0.42%
|-
|''[[Swedish Evangelical Mission]]''
|43,877
|0.42%
|-
|[[Jehovah's Witnesses]]
|22,188
|0.21%
|-
|''[[Swedish Alliance Mission]]''
|20,898
|0.20%
|-
|''Other Christians''
|20,820
|0.20%
|-
! style="text-align:left" |Non-Christian religions
! style="text-align:left" |261,807
! style="text-align:left" |2.5%
|-
|'''[[Islam in Sweden|Islam]]'''
|224,459
|2.1%
|-
|'''[[Mandaeism]]'''
|12,408
|0.12%
|-
|'''[[Buddhism in Sweden|Buddhism]]'''
|12,328
|0.12%
|-
|'''[[History of the Jews in Sweden|Judaism]]'''
|8,153
|0.08%
|-
|'''[[Alevism]]'''
|4,459
|0.04%
|-
! style="text-align:left" |No affiliation or other religions
! style="text-align:left" |3,961,811
! style="text-align:left" |37.9%
|-
! style="text-align:left" |Total<ref>[https://www.statistikdatabasen.scb.se/pxweb/en/ssd/START__BE__BE0101__BE0101A/BefolkningR1860N/ Population by age and sex. Year 1860 - 2022] Statistics Sweden</ref>
! style="text-align:left" |10,452,326
! style="text-align:left" |100.0%
|}
[[File:2011-04-24 - Buddhisttempel i Rosersberg 01.JPG|thumb|A temple of [[Chinese Buddhism]] in [[Rosersberg]], [[Stockholm]].]]
[[File:Church of Scientology Malmo, Sweden.jpg|thumb|[[Church of Scientology]] in [[Malmö]].]]
Sweden doesn't gather statistics on the basis of ethnicity or religion.<ref name=SI/>
The [[constitution of Sweden]] provides for freedom of religion, and the government generally respects this right in practice. The government at all levels seeks to protect this right in full and does not tolerate its abuse, either by governmental or private actors. The rights and freedoms enumerated in the constitution include the rights to practice one's religion and protection of religious freedom. The laws concerning religious freedoms are generally observed and enforced at all government levels and by the courts in a non-discriminatory fashion. Legal protections cover discrimination or persecution by private actors.<ref name=irf>{{cite web|url=https://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2009/127339.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091130031839/http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2009/127339.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=30 November 2009|title=International Religious Freedom Report 2006 - Sweden|date=26 October 2009|publisher=U.S. Department of State - Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor|access-date=19 July 2010}}</ref>

In the early 2000s about 80% of Swedes belonged to the Church of Sweden. By the end of 2021, this figure had fallen to 53.9%.<ref name="svenskakyrkan stats"/><ref name="CoS member stats"/> Other religious organizations keep count of their registered membership, and as reported in the table, as of 2021 the largest religious denominations after the Church of Sweden (53.9%) were the officially registered [[Muslims]] (2.1%), members of the [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox Church]] (1.5%), [[Catholics]] (1.2%) and members of the [[Swedish Pentecostal Movement]] (1.1%).<ref name="statistik2021" />

Eight recognized religious denominations, in addition to the Church of Sweden, raise revenues through member-contributions made through the national tax system. All recognized denominations are entitled to direct government financial support, contributions made through the national tax system, or a mix of both. Certain [[Christian holidays]] are [[Public holidays in Sweden|national holidays]]. Individuals in the military may observe their the holidays from their own religious background, in exchange for not taking leave on public holidays.<ref name=US2022 /> There is no legal requirement for religious groups to register with the government; however, only those faith communities which are registered can receive government funding and tax exemptions.<ref name=US2022 />

Religious education is compulsory in public schools. Parents may send their children to religious [[charter school]]s, all of which receive [[school voucher]]s, provided they adhere to government guidelines on core academic curriculum.<ref name=US2022 /> The [[Equality Ombudsman]] investigates claims of discrimination; discrimination on religious grounds is illegal.<ref name=US2022>{{Cite web|url=https://www.state.gov/reports/2022-report-on-international-religious-freedom/sweden/|title=Sweden|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[United States Department of State]]|access-date=23 December 2024}}</ref> 

=== Surveys ===
In 2017, the [[Pew Research Center]]'s ''Global Attitudes Survey'' found that 59.9% of the Swedes regarded themselves as Christians, with 48.7% belonging to the Church of Sweden, 9.5% were Unaffiliated Christians, 0.7% were [[Pentecostal Protestants]], 0.4% were [[Catholics]], the [[Eastern Orthodox]] and the [[Congregationalist]] were 0.3% each. [[Irreligion|Unaffiliated people]] were 35.0% divided in 18.8% [[Atheists]], 11.9% nothing in particular and 4.3% [[Agnostics]]. [[Muslims]] were 2.2% and members of other religions were 2.5%.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.pewglobal.org/dataset/spring-2017-survey-data/|title=Spring 2017 Survey Data {{!}} Pew Research Center|website=Pew Research Center's Global Attitudes Project|language=en-US|access-date=23 October 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2016 the [[International Social Survey Programme]] found that 70.2% of the Swedish population declared belonging to a Christian denomination, with the Church of Sweden being the largest church, accounting for the 65.8% of respondents; the Free Church was the second-largest church accounting for 2.8%, Roman Catholics were 0.7% and Eastern Orthodox were 0.5%; members of other Christian denominations comprised 0.4% of the total population. A further 28.5% declared no religion, 1.1% identified as Muslim and 0.3% declared belonging to other religions.<ref name="ISSP20152">{{Cite journal|date=2016|title=Country specific religious affiliation or denomination: Sweden - weighted|url=https://zacat.gesis.org/webview/velocity?v=2&stubs=http%3A%2F%2F193.175.238.79%3A80%2Fobj%2FfVariable%2FZA6900_V157&previousmode=table&weights=http%3A%2F%2F193.175.238.79%3A80%2Fobj%2FfVariable%2FZA6900_V394&analysismode=table&study=http%3A%2F%2F193.175.238.79%3A80%2Fobj%2FfStudy%2FZA6900&gs=5&V157slice=0&mode=table&top=yes|journal=International Social Survey Programme: Role of Government V - ISSP 2016|via=[[GESIS – Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences|GESIS]]|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2015 the [[Eurobarometer]] found that Christianity was the religion of 47.6% of respondents, with Protestantism being the main denomination with 36.5%, followed by other Christians with 8.6%, Catholics with 1.6% and Eastern Orthodox with 0.8%. 31.0% of the sample identified as agnostic and 19.0% identified as atheist.<ref name="EB2015countries">{{citation|title=Discrimination in the EU in 2015|url=http://zacat.gesis.org/webview/index.jsp?headers=http%3A%2F%2F193.175.238.79%3A80%2Fobj%2FfVariable%2FZA6595_V11&previousmode=table&stubs=http%3A%2F%2F193.175.238.79%3A80%2Fobj%2FfVariable%2FZA6595_V294&study=http%3A%2F%2F193.175.238.79%3A80%2Fobj%2FfStudy%2FZA6595&V294slice=1&mode=table&v=2&weights=http%3A%2F%2F193.175.238.79%3A80%2Fobj%2FfVariable%2FZA6595_V499&V294subset=1+-+12&analysismode=table&gs=7&V11slice=AT&top=yes|work=[[Eurobarometer|Special Eurobarometer]]|year=2015|series=437|location=[[European Union]]|publisher=[[European Commission]]|access-date=15 October 2017|via=[[GESIS – Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences|GESIS]]|url-status=dead}}</ref>

{{-}}

== Christianity ==
In 2021 there were 6,228,708 formally affiliated [[Christians]] in Sweden, comprising 59.6% of the total population.<ref name="statistik2021" /><ref name="svenskakyrkan stats" />

A survey by the [[Pew Research Center]] found in spring 2016 that 66.7% out of a sample of 1,000 Swedes claimed to be Christians.<ref name="spring2016">{{Cite web|url=http://www.pewglobal.org/dataset/spring-2016-survey-data/|title=Spring 2016 Survey Data {{!}} Pew Research Center|website=www.pewglobal.org|language=en-US|access-date=9 October 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

As of 2016, 6,484,203 people, or 64.9% of the total population, were registered members of the various [[Protestantism|Protestant denominations]] in Sweden.<ref name="statistik2016">{{Cite report|last=Willander|first=Erika|editor-last=Stockman|editor-first=Max|translator-last=Engström|translator-first=Martin|url=https://www.myndighetensst.se/download/18.619a13c216d889e2bad4b1fa/1572609036593/The%20Religious%20landscape_La%CC%8Aguppl.pdf|title=The Religious Landscape of Sweden – Affinity, Affiliation, and Diversity in the 21st Century|date=2019|publisher=[[Swedish Agency for Support to Faith Communities]]|publication-place=Stockholm|language=en|isbn=978-91-983453-4-6|access-date=20 December 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="svenskakyrkan stats" />

=== Church of Sweden ===
{{Main|Church of Sweden}}
[[File:Umeå stads kyrka.jpg|thumb|[[Umeå City Church]].]]
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; clear:right; margin:0.5em 0 0.5em 1em;"
|+ Church of Sweden statistics<ref name="svenskakyrkan stats"/><ref name="CoS member stats"/><ref>[https://www.svenskakyrkan.se/filer/d0a30387-feff-48b3-810e-2c8225f2fb54.pdf?id=2705246 Svenska kyrkans medlemsutveckling år 1972-2024]</ref>
|-
! Year
! Population
! [[Church membership|Church members]]
! Percentage
! % change (avg.)
|-
| 1972 || 8,146,000 || 7,754,784 || 95.2% ||
|-
| 1975 || 8,208,000 || 7,770,881 || 94.7% || 0.2% {{decrease}}
|-
| 1980 || 8,278,000 || 7,690,636 || 92.9% || 0.3% {{decrease}}
|-
| 1985 || 8,358,000 || 7,629,763 || 91.5% || 0.3% {{decrease}}
|-
| 1990 || 8,573,000 || 7,630,350 || 89.0% || 0.5% {{decrease}}
|-
| 1995 || 8,837,000 || 7,601,194 || 86.0% || 0.6% {{decrease}}
|-
| 2000 || 8,880,000 || 7,360,825 || 82.9% || 0.6% {{decrease}}
|-
| 2005 || 9,048,000 || 6,967,498 || 77.0% || 1.2% {{decrease}}
|-
| 2010 || 9,415,570 || 6,589,769 || 70.0% || 1.4% {{decrease}}
|-
| 2015 || 9,850,452 || 6,225,091 || 63.2% || 1.4% {{decrease}}
|-
| 2016 || 9,995,153 || 6,109,546 || 61.1% || 2.1% {{decrease}}
|-
| 2017 || 10,120,242 || 5,993,368 || 59.3% || 1.8% {{decrease}}
|-
| 2018 || 10,230,185 || 5,899,242 || 57.7% || 1.6% {{decrease}}
|-
| 2019 || 10,327,579 || 5,823,515 || 56.4% || 1.3% {{decrease}}
|-
| 2020 || 10,379,295 || 5,728,746 || 55.2% || 1.6% {{decrease}}
|-
| 2021 || 10,452,326 || 5,633,867 || 53.9% || 1.3% {{decrease}}
|-
| 2022 || 10,521,556 || 5,563,351 || 52.8% || 1.1% {{decrease}}
|-
| 2023 ||  || 5,484,319 || 52.1% || 0.7% {{decrease}}
|-
| '''2024''' || ''' ''' || '''5,426,053''' || '''51.4%''' || '''0.7%''' {{decrease}}
|}
Representing about half of the population, the Church of Sweden ({{langx|sv|Svenska kyrkan}}) is the largest Christian church in Sweden, and also the largest religious body. The church professes the [[Lutheranism|Lutheran]] faith and is a member of the [[Porvoo Communion]]. As of 2024, it had 5,426.053 members, 51,4 % of the Swedish population,<ref>[https://www.svenskakyrkan.se/filer/d0a30387-feff-48b3-810e-2c8225f2fb54.pdf?id=2705246 Svenska kyrkans medlemsutveckling år 1972-2024]</ref><ref name="svenskakyrkan stats"/><ref name="CoS member stats"/> Until 2000 it held the position of [[state religion]], and most Swedes were baptised at birth, until 1996 all newborns with at least one parent being a member of the Church of Sweden were also registered as members of the church.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/1995/1004/04061.html|title=Sweden Snaps Strong Ties Between Church and State|author=Wendy Sloane|date=4 October 1995|newspaper=The Christian Science Monitor|access-date=7 March 2016}}</ref> Yet the membership is declining rapidly, about 1% each year, for the most recent years even 2%, falling from 95% in 1972 and 82% in 2000. The number of both new [[baptism]]s and members has declined since. Indeed, according to official statistics, as of 2021:

* About 1 out of 3 (35.2%) children are [[Infant baptism|christened]] in the Church of Sweden.<ref name="SK2021">{{cite web|url=https://www.svenskakyrkan.se/filer/1374643/D%c3%b6pta,%20konfirmerade,%20vigda%20och%20begravda%20i%20Svenska%20kyrkan%201970-2021.pdf|title=Döpta, konfirmerade, vigda och begravda enligt Svenska kyrkans ordning år 1970-2021|publisher=Church of Sweden}}</ref>
* About 1 out of 4 (23.5%) weddings take place in church.<ref name="SK2021"/>
* About 2 out of 3 (66.8%) Swedes have Christian burials.<ref name="SK2021"/>

The Church of Sweden, by law,<ref>[http://riksdagen.se/webbnav/index.aspx?nid=3911&bet=1998:1591 "SFS 1998:1591"], [[Riksdag]]en</ref> is organized in the following manner:
*It is an Evangelical Lutheran community of faith manifested in [[parish]]es and [[diocese]]s. The church also has a national organisation.
*It is an open national church which, working with a [[democracy|democratic]] organisation and through the ministry of the church, covers the whole nation.
*The [[primate (bishop)|primate]] of the Church of Sweden is the [[Archbishop of Uppsala]].

=== Other Protestant denominations ===
The 19th century saw the arrival of various [[low church|evangelical]] [[free church]]es, and, towards the end of the century [[secularism]], leading many to distance themselves from church [[ritual]]s. Leaving the [[Church of Sweden]] became legal with the so-called [[Dissenter Acts (Sweden)|Dissenter Act]] of 1860, but only under the provision of entering another denomination. The right to not belong to any [[religious denomination]] was established in the law on [[freedom of religion]] in 1951.

Today, the [[Swedish Free Church Council]] ({{langx|sv|Sveriges Frikyrkosamråd}}) organizes free churches in Sweden, belonging to various Protestant denominations: [[Calvinist]], [[Pentecostal]], and others. In total the member churches have around 250,000 members. [[Baptists]], [[Methodist]]s and the [[Mission Covenant Church of Sweden]] merged in 2011 into a new denomination: the [[Uniting Church in Sweden]]. It is the largest member church in the Swedish Free Church Council, with approximately 65,000 members. One of the Baptist denominations, the [[Evangelical Free Church in Sweden]], has remained an independent denomination outside this merger.

=== Catholicism ===
{{Main|Catholic Church in Sweden}}
[[File:Kristus Konungens katolska kyrka (Hedendomen) i Göteborg 5887.jpg|thumb|Catholic Church of Christ the King in [[Gothenburg]].]]
Most Catholics in Sweden are of [[Slavs|Slavic]] (especially [[Polish people|Poles]] and [[Croats]]), [[South America]]n or [[Middle East]]ern (especially [[Assyrian people|Assyrian]]) origin.

As of 2021, legally registered Catholics in Sweden were 126,286,<ref name="statistik2021" /> comprising 1.2% of the total population, the same percentage was found in a spring 2016 survey in Sweden.<ref name="spring2016" />

=== Orthodoxy ===
Multiple Orthodox jurisdictions exist in Sweden, including but not limited to the Greek and Serbian Orthodox Churches. There is also a substantial presence of [[Syriac Orthodox Church|Syriac]], [[Copts|Coptic]] and [[Ethiopians|Ethiopian]] Orthodox Christians. The [[Serbian Orthodox Church]] has several parishes in Sweden, under jurisdiction of [[Serbian Orthodox Eparchy of Britain and Scandinavia]]. As of 2021, legally registered [[Eastern Orthodox Christians]] were 160,266 and they were the second-largest Christian denomination in Sweden, comprising 1.5% of the total population.<ref name="statistik2021" />

=== Restorationist ===
[[File:RiketsSalKhamn.JPG|thumb|A Jehovah's [[kingdom hall]] in [[Kristinehamn]].]]

====Jehovah's Witnesses====
{{Main|Jehovah's Witnesses in Sweden}}
According to the ''2015 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses'', there are 22,730 active members in Sweden, and 36,270 people attended their annual [[Jehovah's Witnesses practices#Memorial of Christ's death|memorial of Christ's death]]. This number includes active members and guests.<ref>[http://www.jw.org/en/publications/books/?contentLanguageFilter=en&pubFilter=yb12&sortBy=1 ''2012 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses'']. JW.org. Retrieved 9 January 2014.</ref><ref name=":22">{{Cite news|url=https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/worldwide/SE/|title=Sweden: How Many Jehovah's Witnesses Are There?|work=JW.ORG|access-date=7 October 2017|language=en}}</ref>

====The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints====
{{Main|The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Sweden}}
[[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints]] claims 9,528 members in 40 congregations in Sweden as of 2022.<ref>{{cite web |title=Statistics and Church Facts {{!}} Total Church Membership |url=https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/facts-and-statistics/country/sweden |website=newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org |access-date=1 August 2022 |language=en}}</ref>

==Other Abrahamic religions ==
===Islam===
{{Main|Islam in Sweden}}
[[File:Stockholms moské (gabbe).jpg|thumb|[[Stockholm Mosque]].]]
[[File:Moske Malmo 2014Jun17 0002-3.jpg|thumb|right|[[Malmö mosque|Mosque]] in Malmö, where approx 1/3 of city’s inhabitants are Muslims.]]
[[Islam]] entered Sweden primarily through immigration from countries with large Muslim populations (such as [[Albania]], [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]], [[Turkey]], [[Iraq]], [[Morocco]], [[Iran]], [[Kosovo]], [[Sandžak]], [[Somalia]] and [[Syria]]) in the late 20th century. The [[Baltic Tatars]] were the first Muslim group in modern Sweden.

In 2021, Sweden's official statistics counted 224,459 formally affiliated Muslims.<ref name="statistik2021" /> According to a 2016 [[Pew Research Center]] estimate, they are 8.1% of the Swedish population.<ref name=US2022 />

==== Future projections ====
The Pew Research Center estimates that Sweden's Muslim population by 2050 could grow to 31% in a high migration scenario, 21% in a medium scenario and 11% with no further Muslim migration.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2017-11-29 |title=Europe’s Growing Muslim Population |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2017/11/29/europes-growing-muslim-population/#:~:text=Sweden,%20which%20also%20has%20accepted,with%20no%20further%20Muslim%20migration. |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=Pew Research Center |language=en-US}}</ref>



===Judaism===
{{Main|History of the Jews in Sweden}}
[[File:Malmö synagoga 2.jpg|thumb|[[Malmö Synagogue]].]]
The Official Council of Swedish Jewish Communities estimates about 20,000 [[ethnic Jews]] in Sweden by [[Halakha|halakhic]] criteria.<ref>[http://www.judiskacentralradet.se/html/antal_judar.php "Antal judar"]. ''Judiska Centralrådet'' (in Swedish).</ref> Of them, about 8,153 were members of a Jewish religious congregation in 2021.<ref name="statistik2021" />

Stockholm has the largest community and boasts a primary school, a kindergarten, a library, a bi-monthly publication (''[[Judisk Krönika]]'') and a weekly Jewish radio program. Other cities like [[Malmö]], [[Gothenburg]], [[Borås]], [[Helsingborg]], [[Lund]], and [[Uppsala]] have Jewish communities as well. [[Synagogues]] can be found in Stockholm (which has two [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]] and one [[Conservative Judaism|Conservative]] synagogue), Göteborg (one Orthodox and one Conservative synagogue), Malmö (one Orthodox synagogue), and in [[Norrköping]] (although the Norrköping community is too small to perform regular services).

===Bahá'í Faith===
{{Main|Bahá'í Faith in Sweden}}
In 2020, the Bahá'ís claimed about 1,000 members and 25 local assemblies in Sweden from Umeå in the north to Malmö in the south.<ref name="english">{{cite web|title=English Summary |publisher=National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Sweden |url=https://www.bahai.se/kontakt |access-date=16 February 2022 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220232918/https://www.bahai.se/kontakt |archive-date=20 February 2020 }}. The Bahá'ís only count adults 21 years or older, who have declared their faith in Bahá'u'lláh by signing a testimonial. If the Baha'i believers, like the Muslims, should count all children is the number of Bahá'ís in Sweden over 3000.</ref> 

In November 2009 the Swedish paper ''[[Västerbottens-Kuriren]]'' reported that 25 local non-profit Bahá'í organization had changed their organizational form to religious communions. The central Bahá'í secretariat in Stockholm stated at the time that the Bahá'i Faith in Sweden had 1003 members.<ref>"Forening blir forsamling" in ''Västerbottens-Kuriren'' 30 November 2009. Umeå: Article by Anders Wynne.</ref> 

== Dharmic religions ==
===Buddhism===
{{Main|Buddhism in Sweden}}
[[File:Buddharama Tempel 03.jpg|thumb|Buddharama Temple in [[Torsby]].]]
Buddhism is relatively well-established in Sweden with both organisations focussing on ethnic East Asians and others oriented towards converts.<ref>{{Cite book |title=East Asian Religiosities in the European Union: Globalisation, Migration, and Hybridity |date=2024 |publisher=Brill {{!}} Schöningh |isbn=978-3-657-79466-9 |editor-last=Cox |editor-first=Laurence |edition=2024 |location=Paderborn |editor-last2=Dessì |editor-first2=Ugo |editor-last3=Pokorny |editor-first3=Lukas}}</ref> In 2021, there were 12,328 formally affiliated [[Buddhism|Buddhists]] in Sweden, comprising 0.12% of the total population.<ref name="statistik2021" /> However, it is thought that the actual number of Buddhists is much higher since only members of organized faith communities are reflected in the Swedish Agency for Support to Faith Communities's statistics. In April 2020, the number of Buddhists was estimated in to be around 57,000 people, around 0.7% of Sweden's population.<ref name=":0" />

===Hinduism===
{{Main|Hinduism in Sweden}}
[[File:Korsnäs gård 2014d.jpg|thumb|Korsnäs gård, main building 2014.]]
The 2005 ''International Religious Freedom Report'' stated that there are between 7,000 and 10,000 [[Hindu]]s in the country at that time.<ref>{{Cite web |date=10 January 2020 |title=Sweden |url=https://2001-2009.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2005/51583.htm|author=<!--Not stated--> |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200110230825/https://2001-2009.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2005/51583.htm |archive-date=10 January 2020 |access-date=16 March 2023 |website=U.S. Department of State}}</ref>

==Germanic Heathenism==
{{Main|Heathenry (new religious movement)}}
[[File:SAs årsting 2008-04-26 blot Ale stenar.jpg|thumb|Members of Forn Sed Sweden holding a [[blót|sacrifice]].]]
Germanic Heathenry, the contemporary continuation of ancient Germanic religion, is represented by various organizations, including the [[Nordic Asa-Community]] ({{Lang|sv|Nordiska Asa-samfundet}}), the [[Swedish Forn Sed Assembly]] ({{Lang|sv|Samfundet Forn Sed Sverige}}) and the [[Community for Nordic Faith]] ({{Lang|sv|Samfälligheten för Nordisk Sed}}). Founded in 2014, the Nordic Asa-Community has quickly grown to become the largest Heathen organization in Sweden, despite being the most recently established among the three.<ref name=Dagen>Jacob Zetterman. "[http://www.dagen.se/dokument/asatron-frodas-i-en-nationalistisk-miljo-1.806517 Asatron frodas i en nationalistisk miljö]". ''Dagen'', 18 November 2016.</ref>

==Irreligion==
{{Main|Irreligion in Sweden}}
According to [[Britannica]], in 2016, 30% of the population was "none/unspecified".<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|title=Sweden|encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica|Britannica]]|date=22 December 2024|last1=Enander|first1=Henrik|last2=Helmfrid|first2=Staffan|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/irreligion|publisher=[[Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.]]|access-date=23 December 2024}}</ref>

==Freedom of religion==
In 2023, the country was scored 4 out of 4 for [[freedom of religion]] or belief.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://freedomhouse.org/country/sweden/freedom-world/2024|title=Sweden: Freedom in the World 2024 Country Report|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[Freedom House]]|access-date=23 December 2024}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Christianization of Scandinavia]]
*[[Religion in Europe]]
*[[Religion by country]]
*[[Demographics of atheism]]
*[[Sámi shamanism]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category-inline|Religion in Sweden}}
*{{Cite web|url=http://www.eurel.info/|title=Eurel: sociological and legal data on religions in Europe|author=<!--Not stated-->|url-status=dead}}

{{Sweden topics}}
{{Christianity in Sweden}}
{{Religion in Europe}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Religion In Sweden}}
[[Category:Religion in Sweden| ]]