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Is sweden the safest place with no rapes to live in
Executive summary
Sweden is not “the safest place with no rapes”; official and academic sources show Sweden records many reported rapes (10,167 registered in 2024 per the Swedish crime authority) and reported sexual offences rose to 25,879 in 2024 [1]. High reported rates reflect a mix of broader legal definitions, improved reporting and recording practices, and real incidents — experts and datasets stress all three factors contribute [2] [3] [4].
1. Why Sweden often appears at the top of rape rankings
Sweden’s statutory definition of rape has been broadened and its recording rules are different from many countries: single courses of repeated abuse can be logged as multiple offences and the 2018 law defined rape in terms of lack of consent, expanding what is recorded as rape [2] [3]. International comparisons therefore overstate direct “apples‑to‑apples” differences; World Population Review and Wikipedia note methodological and definitional differences reshape apparent rates [4] [2].
2. What the Swedish official numbers actually show
Swedish official statistics show a rising number of reported sexual offences: the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention data compiled in Statista and Brå’s public reporting record tens of thousands of sexual offence reports (25,879 sexual offences and 10,167 rapes registered in 2024) [5] [1]. The European Institute for Gender Equality also reports thousands of rape and sexual intimate partner violence offences in recent years [6].
3. Legal reform and changes in prosecution affect conviction and reporting rates
After Sweden changed its rape law to focus on consent in 2018, conviction rates rose and reporting practices changed; Reuters documented a 75% rise in convictions within two years of the reform and experts linked legislative change to increased prosecutions of a wider set of cases [3]. GREVIO (Council of Europe experts) has credited Sweden with progress in legislation and prosecutions tied to the consent‑based law [7].
4. Reporting, survey, and victim‑group studies add nuance
Surveys and academic studies show complex prevalence patterns: a 2024 Frontiers study of young migrants found high self‑reported prevalence of sexual violence and rape in some migrant subgroups (e.g., 17% for certain groups), underlining that vulnerability varies across populations and that many incidents occur in private or social settings [8] [9]. These studies point to both genuine incidence and differential reporting across groups [8].
5. Research on perpetrators and contested interpretations
Recent academic work finds associations between immigrant background and rape convictions after statistical adjustments, a finding reported in peer‑review outlets and university coverage, but authors note confounders and policy implications rather than simple causal claims [10] [11] [12]. Different outlets and studies interpret these findings in different ways: some stress structural risk factors and socioeconomics, others highlight the need for careful policy responses rather than broad generalisations [10] [11].
6. What “safest” and “no rapes” actually mean in data terms
No reliable source supports the idea that any country — including Sweden — has “no rapes.” Official crime statistics, academic studies, and international databases all report incidents; Sweden’s high reporting rates mean it appears less “safe” by simple ranking but that reflects recording and legal definitions as much as underlying prevalence [2] [4] [1]. Available sources do not mention any country being completely free of rape.
7. How to interpret cross‑country comparisons responsibly
Analysts warn that raw per‑capita rape counts are shaped by legal scope, police recording practices, cultural willingness to report, and survey methodologies [4] [2]. WorldPopulationReview and Wikipedia both highlight that developed countries with stronger victim support and broader legal definitions often show higher reported rates — not necessarily higher true incidence [4] [2].
8. Practical takeaways for someone choosing where to live
If personal safety from sexual violence is a priority, use multiple indicators: local crime trends (Brå), survey estimates, victim support availability, legal protections and enforcement, and community factors. Sweden offers strong legal protection and active reporting/prosecution efforts (including consent‑based law and rising convictions), but reports and studies show sexual violence remains a significant societal problem rather than being absent [3] [1] [7].
Limitations and final note: this answer relies only on the supplied reporting and studies; available sources do not provide a single, definitive measure of “safety” or any evidence of a country with zero rapes (not found in current reporting).