Sweden's Homicide Drop: Lowest in a Decade

0:00It's March 31st. This is Global News Today, driven by AI tracking the world in real time. Sweden's homicide and manslaughter numbers dropped to their lowest in over a decade last year, with just 84 people killed. That's down from 92 in 2024 and way below the peak of 124 back in 2020. Official stats from the National Council for Crime Prevention confirm it's the lowest since 2012 and marks the second year in a row of declines. A big factor was Sweden's deadliest mass shooting in February 2025, which took 10 lives but wasn't tied to gangs. That event alone made of nearly a quarter of all gun deaths that year. Still, shootings overall have more than half since 2022. This news gives a lift to the right-wing government, elected in 2022 on promises to crush the gang violence that spiked gun deaths to. Europe's highest, with elections coming in September, crime remains a top voter-ware even as violence eases.

1:02Police points afresh tools like expanded eavesdropping powers, witness anonymity in court, tougher sentences and safety zones for random searches. They've seized gang assets and stopped more shootings, making operations sharper. Gun violence stayed the leading killer, claiming 42 lives in 2025-3 fewer than before. These gangs show real progress, but Sweden's still watching close as they head into the vote.