Here you can read about religion in Sweden, in the past and today. The state is neutral and everyone may choose their own faith, while the country is home to many religions.
Freedom of religion
The Swedish state is secular. This means the state is neutral and treats all religions equally. Everyone may choose for themselves whether to belong to a religion or not. This right is called freedom of religion.
This has not always been the case. For several hundred years, Svenska kyrkan (the Church of Sweden) was a state church, meaning a church that was part of the state. For a long time, no other religion was allowed. Swedes were not allowed to leave Svenska kyrkan until 1860. But even then, you had to switch to another Christian denomination, meaning another Christian church or group.
Religionsfrihetslagen (the Freedom of Religion Act) of 1951 finally gave full freedom of religion. From then on, everyone could choose their religion freely, or live without religion at all. In 2000, Svenska kyrkan was separated from the state. Since then, it has been one faith community (a group sharing the same faith) among others. It is still the largest of the Christian denominations in Sweden.
The constitution and school
Regeringsformen (the Instrument of Government) is a fundamental law, meaning one of the country's most important laws. It protects freedom of religion: everyone may practise their religion (live according to their faith). It is also forbidden to discriminate against, meaning treat someone worse because of, their faith. Sweden therefore has a secular state, but is at the same time a multi-religious country, with many different religions.
In school, pupils study the subject of religious education. This gives them a broad picture of religions and philosophies of life from around the world. A philosophy of life is a person's outlook on life. The idea is that pupils should understand, tolerate (accept) and respect people who are different from themselves.
The role of religion today
Christianity has shaped Sweden for a very long time and left many traces in the culture. The number of members of Svenska kyrkan is falling. But the Christian holidays of Christmas and Easter are celebrated by many people, even those who are not religious. Christenings, Christian funerals and church weddings are also still common. This is true even for members who do not consider themselves believers.
Religion matters less to society than it once did. At the same time, people talk about religion more now than a few years ago. Immigration has meant that more religions are practised in the country. Today, almost every religion in the world has believers in Sweden.
Christianity
No religion in the world has more followers than Christianity. It has 3 main branches: Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant. In Sweden today there are many Christian denominations from all 3 branches.
Svenska kyrkan is Protestant, and around 5 million people are members of it. The church follows the Lutheran tradition, which began with the Reformation in the 1500s. In the Middle Ages, Sweden was Catholic, but the Reformation changed that.
Around the country, about 1,400 churches and church ruins (remains of churches) survive from the Middle Ages. One of them is Kinneveds kyrka, in Västergötland.
Judaism
The history of Judaism in Sweden begins in the 1700s. Before that, Jews were allowed neither to live here nor to practise their religion. For a long time, there was a great deal of antisemitism, meaning hatred of Jews, across Europe. In Sweden, Jews did not get full civil rights until as late as 1870. This means they got the same rights as other citizens.
Of the world religions, Judaism has the fewest followers. In Sweden today there are several Jewish congregations (local religious groups) and synagogues (Jewish houses of worship). These are places where Jewish faith and culture can be practised in various ways. The congregations do a great deal to keep Jewish tradition and community alive and growing.
Hinduism and Buddhism
Swedes came into contact with Hinduism and Buddhism mainly during the 1900s. One reason was travel to Asia. Another was a growing interest in yoga and meditation. Today, most Hindus and Buddhists here are immigrants from countries where these religions are widespread.
In several towns across the country there are Hindu and Buddhist temples and congregations. People gather there for prayer, rituals (set ceremonies) and religious festivals.
Islam
In the early 1900s, Sweden had very few Muslims. After the Second World War, more Muslims came here through immigration. In the 1970s, Sweden got its first mosques, meaning Muslim houses of worship.
Today, Islam is the second largest religion in Sweden, after Christianity. There are mosques and other prayer premises across the whole country. One example is the Stockholm Mosque, which opened in 2000.
Islam has several branches, for example Sunni and Shia. Both are found among Sweden's Muslim congregations. These are places to pray, learn more about your faith and meet others. The congregations also help keep Muslim tradition and culture alive.