A recent survey from Statistics Sweden (SCB) paints a stark picture of fear after dark—especially among young women. Nearly one in three Swedish women aged 16 to 29 say they’ve chosen to stay home at night in the past year out of fear of threats or violence. Among young men, that number drops sharply to just 8%.
But this isn’t just a youth issue or a gender gap—fear spans generations. Even in the most confident age group, 50 to 64, more than 1 in 5 women say fear keeps them indoors at night.
Zooming out, fear of going out after dark has crept upward over time. In the early 1980s, just 12% of Swedes reported this kind of anxiety. Today, that figure stands at 18%.
When it comes to actual risk, the numbers tell a more complicated story. Young men (16–29) are statistically more likely than young women to be victims of threats or violence. But both young men and women are far more likely to face danger than older groups—so their fear, while gendered, isn’t unfounded.
