Sweden’s murder rate is now 50% higher than that of El Salvador, reports indicate. The statistics reveal increasing levels of gang violence in the Scandinavian country, with 32 bombings recorded in January 2025 alone—primarily in Stockholm.
This website has covered the crisis extensively, with few Swedish politicians (outside of the Sweden Democrats) willing to link crime and migration or propose and implement effective countermeasures.
Controversially, one other explanation for the two countries’ changing homicide statistics is President Nayib Bukele’s hardline approach to crime in El Salvador, including the notorious Barrio 18 and MS-13 gangs. With suspected, accused, and convicted felons jailed en masse, the murder rate has dropped significantly.
