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🇸🇪 Sweden /Elections & Politics

Swedish parties court voters living abroad

From Dagens Nyheter · () Swedish

Translated from Swedish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Analysis Named sources Context piece
  • Sweden's parties are targeting the growing population of citizens living abroad ahead of the 2026 parliamentary election.
  • More than 370,000 expatriate Swedes can vote, but only 32% voted in 2022, compared with 84% of voters in Sweden.
  • Campaign appeals include a lower expatriate income tax, easier arrangements for returning Swedes' relatives, the euro and a state-backed electronic identity system.

Swedish parties are turning more directly to voters living abroad as the 2026 election approaches. The group includes young people working in Swedish customer service in Malta, digital nomads in Thailand, pensioners on the Riviera, diplomats, engineers and other citizens working overseas.

The Association of Swedes Abroad estimates that 700,000 Swedish citizens live outside the country. More than 370,000 of them are eligible to vote in the parliamentary election in September. Yet turnout among expatriate Swedes remains low: 32% voted in 2022, compared with 84% in Sweden.

There are very clear differences in party choice between Swedes living abroad and those living in Sweden.

· SOM Institute reportThe 2014 study described how expatriate voting patterns differed from those of residents in Sweden.

The Moderates and Liberals have historically shown the strongest interest in bringing overseas voters to the polls. A 2014 study by the SOM Institute in Gothenburg found that the Moderates were heavily overrepresented among expatriate voters, while the Social Democrats were heavily underrepresented. The Sweden Democrats and Social Democrats also received less support abroad than they generally did in Sweden.

For you who live abroad, the election also has a concrete impact. We have lowered the SINK tax for Swedes abroad, first to 22.5 percent and from 2027 to 20 percent.

· Moderate PartyThe party used its tax policy in a letter aimed at Swedish voters living abroad.

The Moderates have sent letters to all Swedish citizens abroad, highlighting cuts to the special income tax for non-residents. The party says the rate fell first to 22.5% and will drop to 20% from 2027. Other parties are tailoring their messages as well. Liberal leader Simona Mohamsson has revived the promise of introducing the euro, saying it would make everyday life easier for many Swedes abroad.

Digital services are another concern. Some Swedish banks refuse BankID and Swish to customers who are not registered as residents in Sweden. A state electronic identity system planned for later this year could remove some of those problems, and the reform has broad support across the parties. The Social Democrats' Magdalena Andersson also opened the door to proposals in a party questionnaire by the Association of Swedes Abroad, although the supplied report ends before detailing them.

We need to anchor Sweden more deeply in Europe, not least by introducing the euro. It would make everyday life easier for many Swedes abroad.

· Simona MohamssonThe Liberal leader promoted euro adoption during a voter questionnaire by the Association of Swedes Abroad.
About this summary

Originally published by Dagens Nyheter in Swedish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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