Sweden held a general election on September 13, 2026, to fill all 349 seats in the Riksdag, the country’s parliament, alongside separate votes for 21 regional and 290 municipal councils. The final count, completed on September 17, was 176 seats for the four-party centre-left opposition and 173 for the bloc that had backed Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s government — a three-seat majority in the 349-seat chamber. The opposition bloc is the Social Democrats, Left Party, Centre Party and Green Party; the governing bloc is the Moderates, Sweden Democrats, Christian Democrats and Liberals. On September 17 Kristersson asked in a letter to be relieved of the office of prime minister; he stays on as a caretaker until a successor takes over.
Key facts
- Final result: the centre-left opposition won 176-173, a three-seat majority, confirmed September 17
- Kristersson: asked in a letter on September 17 to be relieved of the office; caretaker until a new government takes over
- Sweden Democrats: fell to an estimated 17.5-17.6% of the vote (from 20.5% in 2022) — the party’s first vote-share decline since entering parliament in 2010, dropping it to third place
- Social Democrats: still the largest single party at roughly 28%, but down from 30.3% in 2022 — one of its weakest results in more than a century
- New Riksdag convenes: September 28, with the earliest possible prime-minister vote on September 29
- Past coalition talks: took 37 days after the 2022 election and 134 days after the 2018 election
Sweden Democrats slide to third place
A notable shift was inside the right-wing bloc: the Sweden Democrats lost vote share and fell to third place. The Sweden Democrats, the far-right party that has been the largest single party propping up Kristersson’s government, took an estimated 17.5-17.6% of the vote, down from about 20.5% in 2022. It’s the first time the party’s vote share has fallen in a parliamentary election since it entered the Riksdag in 2010, and it dropped the Sweden Democrats to third place behind the Moderates, who polled close to 20%. Party leader Jimmie Akesson said on election night that “we will not know tonight” who ends up forming the next government.
Social Democrats stay largest party despite a weak result
The Social Democrats, led by Magdalena Andersson, still finished as the single largest party with roughly 28% of the vote — but that is down from 30.3% in 2022, and international coverage described it as one of the party’s weakest results in more than a century. Andersson told supporters on election night: “For now, we are in the lead. And if that is confirmed, Sweden will have a new government.” Kristersson did not concede that night either. He said the question of who governs “remains an open question” and that once the final result is in, “it’s a good idea to look at possible combinations” — he did not spell out what he meant, but he has since floated exploring arrangements within his own bloc that would leave the Sweden Democrats out of government.
How the count settled
The seat count did move while ballots were being counted: an early snapshot from The Local Sweden’s live blog, with roughly 90% of districts counted, had the opposition ahead by just one seat, 175 to 174, and SVT’s election-night model put 175-174 as the likeliest outcome. After the late postal and overseas ballots were counted, the result settled at 176-173 on September 17, and the Election Authority has since published its formal decision on the results. The final seats are Social Democrats 99, Left 30, Centre 25 and Green 22 for the opposition, and Moderates 70, Sweden Democrats 62, Christian Democrats 22 and Liberals 19 for the governing bloc; the preliminary party tally (100 Social Democrat and 29 Left seats) changed slightly in the final count. SVT reported a margin of roughly 50,000 votes between the two blocs.
Why forming a government could take time
Even a confirmed lead won’t hand either side power by itself. Riksdag Speaker Andreas Norlen has said forming a government “could very well be a complicated process.” On the left, the Centre Party has refused to sit in government with the Left Party, even though Andersson’s bloc needs both parties’ seats to govern — and the Left Party is seeking policy concessions, including on wealth taxation, in exchange for backing a Social Democrat-led government. The Centre Party, part of Andersson’s opposition bloc, is also being discussed as a potential swing vote for the other side: any deal that brought it into a Kristersson-led government instead would likely require dropping the Sweden Democrats. Political analyst Mats Knutson has raised the possibility that prolonged talks could lead to a snap election if no coalition comes together. Sweden’s two most recent government formations took 37 days in 2022 and 134 days in 2018.
What happens next
The newly elected Riksdag is scheduled to convene for the first time on September 28, with its working year formally opening September 29 — the earliest date lawmakers can vote on a new prime minister. Kristersson remains in office as a caretaker prime minister until a successor takes over. On September 18 Speaker Andreas Norlen formally asked Andersson to try to form a government, and she accepted, saying she would act constructively; she is expected to report back when the new Riksdag convenes on September 28. No coalition has been agreed: the Centre Party has ruled out sitting in government with the Left Party even though Andersson’s bloc needs both parties’ seats to govern, so exactly who forms the next government is still an open question. Sweden’s two most recent government formations took 37 days in 2022 and 134 days in 2018.
Update, Sept. 30, 2026: Andersson gave up her attempt on Monday, Sept. 28, after more than a week of talks with the other three parties in her bloc failed over ideological differences, AFP reported via The Local. Speaker Andreas Norlén held talks with party leaders on Wednesday, Sept. 30, on who should try next; he could turn to Kristersson, who heads the caretaker government, or ask Andersson to try again. The speaker has four chances to put a candidate for prime minister to a Riksdag vote before a new election must be called. No prime-minister vote has been held.