At a glance
Key figures — the most important numbers on this page
2026
32 %
Women 16–84, Brå NTU comparable series
2024
31 %
Women 16–84, Brå NTU comparable series
2007
34 %
Women 16–84, Brå NTU comparable series
What does the data show?
Objective observations — not interpretations
- In Brå's comparable recalculated NTU series, 34 % of women aged 16–84 felt unsafe or refrained from going out alone late in the evening in their neighbourhood in 2007, 31 % in 2024, 32 % in 2025 and 32 % in 2026.
- The level is thus roughly the same in 2007 and 2026 in the comparable series. The earlier claim of a doubling (13 % → 30 %) mixed non-comparable measures and has been removed.
- Nordic comparisons are not shown because harmonised originals are not available.
Definitions
How the numbers are counted — and what they do not cover
- Unsafe outside alone after dark
- Share who feel very or fairly unsafe, or refrain from going out alone late in the evening in their neighbourhood because of insecurity (Brå's wording). Here women aged 16–84. The measure captures perceived insecurity, not actual victimisation.Source: Brå NTU, insecurity and fear of crime.
- NTU
- The Swedish Crime Survey. Brå's annual survey to about 200,000 people aged 16–84. It measures victimisation, fear, confidence in authorities and reporting propensity. Brå recalculated the series for comparability after a method change.
- Fear of crime (NTU)
- Separate NTU question in which respondents indicate how often they worry about being subjected to specific offences — e.g. assault, sexual offences, burglary. Fear is a broader measure than evening insecurity and can diverge from actual victimisation.Source: Brå NTU, chapter on insecurity and fear.
- Self-reported victimisation
- NTU question in which the respondent states whether they personally were subjected to specific offences (assault, threats, sexual offences, personal robbery) in the past year. Differs from police-reported offences — some incidents are never reported, others are recorded without the victim self-identifying as a crime victim.
- Reported offence
- Register data from Brå's official statistics on offences reported to the police, customs or prosecutors. The volume of reports is affected by victimisation, reporting propensity and legal definition — it is therefore not a direct measure of how many women are actually subjected to crime.
- Survey vs register
- NTU is a survey with self-reported answers weighted to the population. Brå's crime statistics are register data based on reports. The two sources answer different questions and should be read in parallel, not as the same series.This applies to every NTU measure on this page.
How to read this
Data in context
How to read this
The charts below show what the numbers say — not an interpretation. Where data point in different directions (e.g. stable trust but rising insecurity) we show both series rather than pick a narrative.
| Year | Share |
|---|---|
| 2007 | 34% |
| 2024 | 31% |
| 2025 | 32% |
| 2026 | 32% |
Years 2008–2023 are not shown pending an exact extract of the comparable series; no values are interpolated. Source: Brå, Swedish Crime Survey (NTU), recalculated comparable series. Self-reported survey data.
How to read this chart
Definition
Share of women aged 16–84 who feel very or fairly unsafe, or refrain from going out alone late in the evening in their neighbourhood because of insecurity (Brå NTU, comparable recalculated series).
Method
Brå's Swedish Crime Survey (NTU). Brå recalculated the series for comparability; only verified year points are shown here.
What the chart shows
- 2007: 34 %
- 2024: 31 %
- 2025: 32 %
- 2026: 32 %
Limitations
- Self-reported survey data; measures perception, not actual victimisation.
- Intermediate years are not shown pending an exact extract.
Where research shows strong associations, they are cited. Where the evidence is uncertain or contested, this is stated. The page draws no causal conclusion beyond what the data supports.
Human consequence
Illustrative persona — not a documented observation
Illustrative scenario — not measured data: a woman, 22, living in a Swedish city with more than 100,000 inhabitants.
Then
- Takes the last bus home from training.
- Walks home through the city centre.
Now
- Sometimes takes a taxi for the last kilometres or asks for a ride.
- Shares live location with a friend on the way home.
How does it look in your municipality?
NTU is broken down by municipality and area. Open the municipality tool to see the share who feel unsafe in your municipality.
Dataset
Brå NTU — insecurity among women 16–84, comparable series (verified points)
- N:
- 3 observations
- Last updated:
- 2026-10
Points 2007, 2024, 2025 and 2026 read from Brå's comparable recalculated series on 2026-10-20.
Primary sources
Agencies and research institutions behind this page
1
agencies/institutions
1
reports & studies
1
primary datasets
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to what is most often discussed
Related topics
Logical next steps if you want to understand the background
In closing
What explains why about one in three women still feels unsafe in her neighbourhood late in the evening?
No projection is made. The series has stayed at a similar level: 34 % in 2007, 31 % in 2024 and 32 % in 2025.
Sources for this page
The data comes from official primary sources.
Brå · Annually
Nationella trygghetsundersökningen (NTU)NTU — utsatthet och otrygghet
Latest data point · Source published
Read the full investigation of how Sweden has changed.
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