Sweden
International Religious Freedom Report 2004
BUREAU OF DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND LABOR
The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respects this right in practice. There was no change in the status of respect for religious freedom during the period covered by this report, and government policy continued to contribute to the generally free practice of religion.
The generally amicable relationship among religions in society contributed to religious freedom.
The U.S. Government discusses religious freedom issues with the Government as part of its overall policy to promote human rights.
Section I. Religious Demography
The country has a total area of 173,732 square miles, and its population is an estimated 9.0 million. Approximately 79.6 percent of the population belongs to the Church of Sweden. Since the Church and the State separated in 2000, a number of people have left the Church each year. In 2003, 58,746 people left the Church. According to studies carried out by the Church of Sweden, the main reason for people leaving appears to be economic; membership means a tax of 1.19 percent of members' incomes. In 2003, the Church of Sweden baptized 67.6 percent of children, a figure that has declined steadily over the past 2 decades. Confirmations have declined even more sharply; 37.6 of Swedish children were confirmed in 2003, as opposed to 80 percent in 1970.
There are an estimated 140,000 Roman Catholics, of whom 82,000 are registered with the Church. Approximately 80 percent of Catholics in the country are foreign born, the largest groups coming from Southern Europe, Latin America, and Poland. The Orthodox Church has approximately 100,000 practicing members, and the main national Orthodox churches are Syrian, Serbian, Greek, Romanian, and Macedonian. There is also a large Finnish‑speaking Lutheran denomination. While weekly services in Christian houses of worship generally are poorly attended, a large number of persons observe major festivals of the ecclesiastical year and prefer a religious ceremony to mark the turning points of life.
Those who attend Protestant churches, other than the Church of Sweden, total more than 400,000. The Pentecostal movement (Pingstr�relsen) and the Missionary (or Missions) Church (Missionskyrkan) are the largest Protestant groups. In 2003, the Pentecostal movement had approximately 127,000 members.
The total number of Jewish persons living in the country is estimated to be approximately 18,500-20,000; however, the Jewish community estimates 10,000 active, or practicing, members. There are Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform Jewish synagogues. Large numbers of Jewish people attend High Holy Day services but attendance at weekly services is low.
The exact number of Muslims is difficult to estimate; however, it has increased rapidly in the past several years through immigration. The number provided by the Muslim community is approximately 300,000 to 350,000 members, of whom around 100,000 are said to be active. Muslim affiliations represented among immigrant groups are predominantly with the Shi'a and Sunni branches of Islam. There are mosques in many parts of the country. Buddhists and Hindus number approximately 3,000 to 4,000 persons each. Although no reliable statistics are available, it is estimated that 15 to 20 percent of the adult population are atheists.
The major religious communities and the Church of Sweden are spread across the country. Large numbers of immigrants in recent decades have led to the introduction of various world religions to Sweden, such as Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and a number of Christian Churches other than the Church of Sweden in those communities populated by immigrants. These communities tend to be concentrated in the larger cities.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) and other foreign missionary groups are also active in the country.
A large number of smaller, internationally active religions groups have established themselves in the country but are viewed by the general public as lying outside of the mainstream. Such groups include the Church of Scientology (claiming to have approximately 3,500 members), Landmark-Forum, Hare Krishna, Word of Faith (Livets Ord), members of Jehovah's witnesses, Opus Dei, and the Unification Church.