Sweden Democrats facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sweden Democrats Sverigedemokraterna
Abbreviation	SD
Chairperson	Jimmie Åkesson
Party secretary	Mattias Bäckström Johansson
First deputy chair	Henrik Vinge
Second deputy chair	Julia Kronlid
Parliamentary group leader	Linda Lindberg
European Parliament leader	Charlie Weimers
Founder	Gustaf Ekström
Founded	6 February 1988; 37 years ago (1988-02-06)
Preceded by	Sweden Party
Headquarters	Riksdag, 100 12 Stockholm
Newspaper	SD-Kuriren
Youth wing	Young Swedes SDU (since 2015) Sweden Democratic Youth (1998–2015)
Women's wing	SD-Women
Media wing	Riks [sv]
Membership (2021)	33,207
Ideology	National conservatism Right-wing populism
Political position	Right-wing to far-right
European affiliation	European Conservatives and Reformists Party
European Parliament group	European Conservatives and Reformists
Nordic affiliation	Nordic Freedom
Colours	Yellow      Light blue      Bluish purple
Riksdag	72 / 349
European Parliament	3 / 21
County Councils	275 / 1,720
Municipal Councils	2,091 / 12,614

The Sweden Democrats (Swedish: Sverigedemokraterna, often called SD) is a political party in Sweden. It was started in 1988. The party focuses on ideas like nationalism and right-wing populism.

As of 2022, the Sweden Democrats are a very important party in Swedish politics. They are the largest party in the right-wing group and the second-largest party in the Riksdag (Sweden's parliament). They support the current government, which is led by other parties. The Sweden Democrats are also part of the European Conservatives and Reformists Party in the European Union.

The party describes itself as social conservative with a focus on national identity. Experts and media sometimes call them national-conservative, anti-immigration, anti-Islam, or Eurosceptic. The Sweden Democrats do not like being called "far-right." They say this label does not show what they believe today. Some of the party's early members had links to groups with extreme views. However, under Jimmie Åkesson's leadership since 2005, the party has changed. They have removed members with extreme views and made their policies more moderate. Since 2012, they have a strict rule against "extremists" and "racists."

The Sweden Democrats want stronger rules on immigration to Sweden. They also want immigrants to fit into Swedish culture. They support working closely with other Nordic countries. However, they do not want the European Union to have more power over Sweden. They believe Swedes should vote on future EU agreements. The party also thinks that having a shared national and cultural identity helps people get along better. They support Sweden's welfare system. But they believe welfare should only be for Swedish citizens and permanent residents. This idea is called welfare chauvinism.

The party supports a mixed market economy. This means they combine ideas from both left and right-wing politics. They support same-sex marriage and civil unions for gay couples. They also support gender-affirming surgery. However, they prefer children to be raised in a traditional nuclear family. They also want to ban forced marriages. The Sweden Democrats want to keep Sweden's nuclear power plants to help with climate change. They believe other countries should reduce their greenhouse gas emissions more than Sweden. The party wants to increase minimum sentences for crimes. They also want more police resources. They support increasing the number of Swedish Army brigades and spending more on defense.

Support for the Sweden Democrats has grown over time. In the 2010 Swedish general election, they won seats in parliament for the first time. They received 5.7% of the votes and 20 seats. In the 2018 Swedish general election, their support grew to 17.5%, making them the third-largest party. For a long time, other parties in Sweden did not want to work with the Sweden Democrats. But in 2019, leaders from the Christian Democrats and Moderate Party said they were ready to talk with them. In the 2022 Swedish general election, the Sweden Democrats were part of a right-wing group. They came second overall with 20.5% of the vote. After this election, the Sweden Democrats agreed to support a government led by the Moderate Party. This is the first time the party has a direct influence on the government.

History of the Sweden Democrats

Early Years and Changes (1988–1995)

Early sticker used by the Sweden Democrats with the slogan Bevara Sverige Svenskt ("Keep Sweden Swedish")

The Sweden Democrats party started in 1988. It followed another party called the Sweden Party. The Sweden Party was formed from a group called "Keep Sweden Swedish." The Sweden Democrats used "Keep Sweden Swedish" as their slogan until the late 1990s. The party says it was officially founded on February 6, 1988. This was after a meeting in Stockholm to create a new nationalist party.

At first, the party did not have one leader. Two people took turns speaking for the party. Then, Anders Klarström became the official chairman in 1989.

Some early members of the Sweden Democrats had been part of groups with extreme views. For example, the party's first auditor, Gustaf Ekström, had been in a national socialist party in the 1940s. The first chairman, Anders Klarström, had also been active in another group. However, many of these members left the party by the mid-1990s. Klarström later said he had only briefly been part of that group as a teenager.

The party's logo from the 1990s to 2006 was a torch. This torch was similar to one used by a British group. Some historians say it is unclear if the party was created to be an extreme group. But it was known to attract people with extreme views, like skinhead gangs, to its events. The party also had some controversial policy ideas before 1999. These included sending most immigrants who came after 1970 back to their home countries. They also wanted to ban adopting children from other countries and bring back the death penalty.

The Sweden Democrats also supported concerts by nationalist bands. Some party officials today say this music helped them get involved in politics. The party also recommended connections to other groups. These included some with extreme views in Germany and the US.

The Sweden Democrats won seats in local councils for the first time in 1991. This happened in Dals-Ed Municipality and Höör.

Becoming More Moderate (1995–2010)

Jimmie Åkesson, interviewed before an SVT party-leader debate in 2014

In 1995, Mikael Jansson became the new party chairman. He wanted to make the party more respected. In 1996, the party officially banned wearing any political uniform. This was after skinheads started causing problems at party meetings.

During the 1990s, the party was influenced by other European nationalist parties. These included parties from France, Austria, and Denmark. The Sweden Democrats even received money from the French National Front for the 1998 election. By the end of the 1990s, the party became more moderate. They softened their policies on immigration and the death penalty. In 1999, the party left a European group called Euronat. In 2001, the most extreme members were removed from the party. This led to a new, more radical party being formed.

In the early 2000s, a group of young leaders, including Jimmie Åkesson, continued to make the party more moderate. They removed openly extreme members. They also banned people with extreme views from party events. They changed the party's policies further. Before the 2002 election, a former member of another party joined the Sweden Democrats. He said the party had gotten rid of its extreme elements. In 2003, the party said the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was a key part of its policies. In 2005, Åkesson became the new party leader. Soon after, the party changed its logo from a flaming torch to a flower.

Entering Parliament and New Ideas (2010–2014)

In the 2010 Swedish general election, the Sweden Democrats won seats in the Riksdag for the first time. They received 5.7% of the votes and 20 members of parliament.

In 2010, the party leaders introduced a rule against racism. They later made this a strict policy against political extremism. After some elected members caused problems, the party said it would check future candidates more carefully. This was to make sure they had not been part of extreme groups. In 2011, the party also changed how it described itself. They went from "nationalist" to "social conservative."

In 2012, videos were released that showed some party members behaving badly. This led to some members leaving their positions. The party leader, Åkesson, had just started a strict policy against racism. These events caused controversy for the party.

Sweden Democrat supporters in Stockholm during the 2014 European elections

Growing Support Across Sweden (2014–2018)

In the European election of 2014, the Sweden Democrats received 9.67% of votes. They won two seats in the European Parliament. This made them the fifth-largest party in Sweden.

In the 2014 election, the Sweden Democrats received 12.9% of the votes. This doubled their support and made them the third-largest party. They did very well in southern Sweden. They also gained support in medium-sized cities in central Sweden. This showed their voter base was growing.

After this, Åkesson took a break from his duties due to stress. Mattias Karlsson temporarily took over as party leader. Åkesson returned in March 2015.

During the European migrant crisis in 2015, the Sweden Democrats' support grew even more. They even topped some polls, showing they had the support of about a quarter of voters.

Becoming Mainstream (2018–2022)

In early 2018, a new party called Alternative for Sweden was formed. It was started by members who had been removed from the Sweden Democrats' youth wing in 2015. Some Sweden Democrat members of parliament later joined this new party.

In July 2018, the two Sweden Democrats members of the European Parliament joined the European Conservatives and Reformists group.

In the 2018 Swedish general election, the Sweden Democrats increased their support to 17.5% of the vote. They did not grow as much as some polls predicted. But many experts said the party had still won a big victory. They had made other parties talk about immigration policies similar to their own. The party did especially well in southern Sweden. They also got their first mayor in Hörby Municipality.

After the election, the leader of the Christian Democrats said her party was willing to talk with the Sweden Democrats. In 2019, the leader of the Moderate Party also met with the Sweden Democrats. This was a big change, as he had previously said he would not talk to them. This led to ideas that the Sweden Democrats could be part of a new government group.

In October 2018, the Sweden Democrats joined governing groups with the Moderate Party and Christian Democrats in some local areas for the first time.

In 2020, Mattias Karlsson started a conservative think-tank called Oikos. It is thought to be closely linked to the Sweden Democrats.

In 2021, the Sweden Democrats were invited to talks about the national budget for the first time. They also called for a vote of no confidence against the government. This vote was successful and led to the prime minister stepping down.

The 2022 Election and Influence

Before the 2022 Swedish general election, the Sweden Democrats wanted to form a conservative group with other parties. They asked for government positions if their group won. During the election, the party wanted to greatly reduce asylum immigration. They also wanted stricter rules for work permits, lower energy costs, and tougher action on gang violence.

The election results showed the Sweden Democrats had their best result ever. They became the second-largest party with 20.6% of the vote.

In October 2022, the Sweden Democrats were given leadership roles in four parliamentary committees for the first time. They also made a deal with the Moderate Party leader. This deal means they will support a Moderate Party-led government. This is the first time in their history that the Sweden Democrats have direct influence over the government.

What the Sweden Democrats Believe

The Sweden Democrats' main ideas are based on "democratic nationalism" and social conservatism. They say their ideas come from Swedish national conservatism. They also take some ideas from the social democratic "people's home" concept. The party says it is not simply left or right-wing. Instead, they focus on values. They believe in "basic social justice with traditional conservative ideas," nationalism, and good government. However, many people describe the party as right-wing to far-right.

The party mainly focuses on immigration, law and order, and issues for older people. They also care about the economy and family policies. The Sweden Democrats do not like multiculturalism in Sweden. They want to protect Sweden's national heritage. They also do not want the European Union to take more power from Sweden. They want to protect Sweden's independence and money. In the past, the party used arguments about ethnic groups to defend Swedish culture. But now, they have a more moderate view on national identity.

Immigration Policies

The Sweden Democrats believe that Sweden's current immigration policies have failed. They say that Sweden's immigration policies have caused a long-term crisis. Their official policy says they welcome people who help society, follow laws, and respect customs. But they do not welcome those who misuse the system or commit crimes.

For people seeking asylum, the party wants Sweden to control its own migration and borders. They believe asylum seekers should only be able to ask for asylum in the first safe country they reach. Until this happens, they want limits on welfare for asylum seekers. They also want cultural integration to be required. The party does not want to offer permanent residency to asylum seekers. They think temporary residency should be the norm. The Sweden Democrats want Sweden to accept refugees only through the UNHCR program. This would be based on how many people each local area can handle. They also want to give priority to persecuted Christians and other minorities.

In the past, the Sweden Democrats wanted to send most immigrants back home and stop all immigration. But they changed these policies. Now, they want to strongly limit immigration. They want to give support to immigrants who do not want to fit into Swedish society to return to their home countries. They also want to change laws to remove residency or citizenship from those who break the law. The party says its migration policies are not against immigrants. They believe immigration must be at a level that does not "threaten national identity, the country's welfare or security." They also want to limit immigration from countries they call "culturally distant." They want temporary work visas only for skills that cannot be found in Sweden.

The Sweden Democrats are against free movement of labor within the European Union. They want Sweden to change its membership in the Schengen agreement. But they support free movement between Nordic nations. They believe that if less money is spent on immigration, Sweden can better help refugees in their home countries. The party also prefers immigrants to fit into Swedish culture rather than just integrating. They say integration means Swedes have to change too. They believe Swedes should not have to pay for what they call reckless immigration policies.

After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Sweden Democrats supported accepting Ukrainian refugees in Sweden.

The Sweden Democrats want European countries to build a security wall along the border with Turkey. This is to stop illegal immigration and terrorism. They also want Europe to use a migration system like Australia's. This would stop human trafficking across the Mediterranean Sea. The party wants immigrants to be required to work, learn Swedish, and go through an assimilation program. They also want a language and social skills test for citizenship. They support more spending on border police. They want to expel illegal immigrants and foreign criminals. They also want to make it easier to take away citizenship from foreign-born Swedes who commit serious crimes or are involved in terrorism.

After the 2022 Swedish general election, the Sweden Democrats achieved some of their immigration goals. They made a deal with the government. In exchange for their support, the government agreed to some of the Sweden Democrats' demands. These include stricter rules for Swedish citizenship and easier deportation for foreign-born residents and asylum seekers.

Foreign Policy Views

The Sweden Democrats want close political cooperation with other Nordic countries. But they are eurosceptic. This means they are strongly against more EU integration. They do not want Sweden to give up its independence to the European Union. The party does not want the EU to control Swedish taxes or internal affairs. They want the independence and culture of European nations to be more important than the EU's political goals. The Sweden Democrats do not want Sweden to join the Euro currency. They want to keep the krona. They also want to reduce Sweden's money contributions to Brussels. They want to change Sweden's membership in the Schengen Agreement. They want to protect freedom of speech and internet access from EU rules. They are also against Turkey joining the European Union.

The Sweden Democrats say they support European cooperation to fight crime, illegal immigration, and terrorism. But they are against creating a combined EU army. They also oppose policies that could lead to a "Federal European Superstate." The party says that if the EU cannot be changed and tries to become a Superstate, Sweden should think about leaving the EU. They want Sweden to vote on future EU laws and treaties.

The Sweden Democrats support Israel. They want to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. They also want to move the Swedish embassy there. In 2021, the Israeli government said they did not work with the Sweden Democrats because of the party's past. But by 2023, they changed their mind. This was after Sweden Democrat representatives promised to fight antisemitism. The party has strongly supported Israel since the 2023 Israel-Hamas war started. They want military action to remove Hamas. They also want the Swedish government to check all funding to Palestinian groups.

In 2011, the Sweden Democrats were the only Swedish party to vote against Sweden joining the 2011 military intervention in Libya. The party has also supported a "neutral" position on the Syrian civil war. They support creating an independent Kurdish state. They also want the Armenian genocide to be officially recognized.

The party supports closer military cooperation with other Nordic countries. They used to be against Sweden joining NATO. But after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the party leaders said they would consider joining NATO. They would support joining if Finland also applied. The Sweden Democrats have strongly supported Ukraine since the invasion. They want Sweden and Western governments to help Ukraine.

In 2022, a study of votes in the European Parliament found that the Sweden Democrats were very critical of Russia. They voted against Russian interests 93% of the time. They were the most critical Swedish party towards Russia. After the invasion of Ukraine, the party removed members who had supported Putin.

National Identity and Culture

The Sweden Democrats believe a strong, shared national and cultural identity is key for a working democracy. They think that fewer language, cultural, and religious differences help society stick together. The party says the Swedish nation is defined by "loyalty, a common language and common culture." To be part of the Swedish nation, you must either "be born in it or [...] actively choose to be a part of it." Because of these reasons, the Sweden Democrats strongly reject multiculturalism.

A party leader once said that people with dual national identities in Sweden might not see themselves as fully Swedish. He said that immigrants can become Swedish citizens. But they would need to adapt and be assimilated to be considered Swedish culturally. These comments caused controversy.

The Sweden Democrats want a cultural policy that stops funding for multicultural projects. They want to support traditional Swedish culture more. This often means opposing government money for immigrant cultural groups and festivals. They support traditional Swedish crafts, folk music, and folk dance. The party also tends to oppose government support for art they see as provocative or only for a small group of people.

The Sweden Democrats also support banning the burqa and niqāb in public places. They are against publicly broadcasting the Islamic call to prayer. Party leaders have also spoken against mosques in Sweden. The party wants stricter enforcement of laws against social separation. They also want Swedish to be the only official language in government-funded schools and media. They want more teaching of Swedish cultural history in schools. They also support banning the hijab in primary schools. They believe the choice to wear it should be made when a child is an adult. The Sweden Democrats are strongly against sharia law being part of the Swedish legal system.

Economy and Welfare

The Sweden Democrats say they support the Swedish welfare state, workers' rights, and public services. But they believe welfare should only be for Swedish citizens and permanent residents. The party says foreign-born people must prove they live legally in Sweden, pay taxes, and support themselves financially for a certain time to get welfare. The party says its economic policies are not left or right-wing. They are designed to help small and medium-sized businesses. This is to create jobs and boost the economy. They want to change the Swedish Employment Service. They want a new authority to oversee private employment services. This is to make sure large companies do not take advantage of Swedish workers. The party supports affordable and free public healthcare for Swedish citizens.

The Sweden Democrats support some free trade rules. But they believe Sweden must leave or change trade agreements that threaten Sweden's independence and workers. The party supports some economic protectionism. They want the state to own companies that operate Swedish mines, farms, and produce energy or defense equipment. However, they also support getting rid of inheritance tax and reducing property tax. Since the 2010s, the Sweden Democrats have been critical of China's involvement in Swedish projects and trade deals.

Experts describe the party as "economically centrist." They lean towards economic nationalism. They support a mixed market economy that combines left and right-wing ideas. They also promote "welfare chauvinist" policies.

Family and Social Issues

The Sweden Democrats believe children raised in a nuclear family have the best chance to grow. They think children not raised by their biological parents should be able to find out who they are. The party used to be critical of adoption by same-sex couples. But they have changed their view to allow same-sex adoption.

The party now fully supports legalizing same-sex marriage and civil unions for gay couples. But they believe religious groups, not the state, should decide if they perform a wedding ceremony.

In recent years, the Sweden Democrats have become more supportive of LGBT rights and same-sex parenting. A party member said in 2018 that homophobes "are not welcome in our party."

The party also wants to ban forced marriages.

Gender Equality and Social Justice

The Sweden Democrats are against any "special treatment" based on gender, age, nationality, or ethnic origin in the job market.

The party believes there are biological differences between men and women. They say that differences in preferences and life choices are due to individual choices. They do not necessarily mean there is discrimination.

Environment Policies

The party says Sweden should continue its "active role in global climate cooperation." But they believe other countries should reduce their emissions more. They think Sweden is already doing enough. The party wants to keep nuclear power plants as a main energy source in Sweden. They believe it is a good way to help with climate change. They also want to invest in climate research globally.

Law, Order, and Security

The Sweden Democrats want generally longer minimum sentences for crimes. They also want more money and staff for the police. The party wants to allow life imprisonment without parole for the worst crimes. They also want to send foreign citizens who commit serious crimes back to their home countries.

The party is also against bringing back Swedish citizens who joined ISIS and giving them government help.

Defense Policies

The Sweden Democrats want to increase the number of Swedish Army brigades from two to seven.

The party has said it wants to increase Sweden's defense spending. They want it to be 2–2.5% of the country's total economic output.

Monarchy

The party supports the Swedish monarchy. They believe it should have a role in Swedish life and culture. But they also want to change the constitution. This change would make the Riksdag elect a new monarch if there is no heir to the throne.

Other Policies

The Sweden Democrats want to lower taxes for older people. They also want to increase housing support for them. The party wants to give more money to local areas to help seniors with food and improve their lives. They also want to stop abuse and crimes against older people.

The Sweden Democrats are critical of special rights for the Sámi people in northern Sweden. They have argued that those who do not herd reindeer are treated as "second class citizens." They say the privileges of reindeer herders are "undemocratic." They want to change how councils and funds for the Sámi population are used. They want them to be used "regardless of ethnic identity." They also want to get rid of the Sámi Parliament. They say it gives special privileges to an "ethnic minority" while society claims equal rights for others.

International Connections

In its early days, the Sweden Democrats were known to connect with extreme right-wing groups in Sweden and Europe. In the 1990s, the party started to distance itself from these groups. They began to connect with the French National Front. They received support from them. But the party did not actively look for formal relationships outside Sweden. After leaving a European group, the party was more influenced by the neighboring Danish People's Party. By the 2000s, they saw the Danish People's Party as a sister party. In 2010, a party secretary said the Sweden Democrats were more focused on Sweden's issues than on working with foreign parties. The party was also active in groups that opposed certain ideologies from 2007 to 2011.

In Europe, the Sweden Democrats have had some contact with parties from Austria, the Netherlands, and Belgium. The Danish People's Party was at first unsure about working with the Sweden Democrats. But in 2010, a Danish leader traveled to Sweden to help with the party's election campaign. Later, a Danish People's Party spokesman hosted the Sweden Democrats' conference. He said both parties would work together. Before the European election of 2014, there was talk that the Sweden Democrats would join a group led by Marine Le Pen. Sweden Democrat politicians confirmed they had met with this group. But they said the talks were informal. The Danish People's Party reportedly threatened to end ties with the Sweden Democrats if they joined this group. They said they would work with the Sweden Democrats and the Dutch Freedom Party. But they were against including parties like the National Front.

However, after the election, the Sweden Democrats started to distance themselves from other European far-right parties. They chose to join the more moderate Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy (EFDD) group with the UK Independence Party. In 2016, Marine Le Pen said the Sweden Democrats were no longer officially working with her party.

In 2015, the Sweden Democrats started building closer ties with the Danish People's Party. In 2018, they announced an official cooperation agreement with the Finns Party. All three parties are members of the Nordic Freedom group.

The Sweden Democrats worked with the Alternative for Germany party when both were in the EFDD group. Jimmie Åkesson called the AfD the Sweden Democrats' "sister party" in Germany in 2017. However, Åkesson has since distanced the Sweden Democrats from some AfD politicians. By 2024, he said the AfD was no longer similar enough to his party.

Since 2018, the Sweden Democrats have been a member of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group. They now sit with parties like Brothers of Italy, the Czech Civic Democratic Party, and the Spanish Vox party. In 2019, there were talks about whether the Sweden Democrats would join a new group. But Åkesson said the Sweden Democrats were not invited and would stay with the ECR. He thought this might be because his party did not want to work with Le Pen or pro-Putin parties. In 2024, the Sweden Democrats tried to distance themselves from Hungary's Fidesz party. They said this was because of what they saw as Viktor Orbán's soft stance on Russia. They threatened to leave the ECR if Fidesz joined, unless Orbán showed more support for NATO and was more critical of Putin. However, the Sweden Democrats later softened their stance against Fidesz. They said they were open to working with the party in the European Parliament. But they still said they would not work with Alternative for Germany.

Outside the EU, the Sweden Democrats have had informal contacts with the British Conservative Party and the US Republican Party. Some politicians from the Norwegian Progress Party have also called for more cooperation with the Sweden Democrats. The Sweden Democrats have also tried to improve relations with Israel's Likud party. The Likud party had previously refused to meet with the Sweden Democrats because of the party's past. In 2024, the Sweden Democrats and Likud began official cooperation.

Election Results

In the Swedish Parliament (Riksdag)

Election	Votes	%	Seats	+/-	Government
1988	1,118	0.0	0 / 349	0	Extra-parliamentary
1991	4,887	0.1 (#10)	0 / 349	0	Extra-parliamentary
1994	13,954	0.3 (#9)	0 / 349	0	Extra-parliamentary
1998	19,624	0.4 (#8)	0 / 349	0	Extra-parliamentary
2002	76,300	1.4 (#8)	0 / 349	0	Extra-parliamentary
2006	162,463	2.9 (#8)	0 / 349	0	Extra-parliamentary
2010	339,610	5.7 (#6)	20 / 349	20	Opposition
2014	801,178	12.9 (#3)	49 / 349	29	Opposition
2018	1,135,627	17.5 (#3)	62 / 349	13	Opposition
2022	1,330,325	20.5 (#2)	73 / 349	11	Confidence and supply

In the European Parliament

Election	Votes	%	Seats	+/-	Notes
1999	8,568	0.3	0 / 22
2004	28,303	1.1 (#9)	0 / 19	0
2009	103,584	3.3 (#10)	0 / 19	0
2014	359,248	9.7 (#5)	2 / 20	2
2019	636,877	15.3 (#3)	3 / 20	1

Images for kids

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  2010: The party's share of the vote by municipality (lighter shades indicate a higher percentage of votes)

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  2014: The party's share of the vote by municipality (darker shades indicate a higher percentage of votes)

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  2018: The party's share of the vote by municipality (darker shades indicate a higher percentage of votes)

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  2022: The party's share of the vote by municipality (darker shades indicate a higher percentage of votes)

Party Leadership

Chairpersons

• Anders Klarström (1989–1995)
• Mikael Jansson (1995–2005)
• Jimmie Åkesson (2005–2014)
• Mattias Karlsson (interim, 2014–2015)
• Jimmie Åkesson (2015–present)

Deputy Leaders

• Jonas Åkerlund (First Deputy, 2006–2015; Second Deputy, 2005–2006)
• Julia Kronlid (First Deputy, 2015–2019; Second Deputy, 2019–present)
• Henrik Vinge (First Deputy, 2019–present)
• Anna Hagwall (Second Deputy, 2006–2009)
• Carina Ståhl Herrstedt (Second Deputy, 2009–2019)

Party Secretaries

• Jakob Eriksson (1998–2001)
• Jimmy Windeskog (2001–2003)
• Torbjörn Kastell (2003–2004)
• Jan Milld (2004–2005)
• David Lång (2005)
• Björn Söder (2005–2015)
• Richard Jomshof (2015–2022)
• Mattias Bäckström Johansson (2022–present)

Parliamentary Group Leaders

• Björn Söder (2010–2014)
• Mattias Karlsson (2014–2019)
• Henrik Vinge (2019–2023)
• Linda Lindberg (2023–present)

Other Key Roles

• Mattias Karlsson (International Secretary, 2022-)
• Leif Zeilon and Jonny Berg (Spokespersons, 1988–1989)
• Ola Sundberg and Anders Klarström (Spokespersons, 1989–1990)
• Anders Klarström and Madeleine Larsson (Spokespersons, 1990–1992)

How the Party is Organized

The Sweden Democrats are made up of 16 local party areas. Each area has its own board. These areas have many local groups, which can cover one or more towns. In towns without a local group, members work in "working groups." The party also has a main national board. The party leader and party secretary always lead this board. Other members are chosen by the party members.

The Sweden Democrats have a women's group called SD-Women. They also have a youth group called Young Swedes SDU, which started in 2015. The party's first youth group was formed in 1993. It was called the Sweden Democratic Youth Association, then the Sweden Democratic Youth (SDU). The old SDU was closed in 1995 because of problems with extreme views. It was restarted in 1998. Many important Sweden Democrat politicians, including Jimmie Åkesson, were members of the SDU. In 2015, the Sweden Democrats announced they would remove the leaders of the SDU. They also officially cut ties with the group because of ongoing issues. The party then created the Young Swedes SDU to replace it.

After the 2010 election, the Sweden Democrats created their own security unit. By 2014, this unit had about 60 people. The party says this unit handles internal issues, like computer security. It also helps organize public events. It encourages members to report threats to the police. The Sweden Democrats say this unit is needed because their politicians face threats. A 2012 report found that half of all local Sweden Democrat politicians had experienced threats or violence. They were twice as likely to be threatened as members of other parties. In 2012, the Sweden Democrats reported 95 cases of threats or violence against their elected officials.

Party Media and Groups

Since it started, the Sweden Democrats have published their own newspaper, SD-Kuriren. It was previously known as Sverige-Kuriren and SD Bulletin. The party secretary, Richard Jomshof, is currently the paper's editor. In 2014, the party also started an online magazine called Samtiden (Contemporary). It is edited by Swedish economist Dick Erixon.

In 2020, Mattias Karlsson started a conservative think-tank called Oikos. Some people say this think-tank is an "extension of the Sweden Democrats' political project." They also say it gets money from the party. However, the group itself says it is not linked to any party.

In 2020, the party also helped start a web TV channel called Riks. This was through their online magazine Samtiden. They said Riks would not be an official party TV channel. However, in 2024, an investigation found that Riks and the Sweden Democrats are very closely linked. The investigation said Riks rents its offices from the Sweden Democrats. It also said members of the party and Riks often meet and share office spaces. The program also claimed the party tried to hide its links to Riks' office before an interview. It also claimed the party's communications department uses fake online accounts to spread Riks' posts and videos.

Who Votes for the Sweden Democrats

According to a 2017 survey, the Sweden Democrats have more support among men than women. There is no big difference in support among different age groups. The party has more support among people born in Sweden than among those born in other countries. However, since 2014, the Sweden Democrats have gained a lot of support among foreign-born voters. By 2017, they were the third-largest party among this group. The party has more support among people with primary and secondary education than among those with higher education. A 2018 survey showed the Sweden Democrats had twice as much support from men as from women.

A 2010 study found that 14% of Sweden Democrat members were of immigrant origin. This was similar to the share of foreign-born people in Sweden. But their vote share among foreign-born people has always been lower. In the 2010 election in Södertälje, the Sweden Democrats were the only party with mostly immigrants on their election list. These were mostly Assyrians from the Middle East. Since 2014, the Sweden Democrats have seen growing support from foreign-born Swedish voters. By 2017, they were estimated to be the third most popular party for voters with immigrant backgrounds. In recent years, politicians from ethnic minority and immigrant backgrounds have become more active in the party.