At stake in this election:

• 349 seats in the Parliament (Riksdag)

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: King CARL XVI GUSTAF *
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Fredrik REINFELDT
• Assembly: Sweden has a unicameral Parliament (Riksdag) with 349 seats.

* The monarchy is hereditary.

Description of electoral system:

• The King is hereditary N/A.
• Prime Minister is elected by parliament.
• In the Parliament (Riksdag) 349 members are elected through an open-list proportional representation system to serve 4-year terms.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Party: Social Democrats (S) / Socialdemokraterna
  • Leader: Göran PERSSON
  • Seats won in this election: 130
  • Seats won in last election: 144
• Party: Moderates (M) / Moderaterna
  • Leader: Fredrik REINFELDT
  • Seats won in this election: 97
  • Seats won in last election: 55
• Party: Center Party (C) / Centerpartiet
  • Leader: Maud OLOFSSON
  • Seats won in this election: 29
  • Seats won in last election: 22
• Party: Liberal Party (FP) / Folkpartiet liberalerna
  • Leader: Lars LEIJONBORG
  • Seats won in this election: 28
  • Seats won in last election: 48
• Party: Christian Democrats (KD) / Kristdemokraterna
  • Leader: Göran HAGGLUND
  • Seats won in this election: 24
  • Seats won in last election: 33
• Party: Left Party (V) / Vänsterpartiet******
  • Leader: Lars OHLY
  • Seats won in this election: 22
  • Seats won in last election: 30
• Party: Green Party (MP) / Miljöpartiet de Gröna
  • Leader: Maria WETTERSTRAND and Peter ERIKSSON
  • Seats won in this election: 19
  • Seats won in last election: 17
• Party: Other Parties
  • Leader: NA
  • Seats won in this election: 0
  • Seats won in last election: 0

****** The Left Party's representation in the parliament fell to 28 after two members separated from the party.

Last Parliamentary election:

• Parliamentary elections were last held on 15 September 2002.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 9,080,505 (2006)
• Registered Voters: 6,892,009 (September 2006)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 4,575,273 (2006) 

·         Is Sweden a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (7 March 1980)

·         Has Sweden ratified CEDAW: Yes (2 July 1980)

·         Gender Quota: No (there are some political parties that have adopted voluntary quotas)

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 165 (following the 2006 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 14 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: N/A

Disability Data:

·         Is Sweden a signatory to CRPD: Yes (30 March 2007)

·         Has Sweden ratified CRPD: Yes (15 December 2008)

·         Population with a disability: 1,362,075 (est.)