List of prime ministers of Sweden

Olof Palme (left), Tage Erlander (center) and Ingvar Carlsson (right) were all prime ministers of Sweden.

Prior to the creation of the office of prime minister in 1876, Sweden did not have a head of government distinct from its head of state, the monarch, who traditionally held all executive authority. Louis De Geer, the architect of the bicameral Riksdag of 1866, which replaced the centuries-old Riksdag of the Estates, became Sweden's first prime minister in 1876. As of 2022, the prime minister of Sweden is Ulf Kristersson, leader of the Moderate Party. The list below contains statistics about the tenures of each of the prime ministers of Sweden since 1876.

List of prime ministers[edit]

Before 1876, when the office of prime minister was created, Sweden did not have a head of government separate from the monarch. The most-senior member of the Privy Council during the period of absolute rule was the lord high chancellor, whose role was similar to that of a head of government. That was most evident during the so-called Age of Liberty, from 1718 to 1772, when the monarch's powers were greatly reduced and the president of the Privy Council became the dominant political figure in Sweden.

Name
(Lifespan)
Portrait Term Party
(Alliance)
Cabinet
Parties
Mandate
/ Election
Monarch
(Reign)
Tenure Time in office
1 Louis Gerhard De Geer
(1818–1896)
20 March 1876

19 April 1880
4 years, 30 days Independent L. G. De Geer 1875
1878

Oscar II
(1872–1907)
2 Arvid Posse
(1820–1901)
19 April 1880

13 June 1883
3 years, 55 days Lantmanna Party Posse
1881
3 Carl Johan Thyselius
(1811–1891)
13 June 1883

16 May 1884
308 days Independent Thyselius
4 Robert Themptander
(1844–1897)
16 May 1884

6 February 1888
3 years, 266 days Independent Themptander 1884
1887a[§]
1887b
5 Gillis Bildt
(1820–1894)
6 February 1888

12 October 1889
1 year, 248 days Independent G. Bildt
6 Gustaf Åkerhielm
(1833–1900)
12 October 1889

10 July 1891
1 year, 271 days Protectionist Party Åkerhielm
1890
7 Erik Gustaf Boström
(1842–1907)
10 July 1891

12 September 1900
9 years, 64 days Boström I
1893
1896
1899
8 Fredrik von Otter
(1833–1910)
12 September 1900

5 July 1902
1 year, 296 days Independent Otter
(7)
[e]
Erik Gustaf Boström
(1842–1907)
5 July 1902

13 April 1905
2 years, 282 days Lantmanna Party Boström II
1902
9 Johan Ramstedt
(1852–1935)
13 April 1905

2 August 1905
111 days Independent Ramstedt
10 Christian Lundeberg
(1842–1911)
2 August 1905

7 November 1905
97 days Protectionist Party
(General Electoral League)
Lundeberg
AvFLS
11 Karl Staaff
(1860–1915)
7 November 1905

29 May 1906
203 days Liberal Coalition Party Staaff I
LS
1905
12 Arvid Lindman
(1862–1936)
29 May 1906

8 December 1907
5 years, 131 days Lantmanna Party
(General Electoral League)
Lindman I
AvF

1908
8 December 1907

7 October 1911

Gustaf V
(1907–1950)
(11) Karl Staaff
(1860–1915)
7 October 1911

17 February 1914
2 years, 133 days Liberal Coalition Party Staaff II
LS
1911
13 Hjalmar Hammarskjöld
(1862–1953)
17 February 1914

30 March 1917
3 years, 41 days Independent Hammarskjöld
1914a[§]
1914b
14 Carl Swartz
(1858–1926)
30 March 1917

19 October 1917
203 days National Party
(General Electoral League)
Swartz
AvF
15 Nils Edén
(1871–1945)
19 October 1917

10 March 1920
2 years, 143 days Liberal Coalition Party Edén
LSS
1917
16 Hjalmar Branting
(1860–1925)
10 March 1920

27 October 1920
231 days Social Democrats Branting I
S
17 Gerhard Louis De Geer
(1854–1935)
27 October 1920

23 February 1921
119 days Independent G. L. De Geer 1920
18 Oscar von Sydow
(1873–1936)
23 February 1921

13 October 1921
232 days von Sydow
(16) Hjalmar Branting
(1860–1925)
13 October 1921

19 April 1923
1 year, 188 days Social Democrats Branting II
S
1921[§]
19 Ernst Trygger
(1857–1943)
19 April 1923

18 October 1924
1 year, 182 days National Party
(General Electoral League)
Trygger
AvF
(16) Hjalmar Branting
(1860–1925)
18 October 1924

24 January 1925
98 days Social Democrats Branting III
S
1924
20 Rickard Sandler
(1884–1964)
24 January 1925

7 June 1926
1 year, 134 days Sandler
S
21 Carl Gustaf Ekman
(1872–1945)
7 June 1926

2 October 1928
2 years, 117 days Freeminded People's Party Ekman I
FF–L
(12) Arvid Lindman
(1862–1936)
2 October 1928

7 June 1930
1 year, 248 days Lantmanna Party
(General Electoral League)
Lindman II
AvF
1928
(21) Carl Gustaf Ekman
(1872–1945)
7 June 1930

6 August 1932
2 years, 60 days Freeminded People's Party Ekman II
FF
22 Felix Hamrin
(1875–1937)
6 August 1932

24 September 1932
49 days Hamrin
FF
23 Per Albin Hansson
(1885–1946)
24 September 1932

19 June 1936
3 years, 269 days Social Democrats Hansson I
S
1932
24 Axel Pehrsson-Bramstorp
(1883–1954)
19 June 1936

28 September 1936
101 days Farmers' League Pehrsson-Bramstorp
Bf
(23) Per Albin Hansson
(1885–1946)
28 September 1936

6 October 1946[†]
10 years, 8 days Social Democrats Hansson II
SBf
1936
1940
1944
Hansson III
SBfHF
Hansson IV
S
Östen Undén
(1886–1974)
Acting Prime Minister from 6 to 11 October 1946 (5 days) following the death of Per Albin Hansson. Hansson IV
S
25 Tage Erlander
(1901–1985)
11 October 1946

29 October 1950
23 years, 3 days Erlander I
S

1948
1952
1956
1958[§]
1960
1964
1968
29 October 1950

14 October 1969

Gustaf VI Adolf
(1950–1973)
Erlander II
SBf
Erlander III
S
26 Olof Palme
(1927–1986)
14 October 1969

15 September 1973
6 years, 360 days Palme I
S

1970
1973
15 September 1973

8 October 1976

Carl XVI Gustaf
(1973–)
27 Thorbjörn Fälldin
(1926–2016)
8 October 1976

18 October 1978
2 years, 10 days Centre Party Fälldin I
CMF
1976
28 Ola Ullsten
(1931–2018)
18 October 1978

12 October 1979
359 days People's Party Ullsten
F
(27) Thorbjörn Fälldin
(1926–2016)
12 October 1979

8 October 1982
2 years, 361 days Centre Party Fälldin II
CMF
1979
Fälldin III
CF
(26) Olof Palme
(1927–1986)
8 October 1982

28 February 1986[‡]
3 years, 143 days Social Democrats Palme II
S
1982
1985
Ingvar Carlsson
(b. 1934)
Acting Prime Minister from 28 February to 12 March 1986 (12 days) following the assassination of Olof Palme. Social Democrats Palme II
S

1988
29 12 March 1986

4 October 1991
5 years, 206 days Carlsson I
S
Carlsson II
S
30 Carl Bildt
(b. 1949)
4 October 1991

7 October 1994
3 years, 3 days Moderate Party C. Bildt
MCFPKD
1991
(29) Ingvar Carlsson
(b. 1934)
7 October 1994

22 March 1996
1 year, 167 days Social Democrats Carlsson III
S
1994
31 Göran Persson
(b. 1949)
22 March 1996

6 October 2006
10 years, 198 days Persson
S

1998
2002
32 Fredrik Reinfeldt
(b. 1965)
6 October 2006

3 October 2014
7 years, 362 days Moderate Party
(Alliance for Sweden)
Reinfeldt
MCFPKD
2006
2010
33 Stefan Löfven
(b. 1957)
3 October 2014

30 November 2021
7 years, 58 days Social Democrats Löfven I[✕]
SMP
2014
2018
Löfven II[✕]
SMP
Löfven III
SMP
34 Magdalena Andersson
(b. 1967)
30 November 2021

18 October 2022
322 days Andersson
S
35 Ulf Kristersson
(b. 1963)
18 October 2022

Incumbent
1 year, 183 days Moderate Party Kristersson
MKDL
2022
  1. ^ The General Electoral League (1904–1938) was formed as a national campaign organisation for the early conservative and protectionist groups represented in the Riksdag. Parties affiliated with the organisation include the Lantmanna Party, the Protectionist Party and the National Party. The various parliamentary groups coalesced into a single party in 1935. The General Electoral League was renamed as the National Organisation of the Right (1938–1952) and the Rightist Party (1952–1969). The present name, Moderate Party, was adopted in 1969.
  2. ^ The Liberal Coalition Party (1900–1924) was formed from the consolidation of various early liberal, centrist and pro-free trade politicians in the Riksdag. The party split on the issue of prohibition to form the Freeminded People's Party (1924–1934) and the Liberal Party of Sweden (1924–1934). The two parties later reconciled and merged resulting in the formation of the People's Party (1934–1990). The People's Party was renamed as the Liberal People's Party (1990–2015). The present name, Liberals, was adopted in 2015.
  3. ^ The Social Democrats are officially named the Swedish Social Democratic Workers' Party.
  4. ^ The Centre Party was formerly known as the Farmers' League (1913–1957). The present name was adopted in 1957.
  5. ^ Former Prime Ministers are not counted twice in the numbering if they returned to power.[1][2][3]

Timeline[edit]

Ulf KristerssonMagdalena AnderssonStefan LöfvenFredrik ReinfeldtGöran PerssonCarl BildtIngvar CarlssonOla UllstenThorbjörn FälldinOlof PalmeTage ErlanderÖsten UndénAxel Pehrsson-BramstorpPer Albin HanssonFelix HamrinCarl Gustaf EkmanRickard SandlerErnst TryggerOscar von SydowGerhard Louis De GeerHjalmar BrantingNils EdénCarl SwartzHjalmar HammarskjöldArvid LindmanKarl StaaffChristian LundebergJohan RamstedtFredrik von OtterErik Gustaf BoströmGustaf ÅkerhielmGillis BildtRobert ThemptanderCarl Johan ThyseliusArvid PosseLouis Gerhard De Geer

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ "Magdalena Andersson (S) nomineras till statsminister". DN.SE (in Swedish). 22 November 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Magdalena Andersson vald till Sveriges statsminister". www.socialdemokraterna.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  3. ^ Nyheter, S. V. T.; Pakdemir, Helin (24 November 2021). "Tidslinje: Magdalena Anderssons väg till makten". SVT Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 24 November 2021.