Sweden’s Green Party Hits Highest Support in a Decade Amid Shifting Migration Views
STOCKHOLM, Sweden — April 28, 2026
The Swedish Green Party has surged to its highest level of voter support in nearly a decade, a recent poll shows, as public attitudes toward immigration continue to soften across the country.
According to the latest DN/Ipsos voter barometer, conducted in September 2024, the party’s backing has climbed to levels not seen since the height of Europe’s refugee crisis in 2016. The shift comes as the Greens push for a more liberal immigration policy, positioning themselves as a counterweight to the center-left Social Democrats, who have seen their own support decline.
A Decade-High in Polling
The Green Party’s rise marks a notable turnaround in Swedish politics, where immigration policy has long been a divisive issue. The party’s growing popularity reflects broader changes in public sentiment, with a recent Ipsos survey revealing that more Swedes now support accepting additional refugees than at any point in the past decade.
Nicklas Källebring, a researcher at Ipsos, described the shift as a clear break from previous trends. “We’re seeing a significant change over the last two years,” he said. “The data suggests a growing openness toward immigration, particularly among younger voters and urban residents.”
Pressure on the Social Democrats
The Green Party’s gains appear to come partly at the expense of the Social Democrats, Sweden’s traditionally dominant center-left party. While the Social Democrats remain the largest party in the country, their support has steadily eroded in recent years, creating an opening for the Greens to expand their influence.
The Greens have made no secret of their ambition to reshape Sweden’s immigration debate. At their party congress in October 2025, leaders adopted language calling for “free movement for all people in the world” and reaffirmed their commitment to protecting asylum rights. Party co-spokesperson Amanda Lind suggested the Greens could even pull the Social Democrats further left on the issue if the two parties form a coalition after the next election.
“The Social Democrats have said they won’t draw red lines,” Lind said. “I expect that applies to them as well.”
Changing Public Sentiment
The shift in public opinion on immigration has been gradual but unmistakable. A separate DN/Ipsos survey from March 2026 found that opposition to accepting refugees has declined, with the strongest support for increased intake coming from the Green Party, the Left Party and the Center Party. Meanwhile, those advocating for stricter limits remain concentrated among right-wing and nationalist factions.
For the Greens, the timing couldn’t be better. With Sweden’s next general election on the horizon, the party’s rising fortunes could give it greater leverage in coalition negotiations, particularly if the Social Democrats seek to rebuild their governing majority.
The question now is whether the Greens can sustain this momentum—or if the Social Democrats will adapt their own policies to reclaim lost ground.
