List of 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.

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

List of prime ministers

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)
PortraitTermParty
(Alliance)
Cabinet
Parties
Mandate
/ Election
Monarch
(Reign)
TenureTime in office
1Louis Gerhard De Geer
(1818–1896)
20 March 1876

19 April 1880
4 years, 30 daysIndependentL. G. De Geer1875
1878

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

13 June 1883
3 years, 55 daysLantmanna PartyPosse
1881
3Carl Johan Thyselius
(1811–1891)
13 June 1883

16 May 1884
308 daysIndependentThyselius
4Robert Themptander
(1844–1897)
16 May 1884

6 February 1888
3 years, 266 daysIndependentThemptander1884
1887a[§]
1887b
5Gillis Bildt
(1820–1894)
6 February 1888

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

10 July 1891
1 year, 271 daysProtectionist PartyÅkerhielm
1890
7Erik Gustaf Boström
(1842–1907)
10 July 1891

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

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

13 April 1905
2 years, 282 daysLantmanna PartyBoström II
1902
9Johan Ramstedt
(1852–1935)
13 April 1905

2 August 1905
111 daysIndependentRamstedt
10Christian Lundeberg
(1842–1911)
2 August 1905

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

29 May 1906
203 daysLiberal Coalition PartyStaaff I
LS
1905
12Arvid Lindman
(1862–1936)
29 May 1906

8 December 1907
5 years, 131 daysLantmanna 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 daysLiberal Coalition PartyStaaff II
LS
1911
13Hjalmar Hammarskjöld
(1862–1953)
17 February 1914

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

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

10 March 1920
2 years, 143 daysLiberal Coalition PartyEdén
LSS
1917
16Hjalmar Branting
(1860–1925)
10 March 1920

27 October 1920
231 daysSocial DemocratsBranting I
S
17Gerhard Louis De Geer
(1854–1935)
27 October 1920

23 February 1921
119 daysIndependentG. L. De Geer1920
18Oscar von Sydow
(1873–1936)
23 February 1921

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

19 April 1923
1 year, 188 daysSocial DemocratsBranting II
S
1921[§]
19Ernst Trygger
(1857–1943)
19 April 1923

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

24 January 1925
98 daysSocial DemocratsBranting III
S
1924
20Rickard Sandler
(1884–1964)
24 January 1925

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

2 October 1928
2 years, 117 daysFreeminded People's PartyEkman I
FF–L
(12)Arvid Lindman
(1862–1936)
2 October 1928

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

6 August 1932
2 years, 60 daysFreeminded People's PartyEkman II
FF
22Felix Hamrin
(1875–1937)
6 August 1932

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

19 June 1936
3 years, 269 daysSocial DemocratsHansson I
S
1932
24Axel Pehrsson-Bramstorp
(1883–1954)
19 June 1936

28 September 1936
101 daysFarmers' LeaguePehrsson-Bramstorp
Bf
(23)Per Albin Hansson
(1885–1946)
28 September 1936

6 October 1946[†]
10 years, 8 daysSocial DemocratsHansson 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
25Tage Erlander
(1901–1985)
11 October 1946

29 October 1950
23 years, 3 daysErlander 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
26Olof Palme
(1927–1986)
14 October 1969

15 September 1973
6 years, 360 daysPalme I
S

1970
1973
15 September 1973

8 October 1976

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

18 October 1978
2 years, 10 daysCentre PartyFälldin I
CMF
1976
28Ola Ullsten
(1931–2018)
18 October 1978

12 October 1979
359 daysPeople's PartyUllsten
F
(27)Thorbjörn Fälldin
(1926–2016)
12 October 1979

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

28 February 1986[‡]
3 years, 143 daysSocial DemocratsPalme 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 DemocratsPalme II
S

1988
2912 March 1986

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

7 October 1994
3 years, 3 daysModerate PartyC. Bildt
MCFPKD
1991
(29)Ingvar Carlsson
(b. 1934)
7 October 1994

22 March 1996
1 year, 167 daysSocial DemocratsCarlsson III
S
1994
31Göran Persson
(b. 1949)
22 March 1996

6 October 2006
10 years, 198 daysPersson
S

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

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

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

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

Incumbent
1 year, 194 daysModerate PartyKristersson
MKDL
2022

Timeline

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

Notes