Support for NATO varies considerably among different population groups. Older ethnic Swedes show significantly stronger support than younger generations, and support is also weaker among people with a foreign background.
This week, the Hungarian parliament approved Sweden’s application for NATO membership, bringing Sweden very close to full membership in the military alliance. According to Statistics Sweden (SCB), last year’s figures show that 68% of citizens were in favor of Swedish membership in NATO, while 21% were opposed and 11% were unsure or did not answer.
Support for Swedish NATO membership varies considerably according to age and background. Among those aged between 18 and 29, some 57% were in favour of membership in May last year. At the same time, 80% of those aged 65 and over were positive about NATO.
Opinions also vary according to ethnic background, with some 72% of those with a Swedish background being positive about membership, while some 19% were negative. In contrast, almost 53% of those with a foreign background were positive and 32% negative.
Those who vote for the Liberals are the most positive about membership at 87.5 percent, while those who vote for the Left Party are the least positive at 29.4 percent.
