Published on and written by Cyril Jarnias
Sweden is often described as one of the most sporty countries in Europe, and it’s not just an empty phrase. About half the population regularly engages in sports activities, nearly 70% of residents play sports at least once a week, and over two million people are members of a club. Behind these numbers lies a genuine culture of movement, driven by the idea that sports should be accessible “to as many people as possible, for as long as possible.”
Sweden offers a wide range of sports activities accessible to everyone, from beginners to seasoned athletes. Popular activities include soccer, cross-country skiing, indoor gymnastics, and sports on frozen lakes. The system is structured and open, catering to both residents and vacationers.
A country where sport is part of daily life
In Sweden, sport isn’t just about televised competitions and big stars. The foundation is the thousands of clubs spread across the country. The system is based on the Riksidrottsförbundet (Swedish Sports Confederation), which federates about 20,000 clubs and 71 specialized federations, while the Swedish Olympic Committee oversees the elite level. The state injects over 2 billion Swedish kronor per year into the sector, and municipalities add around 10 billion through local facilities and subsidies.
“as much as possible, for as long as possible.” The idea is to allow everyone to stay active, regardless of age or skill level, rather than pushing a minority towards the very top. Yet, despite this inclusive model, participation declines during adolescence, especially among girls, and the cost of certain sports becomes a barrier. Clubs are therefore experimenting with new, more flexible formats focused on enjoyment and health as much as on competition.
Official philosophy of French sport
To understand what one can actually practice locally, one must look at both the most popular sports in clubs, the most common leisure activities, and the very particular importance of winter sports.
The most practiced sports in clubs
Sweden keeps detailed statistics on the number of registered or club-member participants. The figures below give an idea of the scale of the phenomenon.
Overview of major organized disciplines
Here are the main organized sports by number of participants recorded around 2020:
| Sport (club) | Approximate Participants |
|---|---|
| Soccer | 1,190,922 |
| Athletics (track & road) | 559,280 |
| Golf | 511,773 |
| Gymnastics | 394,534 |
| Floorball (innebandy) | 337,530 |
| Swimming | 249,588 |
| Ice hockey | 233,985 |
| Equestrian sports | 167,903 |
| Handball | 150,868 |
| Skiing (all forms) | 142,227 |
| Basketball | 130,829 |
| Tennis | 110,654 |
| Shooting sports | 110,786 |
| Martial arts | 97,537 |
| Orienteering | 86,225 |
| Cycling (club) | 68,615 |
| Table tennis | 61,681 |
These figures don’t even account for the millions of Swedes who walk, run, or bike outside of any federated structure. If we add these informal activities, the hierarchy changes slightly: walking (including Nordic walking), gym/fitness workouts, running, cycling, and swimming become the most frequent daily activities, ahead of soccer.
Soccer, essential on the fields and in the parks
Soccer remains the absolute benchmark. It has nearly 1.2 million participants in clubs, over 240,000 registered players, 3,200 clubs, more than 8,500 teams, and about 7,900 fields across the country. In other words, wherever you are in Sweden, there’s almost always a soccer field within walking or biking distance.
Soccer generates over 575 million SEK in annual revenue for Swedish clubs and leagues.
For a visiting foreigner, it’s usually quite simple to participate in recreational training sessions, especially in amateur senior teams or “motionsfotboll” groups dedicated to recreational play. The Swedish model values mixed skill levels, at least in youth categories, and has long prioritized play over early selection.
Golf, athletics, and gymnastics: complementary pillars
Golf holds a surprisingly prominent place for a Nordic country. Approximately 491,000 players are registered, representing nearly 6% of the population, making it one of the most “golfing” nations in Europe. There are about 450 courses and over 480 clubs, from coastal links to wooded inland courses. The sport isn’t reserved for a male elite: 35% of members are women, and juniors represent a significant portion. Many clubs offer introductory programs, affordable green fees in summer, and even “pay and play” sessions without an annual membership.
Swedish athletics counts over half a million participants. Regions have invested in more than 25 indoor halls with 200-meter tracks, in addition to outdoor stadiums. The discipline is practiced both in clubs (running groups, athletics schools for children) and for personal goals, from 5K races to marathons. Popular events like the Stockholm Marathon or the Göteborgsvarvet half marathon attract tens of thousands of runners annually, mostly amateurs.
Gymnastics remains a strong legacy of Swedish history. The system of Pehr Henrik Ling in the 19th century structured the country’s entire physical culture, and even today nearly 400,000 people enroll in gymnastics groups. This ranges from fun classes for children to group “gympa” sessions, similar to aerobics, very popular among adults.
Floorball, handball, basketball: the other face of team sports
Indoors, floorball (innebandy) has become a social phenomenon. Born in the 1970s, it exploded in the 1990s and now has over 330,000 club participants. The principle is simple: a lightweight ball, plastic sticks, a reduced field. Easy rules, inexpensive equipment, and the possibility to play indoors all year round undoubtedly explain this success. “Drop-in” or recreational slots are common, where one can join a group without much formality.
Over 150,000 people play handball in clubs in Sweden, a flagship sport in the national sports culture.
Basketball is also growing, with around 130,000 players and a structured national league. The appeal of the NBA and the presence of some Swedish players in North America have helped popularize the sport. Here too, clubs often offer recreational evening sessions for adults.
Winter sports, a second nature
With a cold climate and long winters, especially in the north, winter sports are not a niche but a way of life. Approximately 18% of Swedes report skiing at least once a year, and lift pass sales recently reached record highs. The offering is broad, from international resorts to lit cross-country ski trails at the edge of towns.
Skiing in all its forms
Sweden has over 200 ski resorts, with about a hundred particularly active ones. The best-known areas, like Åre or Sälen, offer world-class alpine skiing, but cross-country skiing remains emblematic of the local culture.
In most municipalities, you can find groomed and lit cross-country skiing trails, often free to access until the evening. It’s one of the easiest activities to adopt when moving to Sweden: equipment rental is cheap, and the technique, although requiring some practice, is less intimidating than alpine skiing for beginners.
The Vasaloppet is a famous 90 km cross-country ski race from Sälen to Mora in Sweden. Open to all levels, from elite skiers to amateurs, it gathers thousands of participants each year. To prepare, many local sections organize specific training groups during the winter.
Ice hockey and bandy: two collective passions
Ice hockey is one of the two major national sports, neck and neck with soccer. Over 230,000 people play in clubs, thousands of children lace up skates in municipal ice rinks, and leagues structure the country into three levels (SHL, HockeyAllsvenskan, HockeyEttan). For those wanting to try it, many clubs organize introductory sessions, especially for younger children, sometimes with equipment provided.
Costs, however, can rise quickly: for a child, hockey is among the most expensive sports, with an estimated average annual budget of 24,300 SEK (fees, travel, equipment). This is where initiatives like Fritidsbanken, an “equipment library” present in over 120 to 130 municipalities, play a central role, lending skates, helmets, or sticks for free for two weeks.
Bandy, often called “winter soccer,” is played on a vast ice surface with a small ball and enjoys a near-cult status in Sweden. The country is one of the world superpowers in this sport, which, by the number of licensed players, is the second largest winter sport globally. With about a dozen covered arenas and an impressive network of outdoor fields, it’s possible to play it all over the country. For a visitor, attending a national final or joining a recreational training session offers an authentic experience to immerse oneself in Swedish sports culture.
Biathlon, Nordic skiing, and sliding sports
Biathlon, combining cross-country skiing and rifle shooting, has seen great Swedish champions emerge. Club practice is more technical, but some resorts offer introductory sessions, often guided, to discover prone shooting against a backdrop of snowy landscapes.
Sliding sports also include snowboarding, ski touring, snowshoeing, and long-distance skating on frozen lakes. In many towns, outdoor ice rinks are free, and all you need is a pair of skates – sometimes borrowed from Fritidsbanken – to join families skating to music.
Outdoor and leisure activities in daily life
Sports participation in Sweden doesn’t necessarily involve a club or a license. The concept of friluftsliv, literally “open-air life,” is strongly ingrained in the mindset: walking, hiking, paddling, or skiing, often far from any notion of performance, is part of a healthy lifestyle.
The most common activities
Surveys list the most frequent physical activities among 6-80 year-olds, all forms combined. They reveal a very telling top 10:
| Most practiced activity | Type of practice |
|---|---|
| Walking / strolling / Nordic walking | Leisure / health |
| Weight training / gym workouts | Gym |
| Running / jogging | Outdoors / leisure |
| Cycling / mountain biking | Transportation / leisure |
| Hiking / trekking | Outdoors |
| Swimming | Pool / lakes / sea |
| Group classes (aerobics, gympa, Zumba) | Gym / club |
| Soccer | Club and informal |
| Yoga / meditation / qigong | Well-being |
| Dance (all styles) | Leisure / performance |
We see that health-oriented sports dominate widely: walking, going to the gym, running, cycling. This translates very concretely on the ground: well-maintained bike paths, marked running routes around lakes, fitness trails in parks, “gympa” sessions in municipal halls or neighborhood associations.
Traditional games and recreational sports
Alongside major disciplines, Sweden cultivates a series of games and recreational sports very present in daily life, especially in summer. Brännboll, a sort of simplified baseball, is omnipresent in schools. Kubb, sometimes presented as a “Viking lawn chess game,” enlivens parks and gardens. Swedish-style pétanque (boules) and traditional kubb mix with family barbecues.
In winter, activities like sledding, snowshoe hikes, dog sledding tours, or snowmobiling are common, often offered in a tourist context but also adopted locally, especially in the north.
Popular sports by gender and cost
A sport’s popularity is also measured by its accessibility. In Sweden, the average annual cost for a child’s main sport is around 9,400 SEK, but the gaps are considerable depending on the discipline.
Some very expensive sports, others much more accessible
Available data shows marked differences:
| Child’s sport (per year) | Estimated average cost (SEK) |
|---|---|
| Ice hockey | 24,300 |
| Tennis | 23,700 |
| Equestrian sports | 17,700 |
| Swimming | 11,400 |
| Handball | 10,100 |
| Floorball | 10,000 |
| Soccer | 8,800 |
| Basketball | 7,200 |
| Gymnastics | 5,900 |
| Athletics | 5,000 |
| Martial arts | 5,000 |
We understand why soccer, handball, floorball, gymnastics, and athletics concentrate so many participants: their cost remains relatively moderate compared to hockey, tennis, or equestrian sports.
Highly gendered sports
Certain disciplines are strongly marked by gender:
| Sport | Share of male / female participants |
|---|---|
| Air sports | 89% men |
| Cricket | 88% men |
| American football | 86% men |
| Ice hockey | Predominantly male |
| Motorsports / snowmobiling | Predominantly male |
| Cheerleading | 97% women |
| Equestrian sports | 92% women |
| Figure skating | 82% women |
| Gymnastics | Predominantly female |
| Dog sledding | Predominantly female |
Equestrian sports, despite being very costly, are extremely popular among girls and young women. Conversely, motorsports or American football remain very male-dominated. This reality inevitably influences the type of sport a child will have access to, depending on their family, environment, and role models.
How Swedes participate: clubs, schools, personal initiative
An important particularity of Sweden is that youth sports are not organized by schools, unlike the North American model. Non-profit clubs, most often run by volunteers, play the central role. Approximately 80% of children and teenagers join a sports club at some point in their youth, but many stop around age 15–16.
Percentage of 10-year-old boys practicing a sport in a club, versus only 39% at age 19
Researchers and sports institutions stress the need to develop more flexible formats: “leisure” groups, adaptable schedules, less early selection, more room for those who simply want to move without aiming for performance.
Flagship sports: what it means for practice
Certain sports hold such a central place that they shape the infrastructure, leisure offerings, and even the calendar of a Swedish year.
Soccer, from the neighborhood field to major competition
Soccer, beyond its stars and the Allsvenskan, comes in countless forms of practice: corporate tournaments, company leagues, 5-a-side soccer in covered bubbles in winter, discovery sessions for the young, rapidly expanding women’s soccer. Open tournaments like the Gothia Cup, a gigantic youth competition hosting teams from around the world, also offer opportunities to play on local teams or in leisure categories.
Ice hockey, sport of city and countryside
Hockey is present in the large arenas of the SHL as well as on village ice rinks. Many municipalities maintain free outdoor frozen surfaces in winter, where anyone can skate and hit a puck informally. For more structured practice, junior clubs welcome children as young as 5–6, sometimes with equipment provided.
Bandy, floorball, and handball: clubs everywhere
In the central and southern parts of the country, handball and floorball offer an interesting combination: team sports, strong club culture, but more reasonable costs than hockey. As for bandy, it is very present in certain regions (for example around the great lakes and the Dalarna region), where sometimes it’s enough to join an outdoor recreational practice to sample this specialty.
Major “open” events for all levels
Sweden organizes many mass participation sports events open to everyone, from novice to seasoned runner. For a resident or visitor, these events are often the best gateway into the local sports culture.
Among the most iconic:
Sweden is renowned for its major sporting events open to all, combining performance, nature, and a festive atmosphere. Here are some of its most iconic events.
Giant youth soccer tournament open to young people worldwide, turning Gothenburg into a massive soccer village.
Urban half marathon in Gothenburg, accessible to all levels, with a party atmosphere.
Renowned trail race considered one of the largest cross-country running events in the world.
Mass orienteering gathering where thousands of people run with map and compass over several days.
A classic road race, very popular with international amateur runners.
Open water swimming event open to all.
The holy grail of popular cross-country skiing, a mythical 90 km race.
300 km cycling tour around Lake Vättern, open to all who feel ready.
These events often structure the training of thousands of amateur athletes: people register a year in advance, prepare a training plan with their club or a group of colleagues, and on the day enjoy a very well-oiled organization.
Accessibility: facilities, aid, and inequalities
On paper, Sweden displays a very inclusive model. In reality, studies show that participation still heavily depends on parents’ education and income levels. Children from more privileged backgrounds have greater access to expensive sports, as well as sports-focused schools. Young people with disabilities are also less likely to practice in clubs and tend to stop earlier.
To correct these imbalances, several levers exist or are being implemented:
Overview of the main Swedish public programs aimed at promoting physical activity and social integration through sport, especially for youth.
Of the over 2 billion SEK in public support, about 1.2 billion is allocated specifically to youth activities.
Over 1,000 projects involving 5,400 coaches in about 224 municipalities, specifically targeting youth with immigrant backgrounds.
Equipment lending network that distributed nearly 1.8 million sports and outdoor items in 2024, allowing people to try activities without investment.
A specific allowance for children and adolescents to facilitate their access to clubs and sports activities.
National programs encouraging collaboration between schools and associations to multiply opportunities for physical activity during the day.
For those wanting to play a sport in Sweden, these programs clearly facilitate the process, whether it’s a child starting soccer or an adult wanting to equip themselves for cross-country skiing without blowing their budget.
Orienteering and nature sports: Swedish specialties to discover
In addition to major team sports, Sweden is a world leader in a few less-known but very accessible disciplines for amateur practice.
Orienteering: running with a map, everywhere in the country
Orienteering was born from military needs in the late 19th century and evolved into a full-fledged sport. The first major public event organized in Sweden in 1981 paved the way for an explosion in the number of participants: over 100,000 runners, from international competition to families strolling with their map on Sunday.
Orienteering is a flexible activity: you can run, walk, choose routes of varying difficulty, and practice alone or in a group. For a beginner, especially a foreigner, joining a local club is recommended to learn how to read specific maps (details of contour lines, marshes, vegetation) and discover the Swedish forest from a new angle.
Hiking, cycling, canoeing: the kingdom of friluftsliv
Thanks to the right of public access (Allemansrätten), it’s possible to hike, camp, ski, or bike almost anywhere, including on private land, as long as you respect the environment and the peace of residents. Sweden has over forty major marked trails, including the famous Kungsleden which crosses Lapland for over 400 km, but also a multitude of shorter loops.
The Swedish landscape, rich in lakes and rivers, makes activities like canoeing/kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding very accessible. Recreational fishing, swimming, sailing, and kitesurfing are also popular. Many of these activities don’t require club membership: occasional equipment rental, a guided outing, or even a simple hike allows you to immerse yourself in Swedish outdoor sports culture.
For those wanting to move to or travel in Sweden: how to go about it?
Whether you’re coming for a few months of study, a work contract, or extended vacation, it’s relatively simple to integrate into this sports culture.
A few key points to keep in mind:
To play a sport in Sweden, several options are available to you. You can look into a local sports club, often listed on the municipality’s website, and get in touch by email or via social media to try a session. Take advantage of public facilities that are free or have open access, such as lit cross-country ski trails, outdoor ice rinks, sports fields, or marked trails. To test a new sport without investing in equipment, use Fritidsbanken, a free service lending equipment for a 15-day period. Adapt your choice based on your budget, knowing that sports like soccer, handball, floorball, athletics, gymnastics, or judo are generally more affordable for a child than hockey or horseback riding. Finally, participate in events open to the public, like a fun run, an orienteering event, or a cross-country ski event like a Vasaloppet “open track,” where registration is often simpler than expected.
Conclusion: a broad, open, and structured sports culture
Popular sports to play in Sweden aren’t limited to a few major disciplines. There are obvious pillars: soccer and ice hockey as king sports, handball, floorball, and basketball as deeply rooted team sports, skiing and winter sports as a second nature, golf, athletics, gymnastics, and swimming as foundations of physical fitness. But there’s also a whole world of nature sports – orienteering, hiking, canoeing, cycling, lake skating – made possible by exceptional access to natural spaces.
The model’s success rests on a dense infrastructure of non-profit clubs, massive support from public authorities, programs to limit financial barriers, and a balanced philosophy emphasizing health, inclusion, and the joy of moving as much as performance. This combination makes it a system where it’s easy and natural to play sports for a lifetime.
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Cyril Jarnias is an independent expert in international wealth management with over 20 years of experience. As an expatriate himself, he is dedicated to helping individuals and business leaders build, protect, and pass on their wealth with complete peace of mind.
On his website, cyriljarnias.com, he shares his expertise on international real estate, offshore company formation, and expatriation.
Thanks to his expertise, he offers sound advice to optimize his clients' wealth management. Cyril Jarnias is also recognized for his appearances in many prestigious media outlets such as BFM Business, les Français de l’étranger, Le Figaro, Les Echos, and Mieux vivre votre argent, where he shares his knowledge and know-how in wealth management.
