The world’s biggest sport remains the most popular in Sweden as well, according to this year’s Sportnavigator survey conducted by the Experience Institute (Upplevelseinstitutet). Allsvenskan continues to be the most popular league in the country, while Superettan ranks fourth.
As in previous studies, the 2024 Sportnavigator survey shows that football is the most popular sport in Sweden. Both Allsvenskan and Superettan are at the top of the list of leagues that most Swedes follow. A total of 64% of respondents reported having some level of interest in Allsvenskan—placing it at the top of the list—while 54% expressed some interest in Superettan.
“Allsvenskan continues, in its 100th season, to be the largest league in the country in terms of generating interest. It’s both exciting and important that this appeal is shared among both men and women, as well as among younger people. This bodes well for the future. It’s also great to see Superettan maintaining its strength as a second league,” says Jessica Linnman, Commercial Director at Swedish Professional Football Leagues.
The Sportnavigator survey also found that 53% of the Swedish population has a strong interest in sports and athletics overall, while 31% are highly interested in attending sports events in person.
“Interest in Allsvenskan remains strong, and the league has been Sweden’s most popular league for several years. Allsvenskan attracts a significant part of the population and shows particularly strong popularity among younger audiences,” says Andreas Andersson Åkerling, CEO of the Experience Institute.
Both men and women rate Allsvenskan as the most popular league in the country. Allsvenskan also leads across different age categories, including those under 30. Geographically, Allsvenskan and Superettan are most popular in the major metropolitan regions (Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö).
In an additional part of the Sportnavigator survey, 50% of Swedes reported that they also have a favorite team in Allsvenskan. At the club level, the same survey shows that Malmö FF and IFK Göteborg are the teams with the most supporters.
Summary of Sportnavigator 2024:
- Allsvenskan solidifies its position as the most popular league in the country
- Allsvenskan is the most popular league among both women and men
- 64% have some level of interest in Allsvenskan
- 54% have some level of interest in Superettan
- Allsvenskan is the most popular league among youth (16–30 years)
- 50% of the Swedish population over 16 has a favorite team in Allsvenskan
About Sportnavigator:
The survey was conducted via online interviews with a representative sample of the Swedish population (ages 16 and up). A total of 10,000 interviews (833 per month) were conducted over the period from August 2023 to July 2024. The data has been weighted based on gender, age, and geography to represent the Swedish population. Norstat conducted the data collection on behalf of the Experience Institute.
