School closures may reach 79 municipalities as child numbers fall

School closures could become relevant in 79 Swedish municipalities over the next five years as child numbers fall, according to an Ekot survey. The figure comes from 237 municipalities that answered; it is not a count of closure decisions already taken.

Ekot reports that one possible change is the loss of lower-secondary classes at Alsterbro school in Nybro municipality. Local resident Åsa Wallström said the longer-term risk is that people move away and the surrounding countryside loses population.

Skolverket’s 2026 assessment says school-age cohorts are expected to shrink in most municipalities. It says more preschools and schools are likely to merge or close, with small rural schools especially vulnerable when enrolment falls.

Separate Skolverket statistics show compulsory-school enrolment fell by 9,900 pupils in 2025/26, the largest decline recorded so far. The Ekot survey signals where closures may enter local planning, but it does not establish which schools will close or when.

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