Sweden’s government has raised its official wolf reference value from 170 to 220 animals, after the European Commission said the lower figure lacked scientific support.
DR reported on August 17 that the wolf question has split Sweden’s political parties. In late July, the center-right government announced that it was raising the target for the number of wolves to 220. According to the government’s press release, that is still a significant reduction compared with the previous level.
The hunters’ organization Jägareförbundet reported the decision on July 31, 2026. It stated that the environmental agency Naturvårdsverket was ordered to inform the European Commission of the new figure by August 7.
The agency Naturvårdsverket confirmed on August 6 that Swedish wolf management now uses the revised value of 220 animals. It also said it had notified the EU and had begun work on new regional minimum levels.
EU criticism preceded the change
In 2024, the government said it would work to bring the population down toward 170 wolves. As reported by Epochtimes Sverige, the new figure follows objections from the European Commission. The Commission stated that the reported reference value of 170 was not supported by scientific evidence under the EU Habitats Directive.
The Brussels Times reported in December 2025 that the Commission rejected Sweden’s attempt to set a political reference value of 170 wolves. In a written answer to the Riksdag, the government said 220 animals gives larger margins against natural population fluctuations. It added that the figure provides a more stable basis for licence and protective hunting decisions.
Per DR, 48 wolves were to be shot this year under licence hunting, including in Örebro län, but the hunt did not go ahead. Beatrice Rindevall, chair of the Swedish nature protection association Naturskyddsföreningen, described the outcome as a victory for the wolf population and a rejection of government policy.
Around one in five Swedish wolves lives in Örebro län, according to Naturvårdsverket. DR reported that sheep farmer Karl Dufwa, near Askersund, had 14 sheep attacked by wolves in May 2026. He told SVT that the repeated attacks affect both his business and his daily peace of mind.
Jägareförbundet also reported that Naturvårdsverket must set new minimum levels and start work with Norway and Finland on joint management of the Fennoscandian wolf population. Håkan Sand, a wolf researcher at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, told Svenska Dagbladet that there is no single scientific answer to how large the population should be.
Sweden holds a general election on September 13. As DR noted, the parties differ sharply, with the Sweden Democrats seeking the smallest possible population and the Green Party opposing general wolf hunting. In Denmark, the wolf is also on the political agenda, with the first animal registered in 2012.
