Unemployment benefits in Sweden in 2026: how much can you get?

An a-kassa is a Swedish unemployment insurance fund. It assesses your claim and pays unemployment benefits if you meet the conditions. Under the income-based rules used in Sweden in 2026, the calculation depends on your previous income rather than the number of hours you worked.

The highest starting rate is 80% of your qualifying monthly income, with an income ceiling of SEK 34,000. That means a maximum of SEK 27,200 per full month before tax during the first 100 benefit days. You must meet the membership and other conditions for the 80% rate; having paid membership fees for a year does not, by itself, guarantee that amount.

The new system took effect on 1 October 2025. If you had an ongoing benefit period when it came into force, the older rules continue to apply to that period. This article explains the new system. Your a-kassa confirms which rules apply to your claim. See the Swedish Unemployment Insurance Act and its transitional provisions (in Swedish).

Want to estimate benefits using your own income and membership history? Try the insurAGI unemployment benefits calculator (in Swedish). For the wider picture, including supplementary unemployment insurance and support when changing jobs, read the full guide to unemployment compensation (in Swedish).

Swedish unemployment benefits in 2026 at a glance

These are the main rules, not an entitlement decision. Your a-kassa checks your eligibility and calculates your actual payment. The income thresholds and ceiling are set out in the Unemployment Insurance Ordinance, sections 3, 4 and 7 (in Swedish).

What do you need to qualify for a-kassa in 2026?

You must first meet the general conditions. These include being able and available to work, registering as a jobseeker with Arbetsförmedlingen, the Swedish Public Employment Service, and being available to the labour market. Meeting the income condition alone is not enough.

Under the main income rule, you must normally have had:

• Total qualifying income of at least SEK 120,000 during the reference period.
• Earned income of at least SEK 11,000 per month in at least four months during that period.

The reference period, called ramtid in Swedish, is normally the 12 months immediately before the month for which you claim benefits. Certain periods, such as documented illness or parental leave, may be excluded when determining it, subject to the rules. Some specified social insurance payments may count towards the total income requirement; your a-kassa decides which income can be included. See chapters 2 and 3 of the Act (in Swedish).

The alternative income rule can provide 66 benefit days

If you do not reach SEK 120,000 in total, you may still meet the alternative income condition if you earned at least SEK 11,000 per month for four consecutive months within the reference period. A benefit period under this rule lasts 66 benefit days.

The alternative rule is not an unlimited route to repeated benefit periods: the Act limits its use to two periods before the main income condition must be met again. The other eligibility conditions still apply. See chapter 3, section 3, and chapter 4, section 5 of the Act (in Swedish).

How much can you receive?

Your starting percentage depends on whether you meet the conditions for the 80%, 60% or 50% rate.

For the 60% rate, at least four of the months with membership within the reference period must also meet the minimum monthly earned-income requirement. This is why a simple “6–11 months of membership” rule is not the complete test.

Your a-kassa applies the detailed membership rules, including any applicable exceptions. The full conditions are in chapter 5, sections 4–9 of the Act (in Swedish).

The percentage is applied to your qualifying monthly income, capped at SEK 34,000. Under the main calculation, qualifying monthly income is normally the total qualifying earned income during the reference period divided by 12. It is therefore not necessarily the same as your most recent monthly salary.

Example: qualifying monthly income of SEK 30,000

If your qualifying monthly income is SEK 30,000 and you are entitled to the 80% rate, the amount is SEK 24,000 per full month before tax during the first 100 benefit days.

Example: monthly earnings of SEK 45,000

If your qualifying average income reaches SEK 45,000, the ceiling means that a-kassa can only calculate benefits on SEK 34,000. At the 80% rate, the maximum is therefore SEK 27,200 per full month before tax, rather than 80% of SEK 45,000.

These examples assume full entitlement for the month, before waiting days or other reductions. Work during the month, days when you are not entitled to benefits and other circumstances can reduce the payment.

If you have inkomstförsäkring, supplementary insurance against income loss from unemployment, it may cover part of the gap above the a-kassa ceiling. Read how supplementary unemployment insurance is calculated (in Swedish). Its own conditions and limits apply.

Benefits decrease after 100 and 200 days

The benefit rate falls by 10 percentage points after 100 benefit days, then by a further five percentage points after 200 benefit days.

For someone starting at 80%, the stages are:

The maximum amounts assume qualifying monthly income of at least SEK 34,000 and full entitlement for the month. If your qualifying income is lower, the percentage is applied to that lower amount.

These are benefit days, not calendar days. A full month of unemployment benefits corresponds to 22 benefit days. You only reach the later stages if your awarded benefit period lasts that long. See chapter 4, section 6, and chapter 5, section 10 of the Act (in Swedish).

How many benefit days can you receive?

Under the main income rule, the length of your benefit period depends on how many months within the reference period included at least SEK 11,000 in earned income.

The awarded number of days determines how long benefits can be paid. The amount also depends on your qualifying income, membership conditions and which stage of the benefit period you have reached. IAF, the Swedish Unemployment Insurance Inspectorate, summarises the income conditions and benefit periods (in Swedish).

What changed compared with the old rules?

Older articles referring to a daily benefit ceiling or a fixed basic allowance may therefore describe rules that do not apply to a new benefit period under the income-based system. However, older rules can still apply to an ongoing period that began before the reform. See IAF's explanation of the two systems (in Swedish).

What to do if you become unemployed

1. Register with Arbetsförmedlingen on your first day of unemployment. This matters for unemployment benefits and for protecting your SGI, the income basis used by Försäkringskassan when calculating certain social insurance benefits. Follow Arbetsförmedlingen's first-day registration guidance (in Swedish).
2. Apply to your a-kassa. The fund normally obtains income information and assesses which rules apply to you.
3. Submit your monthly information. Report work, income, unemployment and any other information the fund requests.
4. Check supplementary insurance and collective agreements. You may have cover through inkomstförsäkring or support linked to your employment and collective agreement.
5. Estimate the different parts together. The insurAGI calculator covers a-kassa, supplementary unemployment insurance and transition support (in Swedish). Its result is an estimate; each organisation decides what you are entitled to.

If you have been made redundant, read which payments and support may apply after redundancy in Sweden (in Swedish).

Frequently asked questions

Do the new rules apply to everyone who is unemployed in 2026?

No. The new system took effect on 1 October 2025. If you had an ongoing benefit period at that date, the older rules continue to govern that period. Your a-kassa confirms which system applies to your claim.

Do I have to be a member of an a-kassa?

Membership is not required for every claim, but it affects the rate. The highest starting rate, 80%, normally requires at least 12 consecutive months of membership, membership throughout the reference period and continued membership in the month claimed.

If you are not a member, you may qualify for a starting rate of 50% if you meet the other conditions. Membership or the absence of membership does not replace the income and general eligibility requirements.

Will I always receive SEK 27,200?

No. That is the maximum before tax for a full month during the first 100 benefit days for someone who qualifies for the 80% rate and reaches the income ceiling. Your a-kassa calculates the actual amount, which may be lower.

Are the amounts before or after tax?

A-kassa payments are taxable. All benefit amounts in this article are therefore shown before tax. Skatteverket's guidance confirms the tax treatment of unemployment benefits (in Swedish).

Sources and fact-checking

The rules and amounts in this English version were checked on 6 October 2026 against the following primary sources:

• Swedish Unemployment Insurance Act (2024:506), Riksdagen (in Swedish).
• Swedish Unemployment Insurance Ordinance (2024:1350), Riksdagen (in Swedish).
• New unemployment insurance rules from 1 October 2025, IAF (in Swedish).
• Register on your first day of unemployment, Arbetsförmedlingen (in Swedish).
• Tax treatment of unemployment benefits, Skatteverket (in Swedish).

This article provides general information about Sweden's unemployment insurance system. Your a-kassa decides whether you are entitled to benefits and calculates the amount.