Background information

The measure was introduced in response to a sharp increase in global energy prices following the war in the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which significantly raised fuel costs for households. To mitigate these effects and support commuting affordability, the Government of Sweden proposed a temporary subsidy to reduce the cost of public transport.

Content of measure

Within the framework of the 2026 budget amendment, a new budget appropriation (1:23 “Support for reduced public transport fares”) of SEK 6.5 billion (€ 596.7 million) was established to finance a temporary fare reduction scheme in regional public transport. The measure is designed as a targeted state subsidy, providing ex post financial compensation to regional public transport authorities that opt to participate by reducing the price of monthly season tickets for unlimited travel by 50%.

The scheme applies to the period from 1 July to 31 December 2026 and is voluntary for regional authorities, which must apply for the support after implementing the fare reduction. The subsidy aims to ensure that reduced ticket prices are passed directly on to users, while maintaining the financial stability of regional transport systems. Detailed eligibility criteria, administrative procedures, and conditions for compensation are to be specified in a dedicated government ordinance.

Use of measure

There is no official estimate provided in the government announcement of how many users are expected to benefit from the measure.

However, based on contextual information, the target group effectively includes all users of regional public transport who purchase monthly season tickets during the support period (July–December 2026). In practice, this covers a broad share of regular commuters, including workers, students and other frequent travellers.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Does not apply to workers	Does not apply to businesses	Applies to all citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government Local / regional government	National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	No involvement as case not in social partner domain	No involvement as case not in social partner domain
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• No involvement
• Main level of involvement: N/A

Involvement

Not applicable

Views and reactions

Not applicable

Sources

• 26 May 2026: The government halfs the price of monthly passes for public transport (www.regeringen.se)
• 28 May 2026: Supplementary Amending Budget for 2026 – Support for Ukraine, support for households and other measures in response to the war in the Middle East (www.regeringen.se)