Minister of Culture Parisa Liljestrand (M) says that this year's cultural budget focuses on three areas: education, children, and preparedness.
Among other things, the Creative School will receive a 30 percent increase in grants. The strengthening of the state grant, which goes to elementary schools, benefits both schools and cultural workers, according to Liljestrand.
We expect this to contribute to two out of three students being reached by this initiative. And in this way, we are also contributing to broadening culture and making it possible for more people to participate in it. But also, in fact, strengthening the opportunities for cultural creators to live on their art.
Several of the major cultural institutions will receive compensation for increased rent costs, following a debate that has characterized Cultural Sweden in recent years.
The allocation for regional culture, amounting to over 1.7 billion kronor, will decrease by 20 million over three years. Parisa Liljestrand believes that this can be compensated for by the increased grants to the Creative School.
One should remember that the allocation to the Creative School goes to children, but it also enables local cultural creators to a greater extent to actually live on what they do.
Tax Relief
Culture's share of the state budget for 2025 amounts to 9.3 billion – an increase from last year when the figure was just under 9.1 billion. At the same time, culture's share of the entire budget decreases to 0.65 percent, according to a calculation made by the magazine Magasin K.
But according to Parisa Liljestrand, it is a reasonable prioritization in a time when, among other things, defense and the judicial system need more money.
I think it's entirely reasonable that we set a state budget where the priorities are clear – we ensure that ordinary wage earners have more money left in their pockets. This means they will be able to spend more money on culture.
Compensating for Increased Rent
During a press conference on the government's budget, the Minister of Culture was asked how much of the budget's reform space of 60 billion goes to culture. She replied 114 million kronor.
We deliver investments in defense, in the judicial system, police, and welfare, and we deliver results on culture.
But to compare culture to the reform space becomes very strange to me. Not everything can be counted up in relation to the enormous investments we must make in other parts of society.
Investments:
50 million to the Creative School 2025–2027.
30 million for the care of ecclesiastical cultural heritage.
19 million to the National Heritage Board to secure the state-owned cultural heritage in the event of war.
5 million to the State Defense History Museums for the benefit of the vehicle collection.
5 million to the National Museum for increased rent costs.
10.6 million to the Natural History Museum for increased rent costs.
5 million to the internationalization of cultural life.
7 million to the project "about this you may tell" which the Forum for Living History is responsible for, with more millions coming in subsequent years.
10 million to the Opera to participate in the project planning of the renovation. For 2026, 21 million is expected for the same purpose.
4.5 million to the Dramaten for increased rent.
Cuts:
20 million less to regional culture over three years.
14.5 million less over three years to the Cultural Council's grant for general cultural activities.
