Making a living from your pension

- Better pensions through personal pension savings and higher basic deductions.

Three parts of the pension

Sweden currently has a pension system consisting of three parts: 1) State pension. This is based on your income and may in some cases be a guaranteed pension. 2) Occupational pension from work, often regulated by collective agreements. 3) Personal savings through voluntary contributions, for example private pension insurance.

The national pension is essentially a pay-as-you-go scheme, which means that today's wage earners pay pension contributions into a buffer scheme, which in turn pays out pensions to today's pensioners. Employees” pension contributions thus essentially go directly to pension payments.

The system has two main problems

The system is based on the assumption that there are always at least as many workers paying pension contributions as there are pensioners. When there are fewer contributions than payments into the public pension system, the buffer is reduced and the money will eventually run out. Swedish demographic trends show that the population is ageing faster than new children are being born. Consequently, it will be difficult to guarantee today's wage earners the pension they are entitled to.

This also means that the employee does not own his or her pension capital - except for the small part called the premium pension (PPM). Of the 18.5% paid into the national pension system on a regular basis, 2.5% goes to the self-owned premium pension. 16% goes into what are called ”buffer funds”, which are managed by the state AP funds.

Like all government agencies, the AP funds are also affected by political decisions. One example of this is the much-discussed investment in Northvolt, which caused a total loss of around SEK 5.8 billion in 2025 - an investment that should not have been made and which reduced the pension capital by the same amount.

PPM funds have delivered better returns

During the period 2001-2024, the annual return on average PPM savings has amounted to approximately 7.4%, while the corresponding return for the AP funds has been approximately 3.4%. Even if you have not actively chosen PPM, the return in PPM funds has been about twice as high as the average return of the AP funds during the same period. Owned private pension management thus leads to higher pensions and therefore Ambition Sverige wants the national pension capital to gradually transition to being completely owned and managed like the PPM system.

Pensions will be higher and more secure with an increase in the basic allowance

Increasing pensions requires more contributions during working life, higher premiums in occupational pensions and equal conditions. Working a few years longer also makes a big difference.

The most effective way to achieve higher pensions is to increase the basic allowance. This increases the portion of income that is not taxed at all, favouring pensioners who, after a lifetime of hard work, still have a low pension.

Sweden currently has a relatively low basic allowance, with a maximum of SEK 49,000. By way of comparison, Germany has a basic deduction of EUR 11 784 (equivalent to around SEK 130 000) and Norway around NOK 88 000 (2024).

Ambition Sverige wants to increase the basic allowance to two (2) Price Base Amounts, which will be SEK 117,600 for 2025. This will make the basic deduction more comparable to the level of the subsistence minimum and will also follow the general cost trend.

Ambition Sverige also believes that married couples should be free to share their pensions between them. They have shared the various circumstances of family life between them, especially at the time of family formation when the mother has often spent a long time at home with children. It is therefore reasonable that spouses should be free to divide their pensions between them, without restrictions or obligations.

Ambition Sverige will work for:

Transforming the public pension capital into a fully self-owned pension capital, far from being politically expedient.
Reducing taxes on pensions by increasing the basic deduction to two price base amounts.
Allowing spouses to freely distribute pension capital between them.
Increasing guaranteed pensions for those with the lowest pensions.

Our plan for Sweden

Ambition Sverige is based on five
universal principles that make up our
compass for freedom and governance.

Ambition Sweden's policies are always tested against these principles.

Power is under the law
(Magna Carta)

Politicians and civil servants should be held personally accountable for wrong decisions, abuse of power or negligence.

Protection against arbitrariness
(Habeas Corpus)

No person should be detained without a legal basis. The justice system should be fair, impartial and protect the people, not be used as a political tool.

The good of the people and the nation first
(Virtue)

Decisions should be made for the long-term good of the country, not for power plays or international pressure.

Self-determination and non-interference
(International law)

Sweden will respect the sovereignty of other states and demand respect for our own. No foreign power should control our politics, our security or our territory.

Freedom, security and dignity
(Human rights)

Every human being has the right to life, liberty, privacy and security.

Popular rule instead of supranationalism - leave the EU

Swedish citizens should not be governed by supranational agendas.

Ambition Sverige will work for:

Moving away from the 2030 Agenda as the guiding framework, as well as the UN Pact for the Future and the Global Digital Compact; reclaiming national targets and budget governance.
Saying no to the WHO Pandemic Convention and binding IHR changes; leaving the WHO Global Digital Health Certification Network.
Stopping the ekrona and rejecting digital euro for the public; constitutional protection of cash and diversity in payments.
Say no to EUDI as a condition for civic participation; reject SOU 2023:61 and ban centralised logging of everyday use.
Rejecting SOU 2023:22 and all general access to electronic communications; defending strong encryption and privacy.
Reduce state media subsidies that favour agenda-driven giants; safeguard freedom of expression and pluralism.
Pulling the handbrake on DSA, EU Digital Travel Identity and WHO GDHC/GDHCN; no permanent digital access systems in Sweden.

An independent defence and security policy

Security through détente, diplomacy and military defence.

Ambition Sverige will work for:

Sweden's security is safeguarded through non-alignment, diplomacy and détente.
Sweden is building a strong defence force.
Military aid to Ukraine is cancelled because it increases the threat to Sweden.
The DCA is cancelled immediately - Sweden will not have foreign troops on its territory.
Licensed gun owners should be allowed to use their weapons without government interference.
Sweden is taking control of the monopoly on violence in all "vulnerable areas".

Stop all immigration for 10 years

Taking back control to tackle social unrest and crime.

Ambition Sverige will work for:

Impose a ten-year freeze on all new immigration. Deportation of persons without legal right to reside in the country, family immigration is stopped during the period.
Faster deportations and sentences to be served in the home country by agreement. Deportation as a general rule after sentencing.
Sweden will regain control at the border. We will expand detention centres, acquire our own transport resources and introduce fast-track identity checks.
Stopping the shadow society. Impose sanctions on illegal employers/landlords, carry out exit checks and require a unified ID flow.
The fact that temporary residence permits are subject to regular review where return to the country of origin, serious criminality or long-term dependency on benefits breaks the right to stay.
Introducing a qualifying period of at least five years before gaining full access to welfare and benefits.
Improving background checks through document research, biometrics, security interviews and information sharing.
Placing responsibility for language and integration on the individual. Abolition of home language teaching and SFI, interpreter support for a maximum of one year.
Conducting a national census to ensure that there is one personal/coordination number per person. Nullity in case of fraudulent citizenship.
Taxpayers' money should not go to organisations that make deportations more difficult.
Speaking plainly in the countries of origin - Sweden is not a welfare destination.
That honour crimes, forced marriages and parallel systems of norms are met with immediate protection for children and women. Tougher penalties and deportation of perpetrators.
Tackling clan crime through restraining orders, witness protection and deportation.

Weighing costs against benefits in climate policy - prioritising the environment

A fixation on carbon dioxide hampers environmental efforts.

Ambition Sverige will work for:

That the installation of a fifth treatment stage becomes a reality in the municipal wastewater treatment plants in the 30 largest municipalities, where the total annual emissions of organic pollutants including heavy metals are also measured, identified and reported.
That supplementary treatment is introduced in all PFAS-contaminated waterworks in Sweden to meet future limit values for PFAS.
Launching a programme to reduce emissions to air and water of so-called microplastics, including nanoparticles, from traffic, roads, industries, wastewater treatment plants, etc.
A monitoring programme is started for Sweden's 30 largest lakes, where, in addition to organic pollutants and heavy metals, the amount and number of microplastic particles are measured and reported.
In the wake of the Think Pink scandal, in which waste was allowed to spread unchecked in some 15 municipalities, to set up a monitoring project on waste management in general. The aim is to examine whether the control of waste is working satisfactorily.
That ongoing projects within Avfall Sverige dealing with emissions of PFAS from waste incineration, among other things, be given extra resources so that results can be obtained more quickly.
Initiate continuous random testing of organic pollutants in suspected imported consumer products, especially in products from China and Asia. A mandate should be given to the Swedish Chemicals Agency with the aim of stopping the import of the most toxic products - or influencing suppliers to supply non-toxic products.
That the Swedish Chemicals Agency be given the task of proposing a programme of measures to reduce emissions, leaks and spills of PFAS from various products.
That the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency initiate a project to report on the state of the environment in Sweden, as a guide for decision-makers/politicians.
That a monitoring project under the Environmental Code be started, where emissions of particles and other substances from rotor blades in onshore and offshore wind power are investigated and reported. Emissions from various types of malfunctions/breakdowns should also be reported.
Launch a project to provide an overview of the environmental impact and demand for rare earths in the manufacture, use and scrapping of electric vehicles, solar energy systems and wind turbines, using life cycle analyses (LCA).
addressing the most serious water and air pollutants, such as persistent and accumulative pollutants.
That the work of public authorities is based on facts - not on activism based on unrealistic projections of climate emissions.
Sweden leaving the Paris Agreement (from 2015).
Sweden to leave coalitions aiming for net zero carbon emissions by 2050, such as the UN Net Zero Coalition, the Carbon Neutrality Coalition (CNC), the EU Fit for 55 and the World Economic Forum's First Movers Coalition.
That Sweden abolishes the climate policy framework consisting of the Climate Act and the Climate Policy Council and renegotiates the Climate Goals.
That Sweden establishes a non-political climate science council that follows scientific developments in order to be able to give good advice to decision-makers. Those who are part of this council should be professors in the basic sciences on which the climate issue rests.
That all public commitment to the "green transition" is suspended. Innovation and energy efficiency must take place in a free market without government interference.
The removal of subsidies and other special treatment for companies in the transition industry. For example, companies that want to engage in battery manufacturing, hydrogen production or underground storage of carbon dioxide can do so with their own resources and not with the public's pension funds or taxes.
That planned bans on the sale of petrol and diesel cars are removed. The same conditions will apply to vehicles with internal combustion engines as to electric cars and hybrids.

Restore law and order

Zero tolerance towards criminal gangs and clans.

Ambition Sverige will work for:

That the escalating violence and insecurity end up being the focus of the policy pursued.
That the victim's well-being should be prioritized - not the perpetrator's.
That protection and support for victims of crime increases.
That legislation and the scale of punishment are adapted to meet serious crime.
That system-threatening crime is noticed and counteracted.
That Sweden's inhabitants are protected against honour violence and honour oppression.
That legislative work is speeded up. The preparation requirement must be made more efficient and the independence of the Council on Legislation strengthened.
The introduction of on-call courts for cases where the evidence is obvious and indisputable.
The introduction of a constitutional court that can review laws that are interpreted by courts with politically controlled guidelines.
To reintroduce strict civil servant responsibility.
That EU directives are not automatically converted into Swedish law.
That Sweden's own legislation should take precedence over UN conventions, and that certain ratified UN conventions should be terminated.
That all forms of penalty discounts are removed.
That a civic advisory council replaces today's party-political representation in the relevant authorities.
To introduce the right to decisive referendums on matters of a national security nature.
To limit the government's power of appointment and base appointments on meritocracy.
That non-Swedish citizens and persons with dual citizenship are deported upon conviction for a serious crime.
That non-Swedish citizens' right to Swedish rights and freedoms is limited.
To create legal support for being able to buy prison places abroad.

Minimising the risks of digitalisation and AI

Personal privacy instead of digital dictatorship.

Ambition Sverige will work for:

Regarding digital IDs and central bank digital currencies:

Demand public debate and referendum before implementation of digital central bank currency and ID.
We demand that every individual is given full legal ownership and control over their own biometric data - including the right to consent, restriction, traceability and financial protection from commercial exploitation.
We call for an end to the mandatory link between ID systems and financial transactions.
Secure and preserve cash as a statutory, protected right.
Set legal limits on what digital currencies and ID systems can contain, record and control.
Build open, non-centrally controlled digital identity options.

As regards AI:

Without free access to information, there is no free thought - and without free thought, there is no democracy. Ambition Sweden therefore demands that access to information on the internet remains free, open and uncensored - because freedom of information is a prerequisite for democracy, freedom of expression and a free society. AI provided to Swedish citizens must therefore fulfil these requirements.
We call for a national AI infrastructure - Publicly funded and openly and transparently vetted AI models based on local laws, language, culture and ethics should be developed.
We demand that no AI can make decisions that affect people's lives without full transparency, legal accountability and human control - as in Danish law. It must be clear who is behind an AI decision, what data it is based on and what values have been prioritised. Automated decisions should always be appealable.
Data sovereignty - All sensitive data, especially from public authorities, schools and healthcare, must be stored and processed within Sweden's borders and by actors under democratic control (not the EU or global and private actors).
Digital literacy - Citizens and decision-makers should be educated about new technologies and AI.
Active regulation to prevent platform dependency and to promote open, interoperable options.
Ambition Sverige calls for work to identify and analyse risks linked to AI in military and civilian security systems to be initiated and for the protection of critical infrastructure from AI-driven attacks, sabotage or disinformation to be developed.
Finally, we call for developing our defence capabilities against autonomous weapons systems and digitally targeted attacks, and for strengthening international legal, ethical and technical safeguards against the use of AI against populations - by other states or by private actors.

Making Sweden rich again

Stop giving away Sweden's tax money.

Ambition Sverige will work for:

phasing out the state income tax through a gradual process over a few years.
Increasing the basic deduction for both earned income and pension so that it corresponds to twice the price base amount, which for 2025 would be SEK 117,600.
Abolishing the general payroll tax for company employees numbered 2-6 and gradually removing it for all employees.
Reduce VAT on food to 6% and remove the VAT rate of 12% so that VAT on restaurants, hotels and catering is also reduced to 6%.
Halving the number of Swedish authorities and imposing a general efficiency requirement on other authorities.
Lowering the benefit ceiling so that a maximum of half a price base amount before tax is paid to benefit recipients.

Defending Swedish culture

Re-establishing a cohesive society.

Ambition Sverige will work for:

Reclaiming Sweden's role as a strong host country with a clear, safe and vibrant culture that permeates the whole of society.
Restoring and safeguarding Swedish culture in schools, public institutions, the justice system and the public space.
Recognising the role of culture in integration and cohesion, where new citizens are exposed not only to welfare, but also to the values that build society.
Promoting Swedish traditions, language, history and community values through state and municipal initiatives.
Ending public support for activities and schools that run counter to Swedish values, including gender-segregated and value-conflicting teaching.
Reallocate resources to activities that strengthen Swedish identity, integration and social cohesion, especially among young people and new arrivals.
To reinstate a clear social contract, where rights are balanced with obligations and where respect for Swedish law and norms is a prerequisite.
Strengthening the place of culture in the construction of society to enable true diversity, based on respect and shared responsibility - not division and complacency.

Ensure a functioning energy system

Plan for nuclear power - build gas turbines and stop wind power.

Ambition Sverige will work for:

Swedish energy production should primarily secure Sweden's energy needs. We continue to export our surplus to other countries via existing cables but are restrictive about new capacity that raises our electricity prices.
That Sweden should build new nuclear power and thus return to the well-functioning electricity system we had before 1999. In this way, Sweden can offer electricity at low, predictable prices for industry, societal functions and private individuals. Vattenfall should be tasked with ensuring the rapid expansion of nuclear power.
Transitional solutions pending new nuclear power should be increased power output from CHP and gas turbines, especially in southern Sweden. Increased capacity and electricity production in existing plants are encouraged on market terms. All restrictions on existing hydroelectric power due to environmental assessments will be cancelled.
That no more wind power is built, neither on land nor at sea.
That existing wind power industries are checked to ensure that they meet the requirements set in operation. Also investigate the environmental effects of wind power, for example with regard to the spread of microplastics and infrasound.
That all expansion of large solar power plants on agricultural land is put on hold while waiting for a new regulatory framework to be in place.
The governance of the state-owned utility Svenska Kraftnät (SVK) and the state-owned company Vattenfall should be reviewed. SVK should become the system operator for the entire electricity system.
That the number of bidding zones is reviewed with the aim of equalizing electricity prices across the country.
That no subsidies or special support are given for so-called green transition or electrification.
That energy storage in hydrogen and batteries is not subsidised by the state as these are not sustainable solutions for the energy system (not cost-effective).
That the consequences of increased use of biomass are carefully analysed, as much is currently imported into Sweden.

Protecting agriculture and forestry from bureaucracy and activism

Stop EU micromanagement and work towards greater self-sufficiency.

Ambition Sverige will work for:

Increasing the profitability of agriculture by removing climate-related requirements and reducing the administrative burden.
That as long as we are in the EU, EU regulations should be interpreted strictly in Sweden's favour. In the event of an EU exit, we want national support for agriculture, with the aim of increasing our food self-sufficiency.
Strengthening ownership and utilisation rights for forest and agricultural land. The state's ability to stop deforestation and compulsory purchase of forests must be limited.
Sweden says no to the EU's deforestation regulation, carbon credit trading, ETS2 and plans for satellite monitoring of forest land.
To introduce strict civil servant responsibility and stop activism in government agencies. Government authorities and municipal officials must promote agricultural and forest production, not make it more difficult.
Removing the grazing requirement but favouring grazing. The farmer knows best what suits his farm.
Facilitating the sale of meat and milk directly from farms. The rules for small-scale food processing and sales need to be simplified.
Enabling pastoral farming and other grazing-based livestock production by authorising and facilitating wolf hunting (see chapter on rural areas).

A living countryside

Increase regional self-determination.

Ambition Sverige will work for:

To increase regional self-determination.
To introduce local management of state land.
Reducing petrol and diesel taxes.
Abolish all mandatory laws on expensive climate change adaptation in housing and construction.
Introducing a ban on forcing property owners with functioning individual sewerage solutions to connect to municipal networks - unless there are urgent health or environmental reasons.
Creating a level economic playing field for municipalities to provide education, health and elderly care in rural areas. Small schools and elderly care centres should not have to meet the same detailed conditions as large entities.
Dismantling the Sami Parliament. The same rights and obligations should apply regardless of ethnicity.
To extend section 28 of the Hunting Ordinance, i.e. to authorise and simplify wolf hunting. This is to enable pastoral farming and other pasture-based animal husbandry.
To simplify the permit processes for smaller visitor and tourist businesses such as cafés, bed & breakfasts and farm shops.
Replacing licensing requirements for activities with animals, such as horse riding and dog boarding, with a notification procedure.

More value for money and less political control

Organising for better healthcare and dental care across the country.

Ambition Sverige will work for:

Reducing waiting lists through more resources, better coordination and increased efficiency. More beds, a care guarantee with real incentives and more patient time per doctor.
Ensuring access to emergency hospitals across the country. No one should have to risk their life because the hospital is too far away.
Guaranteeing a place in hospital at all times - there should be enough beds both in times of peace and crisis.
All families should have safe access to obstetric care. No one should have to give birth in a car.
Ambulance services should work across the country. When minutes make the difference between life and death, help must arrive on time.
Health care should be equal throughout the country. Everyone pays taxes, so everyone should have the right to the same care, regardless of where they live.
Streamlining and reducing the number of government agencies through mergers and the creation of a Health Services Board (HSS).
Radically reducing bureaucracy within the regions and increasing the autonomy and influence of healthcare units and their staff.
Taking greater national responsibility for training specialist doctors and nurses. More nurses need to be trained and nurse training should be improved.
Regions to facilitate more private, physician-led options. Public and private care should be treated equally.
Increasing knowledge about complex adverse drug reactions. This will help reduce misdiagnosis and unnecessary hospitalisation, especially among the elderly.
Reducing the indiscriminate prescription of medicines by requiring a more in-depth analysis of the cause of the disease.
Swedish dental care should be subject to the same fees and coverage as medical care.

Legal protection in elderly care

Safety, transparency and respect for the most vulnerable.

Ambition Sverige will work for:

Care for the elderly should be based on security, dignity and respect for the individual.
That everyone working in elderly care should be checked against the criminal record.
All staff in elderly care should speak and understand Swedish.
Strengthening the right of both elderly people and their families to be involved in decisions related to care and housing.
The right to safe housing should be a given when the need arises.
Legalising the right to nutritious food and enjoyment of meals in elderly care.
To guarantee the right to an analogue life.
Reviewing the system of trusteeship and guardianship. The system should protect the elderly, not exploit them.
To recognise and hold accountable the way older people were treated during the pandemic.

Educate for knowledge instead of ideology

Expertise instead of activism.

Ambition Sverige will work for:

Education should be characterised by objectivity and enlightenment; it should be free of political activity and values.
The state's influence over schools should be reduced. The autonomy of schools needs to be increased and teachers freed from administrative burdens. Home schooling and similar forms of education should be allowed.
That universities should be politically independent places for free thought and intellectual debate, not suppliers of politically commissioned ideological education.
Cherish rural schools and see them as a crucial part of a vibrant countryside.
To counteract political correctness, broaden the corridor of opinion and let merit decide when appointing.
That all pupils should have passed Swedish, English and maths after completing primary school.
More men to want to work in the education sector.
To counteract the cancel culture. Introduce guidelines for public institutions and workplaces that support diversity of opinion and protect employees from being penalized for private opinions.