Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson of the Social Democrats, who campaigns on a platform to improve the quality of Sweden's welfare state, adopt more renewable energy and fight crime, hopes to extend her party's eight-year rule.

Her main rival for the top job, Ulf Kristersson of the conservative Moderate Party, promises tax cuts, better schools, more nuclear power and to quash spiralling gang violence.

Parliament currently has eight political parties, four on the left and four on the right, making minority government the likely outcome and forcing whoever becomes prime minister to rely on policy compromises with like-minded groups.

Parties must secure at least 4% of votes cast in order to win any seats.

Number of seats seen in recent opinion polls (only those polling firms that give a breakdown):


Graphic: Sweden parliament expected number of seats,

Date Source Ruling Right-wing

centre-left opposition

2018 Results 175 174

3-Mar Novus 178 171

18-Mar Sifo 182 167

7-Apr Novus 177 172

22-Apr Sifo 184 165

4-May Novus 180 169

13-May Sifo 178 171

26-May Sentio 172 177

10-Jun Novus 174 175

17-Jun Sifo 176 173

26-Jun Sentio 167 182

10-Jul Novus 170 179

4-Aug Demoskop 170 179

11-Aug Novus 177 172

12-Aug Sifo 174 175

15-Aug Sifo 176 173

17-Aug Demoskop 176 173

18-Aug Novus 172 177

18-Aug Sifo 182 167

22-Aug Novus 175 174

SUPPORT FOR INDIVIDUAL PARTIES (%):


Grphic: Sweden parliament election polls,

Date Source SDP G Left C M Lib. CD SD

2018 Results 28.3 4.4 8.0 8.6 19.8 5.5 6.3 17.5

3-Mar Novus 32.0 3.2 8.9 6.8 21.2 2.1 5.1 19.4

18-Mar Sifo 32.8 2.7 8.6 7.0 21.4 2.4 4.9 18.6

7-Apr Novus 32.0 3.3 8.3 6.8 21.5 2.1 5.7 18.7

19-Apr Skop 34.7 2.9 9.2 7.4 20.2 2.9 5.8 15.6

22-Apr Sifo 33.0 2.9 8.7 7.1 21.2 2.4 4.9 18.2

4-May Novus 31.8 3.3 9.0 6.9 21.0 2.5 5.9 17.9

13-May Sifo 32.6 2.7 8.2 6.3 20.8 3.6 5.6 18.1

26-May Sentio 29.2 4.1 7.8 5.3 20.4 2.6 8.5 19.4

2-Jun SCB 33.3 3.3 7.8 6.7 21.3 3.4 5.2 17.0

9-Jun Novus 30.2 3.3 9.4 5.9 21.5 3.5 6.3 18.0

17-Jun Sifo 33.7 3.4 7.9 6.0 19.3 4.4 6.3 17.4

21-Jun Ipsos 31.0 3.0 9.0 5.0 20.0 5.0 6.0 19.0

26-Jun Sentio 28.2 3.1 9.0 6.4 20.9 3.9 5.5 21.1

29-Jun Novus 31.7 3.5 8.8 5.4 19.6 5.0 6.7 17.4

4-Jul Demoskop 30.3 4.9 8.4 7.1 21.0 4.7 6.1 16.3

25-Jul Skop 31.5 3.6 10.3 6.2 18.5 6.1 5.7 16.6

4-Aug Demoskop 28.7 4.8 7.7 7.2 20.3 5.7 6.9 17.7

11-Aug Novus 30.6 5.2 7.2 6.8 18.6 5.1 6.3 18.6

12-Aug Sifo 31.2 4.6 7.6 5.3 20.7 5.7 6.1 16.5

15-Aug Sifo 29.9 5.6 8.0 5.7 19.2 5.5 6.5 16.9

17-Aug Demoskop 29.6 5.2 7.4 7.5 19.9 4.9 5.8 18.4

18-Aug Novus 28.5 4.5 9.7 6.0 19.6 5.8 5.6 18.8

18-Aug Sifo 31.2 5.5 8.0 6.0 18.2 5.9 5.6 17.1

22-Aug Novus 27.8 5.5 9.6 6.7 17.4 4.4 6.0 21.5

SDP = Social Democrats, form current minority government

G = Green Party, environmentalist allies of the SDP

Left = Left Party, former Communist Party, allies of SDP

C = Centre, backs SDP prime minister

M = Moderates, historically the largest opposition party, conservative

Lib. = Liberals, opposition party

CD = Christian Democrats, opposition party

SD = Sweden Democrats, anti-immigration, loosely aligned with right-wing bloc

(Reporting by Nordic newsrooms)