In Sweden, the anti-establishment party, the Sweden Democrats, has seen growing support in the past four parliamentary elections. This rise is thought to be part of a broader trend where disenchanted voters in remote areas increasingly back anti-establishment parties. The present study investigates whether residing in a rural or peripheral district within a municipality increases the individual likelihood of voting for the Sweden Democrats in local elections. Drawing on a unique survey with respondents nested in 49 municipalities and approximately 1800 districts, the findings reveal that living in rural and peripheral districts increases the probability of supporting the Sweden Democrats in local elections even when accounting for individual- and context-level variables. Additionally, the results demonstrate that individuals in rural districts within non-rural municipalities are significantly more likely to vote for Sweden Democrats in local elections. This is explained as being driven by concerns about access to services and lack of optimism about the local development.
Funding Agencies|Lansforsakringars forskningsfond; Project on social polarization