The Swedish government has announced an injection of 125 million kronor into air and ferry services connecting the island of Gotland to the mainland — a move that could reduce ticket prices for permanent residents by several hundred kronor.
The announcement was made by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Infrastructure Minister Andreas Carlson during a ferry journey to the island, and will be included in the spring amendment budget.
Residents have felt the squeeze
Ferry prices to and from Gotland have risen by more than 50 percent since 2017, drawing sustained protests from islanders who rely on the connection for everything from daily commuting to accessing healthcare and goods. The state already subsidizes Gotland ferry services to the tune of several hundred million kronor annually, but residents have long argued that the support has failed to keep pace with rising costs.
The new funding is specifically aimed at people registered as permanent residents on the island, and the government’s ambition is to have the subsidy in place before the summer. When a similar — but smaller — boost of 20 million kronor was applied in 2024, average ticket prices fell by around 100 kronor. The government expects the new package to deliver a reduction of a couple of hundred kronor per ticket, though Kristersson stopped short of committing to an exact figure.
“Our ambition is for this to be a permanent solution. We cannot say exactly how much cheaper it will be, but we expect a few hundred kronor.” — Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson
A long-running campaign pays off
For local leaders on Gotland, the announcement represents the culmination of an active lobbying effort to bring the ferry pricing issue to national attention.
“This is a historic announcement, a welcome piece of news for Gotland,” said Infrastructure Minister Andreas Carlson, adding that the funding was not a one-time measure.
Regional politician Meit Fohlin credited the result to sustained collective pressure. “It is clear that the issue of ferry prices has now made an impact at the national level. The work carried out within the pricing commission, together with the strong engagement from Gotland residents, businesses and organizations, has helped move the issue forward,” she said.
The government also indicated it is looking at longer-term structural solutions to keep ticket prices down — signaling that this week’s announcement may be the beginning of a broader policy shift rather than simply a one-off injection of funds.
