Originally Posted by Matt-ADX
It's explained in the very article you put. Changes to definition of rape have cause more crimes to be classified as rape, also women are more empowered and therefore are reporting more instances of rape or forced sex from their SO
Sweden[edit]
Main article: Rape in Sweden
A frequently cited source when comparing Swedish rape statistics internationally is the regularly published report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), based on official statistics provided by each member state.[note 1] In 2012, Sweden had 66 cases of reported rapes per 100,000 population, according to the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention This was unequivocally the biggest number reported to the UNODC in 2012.[235] However, widely differing legal systems, offence definitions, terminological variations, recording practices and statistical conventions makes any cross-national comparison on rape statistics difficult,[236][237][238][239] which is why the UNODC itself caution against using their figures.[235] It should also be noted that many countries do not report any rape statistics at all to the UNODC,[240] and some report very low numbers, despite studies that indicate otherwise.[241][242]
Comparison of selected countries' reported rape rates, 2012.
The Swedish police record each instance of sexual violence in every case separately, leading to an inflated number of cases compared to other countries.] Sweden also has a comparatively wide definition of rape. This means that more sexual crimes are registered as rape than in most other countries. For example, in 2005 Sweden reformed its sex crime legislation and made the legal definition of rape much wider,[236][244][245][246] which led to a marked increase in reports.[247][248] Additionally, the Swedish police have improved the handling of rape cases, in an effort to decrease the number of unreported cases.[236][248][249][250] For this reason, large-scale victimisation surveys have been presented by criminologists as a more reliable indicator of rape prevalence.[236][237][238] An EU-wide survey on sexual violence against women, published the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) in 2014, showed Sweden was only third highest, below Denmark and Finland[251] and a previous assessment by Brå have placed Sweden at an average level among European nations.[237]
According to the FRA study there's a strong correlation between higher levels of gender equality and disclosure of sexual violence.[251] This, and a greater willingness among Swedish women to report rape in relationships,[252] may also explain the relatively high rates of reported rape in Sweden, which has a long-standing tradition of gender equality policy and legislation, as well as an established women's movement,[238] and has been ranked as the number one country in sex equality
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