On 21 December 2026, Stockholm gets 6 hours and 5 minutes of daylight (US Naval Observatory). That is the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year in the city. Anyone planning a December trip or a move to Stockholm needs the exact numbers, not just a sense that it gets dark early. This guide sets out sunrise and sunset times through the month, the solstice itself, and how Stockholm's daylight compares with Malmö, Luleå, and Kiruna.
How much daylight Stockholm gets in December
Averaging the US Naval Observatory's daily sunrise and sunset times for Stockholm across all 31 days of December 2026 works out to 6 hours 14 minutes of daylight a day. Day-by-day figures show the month starting well above that average and falling fast. On 1 December 2026, sunrise comes at 8:17am and sunset at 2:56pm, for 6 hours 39 minutes of daylight.
By 10 December, sunrise has slipped to 8:32am and sunset to 2:48pm, cutting the day to 6 hours 16 minutes (US Naval Observatory). That is a loss of 23 minutes of daylight in the first ten days of the month.
21 December: the shortest day of the year
The winter solstice falls at 9:50pm on 21 December 2026, per the US Naval Observatory. That is the moment Stockholm gets the least daylight all year. Daylight totals 6 hours 5 minutes, with sunrise at 8:43am and sunset at 2:48pm (US Naval Observatory). SCB (Statistiska centralbyrån), Sweden's national statistics agency, describes the date the same way. "Den 21 december infaller vintersolståndet, årets kortaste dag och längsta natt," SCB writes (SCB). In translation, SCB is saying that 21 December is the winter solstice, the year's shortest day and longest night.
Six months apart, the gap between the two solstices is stark. Stockholm gets 18 hours 37 minutes of daylight on the summer solstice, 21 June 2026. Sunrise that day is 3:31am and sunset is 10:08pm (US Naval Observatory). That leaves a difference of 12 hours 32 minutes between the shortest and longest days of the year.
Why the darkest day is not the day with the earliest sunset
The solstice has the least total daylight, but it is not the day with the earliest sunset. Stockholm's earliest sunset, 2:47pm, falls on 16 December, five days before the solstice. The latest sunrise, 8:45am, falls on 27 December, six days after it (US Naval Observatory). On the solstice itself, sunrise is 8:43am and sunset is 2:48pm (US Naval Observatory).
SMHI (Sveriges meteorologiska och hydrologiska institut), Sweden's national meteorological and hydrological institute, explains why the curve is so flat. "I praktiken förändras... nattens liksom dagens längd ytterst lite under några veckor kring solstånden," SMHI writes. In translation, SMHI is saying that in practice, night and day length change very little for a few weeks around the solstices. That is why sunset barely moves between 16 December and the solstice five days later.
Daylight hours are not the same as sunshine hours
Astronomical daylight, the time between sunrise and sunset, is not the same figure as sunshine you can actually see. SMHI's own knowledge base treats sunshine duration, solskenstid, as a separate measured concept from day length. A cloudy December day can have a full daylight window on the clock while showing very little sun overhead. The sunrise and sunset times in this guide describe daylight, not how much sun breaks through the cloud.
How Stockholm compares to the rest of Sweden in December
Daylight in December drops the further north you go. Malmö gets 7 hours 2 minutes of daylight near the solstice, with sunrise at 8:35am and sunset at 3:37pm (US Naval Observatory). SMHI puts the same part of the country in a wider range: "I sydligaste Sverige varierar dagens längd mellan 7 och 17 timmar" (SMHI). In translation, SMHI is saying that in the southernmost part of Sweden, day length varies between 7 and 17 hours.
Further north, Luleå gets 3 hours 9 minutes near the solstice, with sunrise at 9:55am and sunset at 1:04pm (US Naval Observatory). Kiruna still has a short daylight window on 10 December, sunrise at 11:16am and sunset at 11:47am, just 31 minutes (US Naval Observatory). From 11 December, the sun does not rise there at all. The US Naval Observatory records the object as "continuously below the Horizon." That is polar night, and it lasts through the rest of December. For how daylight changes across the country, see Regions & Destinations.
Planning around Stockholm's December daylight
For most of December, sunrise comes after 8am and sunset by mid-afternoon. On 1 December, that window runs from 8:17am to 2:56pm (US Naval Observatory). Outdoor plans and daylight-dependent sightseeing fit best inside that window. A short winter trip can work around it; settling in Stockholm for the season means living with it daily.
For a full itinerary, see Planning a Trip. Newcomers arriving in December can read What It's Actually Like for what the season brings beyond daylight.
When Stockholm's daylight starts increasing again
Daylight starts lengthening again after the solstice, but not quickly. SMHI's own guidance notes that day length changes very little for a few weeks around the solstices. That means the return to longer days in January is gradual, not sudden. For how daylight and darkness shift across the rest of the year, see Seasons, Darkness & Light.
Frequently asked questions
What time will it get dark for you in Stockholm in December?
Sunset ranges from 2:56pm on 1 December to as early as 2:47pm on 16 December, the earliest sunset of the month (US Naval Observatory).
How many hours of daylight can you expect in Stockholm in December?
An average of 6 hours 14 minutes a day, averaging the US Naval Observatory's daily sunrise and sunset times across December. That falls to 6 hours 5 minutes on the solstice, 21 December (US Naval Observatory).
When is Stockholm's shortest day of the year, and how short is it?
21 December, with the solstice itself at 9:50pm (US Naval Observatory). Daylight that day totals 6 hours 5 minutes (US Naval Observatory).
Will you find Stockholm dark all day in winter?
No: Stockholm keeps a daylight window through December, even at its shortest (US Naval Observatory). Kiruna does not: it enters polar night from 11 December (US Naval Observatory). What looks dark on a given day in Stockholm is often about cloud cover, since SMHI measures sunshine duration separately from day length.
Stockholm's shortest day of 2026 falls on 21 December, with 6 hours 5 minutes of daylight. Daylight length and visible sunshine are measured separately. Both change with latitude across Sweden: Malmö sees more light in December, Luleå and Kiruna far less. For how the picture changes across the rest of the year, see Seasons, Darkness & Light.
