A voting point in Stockholm, Sweden, September 9, 2018. (Photo:AFP/VNA)

With ballots in 95% of districts counted, the Social Democrats are on course to win 28.3% of the votes, down from 31% in the 2014 elections. It is uncertain if Lofven, who heads one of the few left-wing governments in Europe, will be able to rustle up enough support in parliament to form a government.

The far-right Sweden Democrats, capitalizing on voter frustration over immigration to Sweden has made strong gains, rising from nearly 13% in 2014 to 17.7%. This was Sweden’s first election since 2015, when the government welcomed 163,000 immigrants.