Vitterhetsakademien’s members represent a range of disciplines drawn from the humanities, social sciences, religion, and law. Induction into Vitterhetsakademien is recognition of outstanding achievements in research in the humanities and social sciences and in cultural heritage management.

The Academy has sixty members divided into two ‘classes’, representing two groups of disciplines: history and the humanities (archaeology, aesthetics, ethnology, business administration, history, human geography, economics, religious studies, social anthropology, sociology, political science, etc.) and philosophy and philology (exegetics, languages, law, literature, philosophy, psychology, etc.). The Academy also has over sixty working members aged over 72 and several honorary members, foreign members, and corresponding members both Swedish and foreign. It has a total membership of about 200. Members are elected for life but can resign their membership by writing to the Board.

HM The King is the patron of The Academy, HM The Queen and HRH The Crown Princess are first honorary members.