Abstract Aims The quality registry SWEDEHEART covers data across the patient pathway after an acute myocardial infarction (MI), from hospital care to secondary prevention. Although cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is strongly recommended after an MI, there is still heterogeneity regarding standards, uptake, and adherence rates. The aim of the SWEDEHEART-CR registry is to provide continuous information on secondary prevention and CR performance to support the audit and development of evidence-based practice. To facilitate quality improvement and research initiatives, a description of the characteristics and development of the SWEDEHEART-CR registry is needed. Methods and results The SWEDEHEART-CR registry starts with data obtained during hospital care and then collects data at out-patient visits 2 months and 1-year after discharge, and at start and end of an exercise-based CR programme. The registry data covers comorbidities, biochemistry, blood pressure, anthropometric variables, medication, psychosocial- and lifestyle variables, readmissions, patient-reported outcome measures, attendance in CR-related programmes, and physical fitness variables. Over 100 000 patients with MI have been included in the SWEDEHEART-CR registry since its start in 2005. From initially covering 35 centres (47%) and 2200 patients annually (27%), SWEDEHEART-CR has developed to a nation-wide registry with 75 centres (100%) and 8800 patients annually (80%) in 2020. Conclusion The SWEDEHEART-CR registry includes a high proportion of the national MI population entering a CR programme and is a powerful tool for quality audit, improvement, and research. The registry provides insights into the characteristics, treatment, and outcomes of evidence-based secondary preventive practice, ultimately leading to better cardiovascular health.