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| indicator | value | unit |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 9.5 | mil. |
| Visitors per year | 16 | mil. |
| Renewable energy | 35.6 | % |
How’s Life?
Sweden performs very well in many measures of well-being relative to most other countries in the Better Life Index. Sweden is the top performer in environmental quality, and it ranks above the average in civic engagement, education and skills, work-life balance, health status, subjective well-being, jobs and earnings, housing, and social connections.
Money, while it cannot buy happiness, is an important means to achieving higher living standards. In Sweden, the average household net-adjusted disposable income per capita is USD 29 185 a year, more than the OECD average of USD 25 908 a year. But there is a considerable gap between the richest and poorest – the top 20% of the population earn more than four times as much as the bottom 20%.
In terms of employment, around 74% of people aged 15 to 64 in Sweden have a paid job, above the OECD employment average of 65%. Some 76% of men are in paid work, compared with 72% of women. In Sweden, only 1% of employees work very long hours, one of the lowest rates in the OECD where the average is 13%. About 2% of men work very long hours, compared with 1% for women.
Good education and skills are important requisites for finding a job. In Sweden, 88% of adults aged 25-64 have completed upper secondary education, higher than the OECD average of 75%. This is truer of women than men, as 86% of men have successfully completed high-school compared with 89% of women. In terms of the quality of the educational system, the average student scored 482 in reading literacy, maths and science in the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), less than the OECD average of 497. On average in Sweden, girls outperformed boys by 20 points, more than the average OECD gap of 8 points.
In terms of health, life expectancy at birth in Sweden is almost 82 years, two years higher than the OECD average of 80 years. Life expectancy for women is 84 years, compared with 80 for men. The level of atmospheric PM10 – tiny air pollutant particles small enough to enter and cause damage to the lungs – is 10.2 micrograms per cubic meter in large urban areas, considerably lower than the OECD average of 20.1 micrograms per cubic meter. Sweden also does well in terms of water quality, as 95% of people say they are satisfied with the quality of their water, compared with an OECD average of 81%%, and one of the highest rates in the OECD.
Concerning the public sphere, there is a strong sense of community and high levels of civic participation in Sweden, where 92% of people believe that they know someone they could rely on in time of need, higher than the OECD average of 88%. Voter turnout, a measure of citizens’ participation in the political process, was 86% during recent elections. This figure is higher than the OECD average of 68%. Voter turnout for the top 20% of the population is an estimated 90% and for the bottom 20% it is an estimated 84%, narrower than the OECD average gap of 13 percentage points, and suggests there is broad social inclusion in Sweden’s democratic institutions.
In general, Swedes are more satisfied with their lives than the OECD average. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Swedes gave it a 7.2 grade higher than the OECD average of 6.6.
For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.
Topics
OECD in Action
OECD Economic Surveys Sweden 2015
This OECD Economic Survey of Sweden examines recent economic developments, policies and prospects. Special chapters cover growth and skills.
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Sweden in Detail
Housing – Sweden expand
Key Findings
Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people’s lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.
Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In Sweden, households on average spend 20% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, slightly above the OECD average of 18%.
In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children’s development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In Sweden, the average home contains 1.7 rooms per person, slightly less than the OECD average of 1.8 rooms per person. In terms of basic facilities, nearly every dwelling in Sweden contains private access to an indoor flushing toilet, compared to the OECD average of 97.6%.
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How's Life? at a GlanceIndicators
Income – Sweden expand
Key Findings
While money may not buy happiness, it is an important means to achieving higher living standards and thus greater well-being. Higher economic wealth may also improve access to quality education, health care and housing.
Household net-adjusted disposable income is the amount of money that a household earns each year after taxes and transfers. It represents the money available to a household for spending on goods or services. In Sweden, the average household net-adjusted disposable income per capita is USD 29 185 a year, higher than the OECD average of USD 25 908.
Household financial wealth is the total value of a household’s financial worth, such as money or shares held in bank accounts. In Sweden, the average household net financial wealth per capita is estimated at USD 60 328, lower than the OECD average of USD 67 139. While the ideal measure of household wealth should also include non-financial assets (e.g. land and dwellings), such information is currently available for only a small number of OECD countries, and is not included here.
Despite a general increase in living standards across OECD countries over the past fifteen years, not all people have benefited from this to the same extent. In Sweden, the average net-adjusted disposable income of the top 20% of the population is an estimated USD 52 440 a year, whereas the bottom 20% live on an estimated USD 12 652 a year
For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.
Better Policies for Better Lives
Improving information on pensions
The Min Pension website helps Swedish people get an overall picture of their earned pension rights, on a daily basis, and allows them to make a projection on their old age pension. There are more than 2.1 million registered users and more than 12 million pension agreements collected in the database covering about 99% of existing pension funding. The website is also complemented by a smartphone application.
A survey showed that after a visit to the site, the share that considered themselves "well informed in the pension area" increased from 13% to 43%.
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How's Life? at a GlanceIndicators
Jobs – Sweden expand
Key Findings
Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one’s own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In Sweden, 74% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is higher than the OECD employment average of 65%. Employment rates are generally higher for individuals with a higher level of education; in Sweden an estimated 87% of individuals with at least a tertiary education have a paid job, compared with an estimated 41% for those without an upper secondary education. This 46 percentage point difference is higher than the OECD average of 34 percentage points.
Women are still less likely than men to participate in the labour market. In Sweden, 72% of women have jobs. This is more than the OECD average of 58% and relatively close to the 76% employment rate of men in Sweden. This 4 percentage point gender difference is much lower than the OECD average of 15 percentage points and suggests Sweden has been successful in addressing the constraints and barriers women face accessing work.
Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In Sweden, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently 1.4%, lower than the OECD average of 2.8%. There is little difference on average between men and women in the OECD area when it comes to long-term unemployment. In Sweden, the long-term unemployment rate for men is slightly higher than for women, at respectively 1.5% and 1.2%.
The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. Swedish people earn USD 40 818 per year on average, more than the OECD average USD 36 118. In all OECD countries, men still earn more than women, with an average wage gap of 15.5%. In Sweden, men earn 15.1% more than women.
Another essential factor of employment quality is job security. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In Sweden, workers face a 6.5% chance of losing their job, higher than the OECD average of 5.4%.
For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.
Better Policies for Better Lives
Jobs for ex-offenders
The Krami project facilitates entry into the labour market by unemployed ex-offenders (18-40 years old). The projects provide counselling and guidance in different areas of work during the first two to four weeks of participation. This is followed by a period of job experience accompanied by social activities. The goal is for participants to find employment after two to five months of job experience. After employment begins, support continues to be provided to the participant and the employer in order to maintain employment.
Today there are Krami in 24 different localities. The Swedish Prison and Probation Service, the Public Employment Service and the local social services all contribute at least one staff member to each centre. Approximately 50% of participants get jobs or start training after completing the programme. Those who drop out often fall back into drugs or criminality, but many of them actually come back to Krami and achieve their goal on the second, third or fourth attempt. An evaluation in 2013 showed a 43% increase in the probability of receiving an ordinary salary for those taking part in Krami activities and the probability of relapsing into crime was 32% less.
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Well‑being in the workplace: Measuring job qualityIndicators
Community – Sweden expand
Key Findings
Humans are social creatures. The frequency of our contact with others and the quality of our personal relationships are thus crucial determinants of our well-being.
A strong social network, or community, can provide emotional support during both good and bad times as well as provide access to jobs, services and other material opportunities. In Sweden, 92% of people believe that they know someone they could rely on in time of need, more than the OECD average of 88%. There is a 1 percentage point difference between men and women, as 92% of men believe they have this kind of social support, compared with 93% of women. While gender has little impact on social network support, there is a relationship between the availability of social support on the one hand, and people’s education level, on the other. In Sweden, 85% of people who have completed primary education report having someone to count on for help in times of need, compared to 95% for people who attained tertiary education.
A weak social network can result in limited economic opportunities, a lack of contact with others, and eventually, feelings of isolation. Socially isolated individuals face difficulties integrating into society as a contributing member and fulfilling personal aspirations.
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How's Life? at a Glance OECD Insights: Human CapitalIndicators
Education – Sweden expand
Key Findings
A well-educated and well-trained population is essential for a country’s social and economic well-being. Education plays a key role in providing individuals with the knowledge, skills and competences needed to participate effectively in society and in the economy. Having a good education greatly improves the likelihood of finding a job and earning enough money. Swedes can expect to go through 19.2 years of education between the ages of 5 and 39, more than the OECD average of 17.7 years.
Graduating from upper secondary education has become increasingly important in all countries, as the skills needed in the labour market are becoming more knowledge-based. High-school graduation rates therefore provide a good indication of whether a country is preparing its students to meet the minimum requirements of the job market. In Sweden, 87% of adults aged 25-64 have completed upper secondary education, higher than the OECD average of 75%. Across the OECD, slightly more men aged 25-64 have the equivalent of a high-school degree compared with women from that same age group. In Sweden however, 86% of men have successfully completed high-school compared with 89% of women. This is also true at the university level, as more women complete tertiary education than men in Sweden, at 43% and 31% respectively. This 12 percentage point gap is larger than the OECD average of 4 percentage points.
But graduation rates, while important, speak little to the quality of education received. The OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) reviews the extent to which students have acquired some of the knowledge and skills that are essential for full participation in modern societies. In 2012, PISA focused on examining students’ reading ability, skills in maths and level in sciences, as research shows that these skills are more reliable predictors of economic and social well-being than the number of years spent in school.
The average student in Sweden scored 482 in reading literacy, maths and sciences, below the OECD average of 497. On average, girls outperformed boys by 20 points, much more than the average OECD gap of 8 points.
The best-performing school systems manage to provide high-quality education to all students. In Sweden, the average difference in results, between the students with the highest socio-economic background and the students with the lowest socio-economic is 84 points, lower than the OECD average of 96 points. This suggests the school system in Sweden provides relatively equal access to high-quality education.
Better Policies for Better Lives
Improving academic performances of immigrants
Sweden is far from homogeneous, with nearly 20% of elementary secondary school students speaking a language other than Swedish, and over 100 languages spoken nationwide. More than 13% of all residents were born abroad.
To address this diversity, Sweden has made a strong national commitment to Swedish language education for both immigrant adults and school children. As a consequence, the academic performance of Sweden’s immigrant children is impressive.
For immigrant children, Sweden has implemented an intensive immersion programme similar to that in other countries that have successfully narrowed the achievement gap between immigrant and non-immigrant children, such as Australia, Canada, the Netherlands and Switzerland.
It is compulsory for newly-arrived school-age children to study Swedish at school as a second language (SSL) as part of a core programme of study. The goal is to provide students with the language skills necessary to understand and express complex ideas through speech and writing. Recent student immigrants remain in the SSL programmes on average between 6 and 12 months. They then transfer into the mainstream school programme, but through the “Study Guidance in Mother Tongue” programme they are provided with support teachers to help in the transition. These teachers often work with small groups of immigrant students within the mainstream classroom.
Sweden does not just prioritise language education for immigrant school children, it is also important for their parents and other adults. As mentioned above, Sweden guarantees adults 240 hours of free language instruction through its Swedish for Immigrants (SFI) programme. This is focused on preparing immigrants for the workplace.
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How's Life? at a GlanceIndicators
Environment – Sweden expand
Key Findings
The quality of our local living environment has a direct impact on our health and well-being. Outdoor air pollution is one important environmental issue that directly affects the quality of people’s lives. Despite national and international interventions and decreases in major pollutant emissions, the health impacts of urban air pollution continue to worsen, with air pollution set to become the top environmental cause of premature mortality globally by 2050. Air pollution in urban centres, often caused by transport and the use of small-scale burning of wood or coal, is linked to a range of health problems, from minor eye irritation to upper respiratory symptoms in the short-term and chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma, cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer in the long-term. Children and the elderly may be particularly vulnerable.
PM10 – tiny particulate matter small enough to be inhaled into the deepest part of the lung – is monitored in OECD countries because it can harm human health and reduce life expectancy. In Sweden, PM10 levels in urban areas are 10.2 micrograms per cubic meter, much lower than the OECD average of 20.1 micrograms per cubic meter as well as the annual guideline limit of 20 micrograms per cubic meter set by the World Health Organization.
Access to clean water is fundamental to human well-being. Despite significant progress in OECD countries in reducing water pollution, improvements in freshwater quality are not always easy to discern. In Sweden, 95% of people say they are satisfied with water quality. This figure is the one of the highest in the OECD where the average satisfaction level is 81%.
Better Policies for Better Lives
Reducing nutrient pollution
The Swedish Environmental Code regulates the impact of agriculture on water habitats and the government has subsidised measures for reducing nutrient leaching. The 2007-13 rural development programme allocated about SEK 510 million for this purpose. The Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (SwAM) manages the funds for marine and aquatic environments. Out of these funds, SEK 310 million was allocated in 2013 to work with water management, liming, fish conservation, action plans for threatened species and local water projects. Measures to reduce nutrient losses to surrounding water bodies have yielded good results: a study of 65 streams in southern and central Sweden show a downward trend in concentration of nitrogen and phosphorous, directly related to implemented measures. Overall, use of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilisers has dropped during the decade, contributing to reducing nitrogen surplus per hectare of agricultural land to below the OECD average and the level of many other Nordic and Baltic countries.
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How's Life? at a Glance OECD Environmental Outlook to 2030Indicators
Governance – Sweden expand
Key Findings
Trust in government is essential for social cohesion and well-being. High voter turnout is a measure of citizens’ participation in the political process. In the most recent elections for which data are available, voter turnout in Sweden was 86% of those registered. This figure is much higher than the OECD average of 68%.
Even if the right to vote is universal in all OECD countries, not everyone exercises this right. There is little difference in the voting rates of men and women in most OECD countries. This is the case in Sweden, where the voter turnout of men and women is similar at an estimated 84% and 88%. While on average there are few differences between men and women concerning participation in elections, income can make a big difference in voter turnout. In Sweden, voter turnout for the top 20% of the population is an estimated 90%, whereas the participation rate of the bottom 20% is an estimated 84%. This 6 percentage point difference is lower than the OECD average difference of 13 percentage points and suggests there is broad social inclusion in Sweden’s democratic institutions.
In general, women are in the minority among elected representatives and although their number has slightly increased in the last decade, it is still well below parity. In Sweden, 45% of the seats in national parliament are held by women, much more than the OECD average of 28%.
Ensuring that government decision making is not compromised by conflicts of interest is key to maintaining trust in government. Transparency is therefore essential to hold government to account and to maintain confidence in public institutions.
Freedom of information laws (FOI) allow the possibility for individuals to access undisclosed information. For such policies to be successful, the public should have a clear understanding of their rights under the law, should be able to file requests with ease and should be protected against any possible retaliation. People in Sweden can file a request for information either in writing, online, by telephone or in person – thus greatly facilitating the FOI process. There are also provisions for anonymity and built-in protection from retaliation –important protections that few OECD countries have adopted. As a result, Sweden has one of the most accessible freedom of information policies in the OECD.
For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.
Better Policies for Better Lives
Strengthening consultation with the business community
Sweden attaches considerable importance to the principle of transparency, with roots going back to the eighteenth century. Transparency is enshrined at the highest level, in two of the four fundamental laws making up the constitution.
Public consultation is a routine part of developing draft laws. Committees of Inquiry for example are set up for the development of major policies and legislation. These committees are required to consult widely and considerable information about their work is made public. The Swedish government has also strengthened consultation with the business community since a 2007 OECD recommendation on this topic. For example, several ministries have established working groups with business representatives to identify areas of particular concern.
The consultation system often involves formal groups, and it has been suggested that ordinary citizens can be left out of the loop. The OECD thus encourages the use of new approaches, such as Internet consultations, to reach out to a broad audience.
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How's Life? at a GlanceIndicators
Health – Sweden expand
Key Findings
Most OECD countries have enjoyed large gains in life expectancy over the past decades, thanks to improvements in living conditions, public health interventions and progress in medical care. Life expectancy at birth for the whole population in Sweden stands at almost 82 years, two years above the OECD average of 80 years. Life expectancy for women is 84 years, compared with 80 for men, close to the average OECD gender gap of five years, with a life expectancy of 82 years for women and 77 for men. Higher life expectancy is generally associated with higher health care spending per person, although many other factors have an impact on life expectancy (such as living standards, lifestyles, education and environmental factors).
When asked “How is your health in general?” 81% of people in Sweden reported to be in good health, more than the OECD average of 68%. Despite the subjective nature of this question, answers have been found to be a good predictor of people’s future health care use. Gender, age and social status may affect answers to this question. On average in OECD countries, men are more likely to report good health than women, with an average of 70% for men and 66% for women. In Sweden, the average is 84% for men and 79% for women. Not surprisingly, older people report poorer health, as do those who are unemployed, or who have less education or income. About 89% of adults with a disposable income in the top 20% in Sweden rated their health as “good” or “very good”, compared to about 70% for those with a disposable income in the bottom 20%.
Better Policies for Better Lives
Preventing school dropout
The municipality of Skellefteå in Sweden has been tackling the problem of high school dropout through focusing on the issue of mental health, with the support of the national scheme “Plug In”. In Sweden 24% of young people dropped out from high school or leave without completing graduation requirements in 2010. Psychological guidance is provided on an individual basis, and as part of group exercises. In the past two years, 45 pupils have been taken through the scheme, with 42 resuming their studies. The budget for 2012-2014 was EUR 140 300 from the European Social Fund (ESF) and EUR 168 000 public financing.
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How's Life? at a GlanceIndicators
Life Satisfaction – Sweden expand
Key Findings
Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries.
Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Swedes gave it a 7.2 grade, higher than the OECD average of 6.6.
There is little difference in life satisfaction levels between men and women across OECD countries. This is true in Sweden, where both men and women gave their life a 7.2 grade. When considering people’s education level, however, there is a clear difference in life satisfaction levels in many OECD countries. Whereas people who have only completed primary education in Sweden have a life satisfaction level of 7.0, and this score reaches 7.5 for people with tertiary education.
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How's Life? at a GlanceIndicators
Safety – Sweden expand
Key Findings
Personal security is a core element for the well-being of individuals, and includes the risks of people being physically assaulted or falling victim to other types of crime. Across the OECD, assault rates have generally declined in the past five years. In Sweden, 5.1% of people reported falling victim to assault over the previous 12 months, more than the OECD average of 3.9%. There is little difference between men and women in assault rates, at respectively 4.7% and 5.5%.
The homicide rate (the number of murders per 100 000 inhabitants) is a more reliable measure of a country’s safety level because, unlike other crimes, murders are usually always reported to the police. According to the latest OECD data, Sweden’s homicide rate is 0.7, much lower than the OECD average of 4.0. In Sweden, the homicide rate for men is 0.9 compared with 0.4 for women.
However, while men are at a greater risk of being victims of assault and violent crime, women report lower feelings of security than men. This has been explained by a greater fear of sexual attacks, the feeling they must also protect their children and their concern that they may be seen as partially responsible.
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How's Life? at a GlanceIndicators
Work-Life Balance – Sweden expand
Key Findings
Finding a suitable balance between work and life is a challenge for all workers, especially working parents. The ability to successfully combine work, family commitments and personal life is important for the well-being of all members in a household. Governments can help to address the issue by encouraging supportive and flexible working practices, making it easier for parents to strike a better balance between work and home life.
An important aspect of work-life balance is the amount of time a person spends at work. Evidence suggests that long work hours may impair personal health, jeopardise safety and increase stress. The share of employees working 50 hours or more per week is not very large across OECD countries. In Sweden, about 1% of employees work very long hours, one of the lowest rates in the OECD where the average is 13%. Overall, more men work very long hours; in Sweden 2% of men work very long hours, compared with less than 1% for women.
The more people work, the less time they have to spend on other activities, such as time with others or leisure. The amount and quality of leisure time is important for people’s overall well-being, and can bring additional physical and mental health benefits. In Sweden, full-time workers devote 63% of their day on average, or 15.1 hours, to personal care (eating, sleeping, etc.) and leisure (socialising with friends and family, hobbies, games, computer and television use, etc.) – slightly more than the OECD average of 15 hours. Fewer hours in paid work for women do not necessarily result in greater leisure time. In Sweden, both men and women devote approximately 15 hours per day to personal care and leisure.
Better Policies for Better Lives
Easy access to parental benefits
The service 'My Pages' offers Swedish people online information on what types of benefits they are eligible for. The government launched a smartphone application so that parents, instead of filling out papers for temporary parental leave when staying home with their ill child, can apply for those benefits on line.
Now, approximately 43% of all the log-ins to My Pages come through the App. The 1.2 million users now log-in 80% more often than before the application. In addition, 24% of all the applications for temporary parental leave are now done via the App. Finally, the self-service level for temporary parental leave has increased from 62% to 80% from the date when the application was launched. Parents have expressed high customer satisfaction and the App was downloaded more than 200 000 times in the first three months alone.