Sweden
Population
The population size was 8 940 788 at the end of 2002. For the first time since 1996 the number of births exceeded the number of deaths. Due to a high net migration the population increased by 0.36 %.
Marriage and divorce
After the marriage boom in 1989 (109 000), caused by a change in the regulation of widow’s pensions, the number of marriages is again approximating the pre-1989 yearly average of 40 000. After 1989 the number of marriages declined and reached 31 600 in 1998. In 2002 the number of marriages rose to 38 012. The number of divorces was 21 322.
Fertility
Sweden’s “roller-coaster” fertility rate has received international attention. In 1965 fertility started to decline as in most other countries in Europe and during the period 1965 to 1980 the total fertility rate dropped from almost 2.5 to 1.7 children per woman. In the 1980s fertility rates grew rapidly and reached 2.14 in 1990 – one of the highest fertility rates in Europe at the time. The high fertility rate imposed a new situation on a country known for piloting modern demographic behaviour and low fertility levels.
The number of births of the second order and above begun to increase already in 1978. The postponement of first births continued until 1984 when the number of first births started increasing among younger women. This trend continued throughout the second half of the 1980s.
Calculations for benefits from Sweden’s family insurance system are based on the earnings recorded over the months prior to birth. This provides an incentive to postpone parenthood until the level of earnings corresponds to a suitable level of benefits. Since 1980 the system also contains an element which encourages closely spaced births. If the interval between two births is 24 months or less (30 months from 1986) the benefit level for the second child is based on the earnings before the birth of the first child.
Since the early 1990s fertility is again declining rapidly. The economic recession, increased unemployment and and less generous family policies were contributing factors. In 1999 the total fertility rate reached an all time low of 1.5 and in 2002 the total fertility rate was 1.65.
Mortality
Mortality has continued to decrease. In 2002 life expectancy was 77.73 for males and 82.11 for females. Infant mortality reached the lowest level ever in 2002 with only 3.3 deaths per 1000 live births.
Migration
Immigration to Sweden rose from 60 800 in 2001 to 64 100 in 2002. With an emigration of 33 000 in 2002 this resulted in a positive net migration of 31 000.
Demographic projections
In the population projection of 2003 fertility is assumed to increase slowly from the present level of 1.65 children per woman (2002) to 1.85 in 2010 and then remain at that level. The decrease in mortality is assumed to continue, resulting in an increase of life expectancy from 77.7 years in 2002 to 81.4 by 2025 for men and from 82.1 years to 84.6 for women. Immigration is assumed to increase from 64 000 persons to 73 000 in 2020 and emigration is assumed to increase from 33 000 to 48 000 in 2020.
The assumptions regarding fertility and mortality in the population projection are almost the same as in the previous projection. The expectations on immigration are raised compared with the previous projection.
The projections show a slow population increase. The ageing of the population will continue and the dependency rate will increase from 0.70 to 0.82 in the year 2025.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year
|
Number of persons (in thousands) by age
|
Dependency rate
|
Total
|
0-19
|
20-39
|
40-64
|
65-79
|
80+
|
(0-19+65-)/20-64)
|
1975
|
8 208
|
2 231
|
2 323
|
2 403
|
1 026
|
225
|
0,74
|
1984
|
8 343
|
2 113
|
2 388
|
2 416
|
1 121
|
304
|
0,74
|
1990
|
8 591
|
2 111
|
2 379
|
2 574
|
1 157
|
370
|
0,73
|
1995
|
8 837
|
2 172
|
2 418
|
2 704
|
1 129
|
415
|
0,73
|
2000
|
8 883
|
2 139
|
2 369
|
2 844
|
1 078
|
453
|
0,70
|
Projection
|
2005
|
9 054
|
2 165
|
2 324
|
3 005
|
1 077
|
483
|
0,70
|
2010
|
9 266
|
2 140
|
2 365
|
3 042
|
1 234
|
485
|
0,71
|
2015
|
9 485
|
2 119
|
2 426
|
3 029
|
1 430
|
482
|
0,74
|
2020
|
9 719
|
2 231
|
2 419
|
3 026
|
1 523
|
519
|
0,78
|
2025
|
9 935
|
2 311
|
2 443
|
3 026
|
1 514
|
640
|
0,82
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Download the country tables here (archived, in zip format). Each national report includes the following tables (if available):
Table 1: Population by sex and age
Table 2: Births, deaths and legal abortions
Table 3: Sum, by five-year age group, of age-specific fertility rates (age in completed years), total fertility rate and mean age of women at childbirth
Table 4: Sum, by five-year age group, of female first marriage rates (age in completed years), total female first marriage rate and mean age at female first marriage. Total divorce rate
Table 5: Live births by order
Table 6: International migration
Table 7: Population of foreign citizenship
Table 8: Population change, natural increase and net migration
Table 9: Longitudinal data on fertility and female first marriage
Table 10: Life expectancy at certain ages
