Swedish elderly care

Many elderly people in Sweden are in good health and lead active lives. Most live in their own homes by choice, and can do so thanks to public support in the form of home meal delivery, help with cleaning and shopping, transportation and healthcare when needed. Should their health deteriorate with age, there is special housing with around-the-clock care.

Health and social care for the elderly constitutes an important part of Swedish welfare policy. Of Sweden’s 9.6 million inhabitants, 18 percent are pensioners. This number is projected to rise to 23 percent by 2030, partly because of a baby boom in the 1940s.

More than 5 percent of the Swedish population are aged 80 or over, which is a large proportion compared to rest of the EU member states. Since more and more citizens in this age group are in good health, their care requirements have declined since the 1980s. Most elderly care is funded by municipal taxes and government grants. Healthcare costs paid by the elderly themselves are subsidized.

Sweden invests more of its GDP in caring for its elderly than any other country in the world. All Swedish residents are entitled to a state-financed guaranteed minimum pension from the age of 65, the standard retirement age in Sweden.