Gender equality

Women's earnings and power

In 2024, women in Sweden earned roughly 90 percent of men’s wages.

According to Statistics Sweden's bi-annual report on gender equality, 53 per cent of Sweden's state-owned companies had a woman as CEO in 2023. Of the chairpersons, 45 per cent were women.

Sweden’s business sector, on the other hand, remains a male-dominated field. Among listed companies, 10 per cent had women chairpersons in 2023, 14 per cent had female CEOs and 36 per cent of the board members were women.

According to a 2024 report by the Allbright foundation, listed large-cap companies in Sweden –   defined as those with a market value of at least 1 billion euros – had reached 40 per cent women on their boards.

In November 2021, Sweden got its first female prime minister in Magdalena Andersson of the then-ruling Social Democrat party. Her spell came to an end in 2022 following the general election and a government change.

After the 2022 election there were 188 men and 161 women in the Riksdag, the Swedish parliament. Of the 23 ministers currently serving under current prime minister Ulf Kristersson, 12 are women.

Sweden’s next general election is in September 2026.

Addressing violence

Over the years, the annual number of reported cases of assault against women has grown in Sweden as more women speak out.

In the early 1980s, Sweden’s legislation was changed so that a woman could not withdraw an allegation of violence once made – a measure to counter threats to women who reported violence.

The Swedish government has introduced a national Action Programme for 2024-2026, which includes stricter penalties for repeat offenders and closer cooperation between police, social services, and healthcare.

Women who need protection can turn to any of over 200 local women’s shelters in Sweden. Most shelters are connected to either or both of two major national organisations, the Swedish Association of Women’s Shelters or the National Organisation for Women’s and Young Women’s Shelters.

What about the men?

In Sweden, equality is not just a policy goal – it’s part of everyday culture. Gender roles have become more flexible, and sharing responsibility at home and at work is widely accepted.

It’s not rare to see fathers on parental leave, men temporarily working reduced hours to care for their young children, or couples dividing housework equally.

But growing equality also brings new questions. While women still face barriers in leadership and pay, men have other struggles. Like in many other countries, men in Sweden are overrepresented in workplace accidents, substance abuse and suicide statistics. They are less likely than women to seek help for mental health issues and are more often affected by social isolation, particularly in rural areas or after a separation.

In 2025, the Swedish government launched a national review to examine the challenges boys and young men face today, from a gender equality perspective.

The review is taking into account the role of gender and masculinity expectations in shaping their health, education, and overall life conditions. The Swedish Agency for Youth and Civil Society is to present its findings in March 2026.

Transgender rights

Transgender people face discrimination on the grounds of both gender and transgender identity or expression. In Sweden, there is room for improvement, according to RFSL – the Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Rights.

Back in 1972, Sweden became the first country in the world to allow for change of legal gender. This move contained some drawbacks, including mandatory sterilisation, which was only removed from the law in 2013.

On 1 July 2025, a new law making it possible to change legal gender from 16 years of age – with a parent's or legal guardian's approval – came into effect.