Outdoor recreation
Being outdoors can provide many health benefits for both physical and mental health. Access to outdoor areas and the opportunity to practice outdoor activities therefore play an important role in public health.
All people should have the opportunity to experience nature, well-being, social community and gain increased knowledge about the natural and cultural environment.
Approximately just over one-third of the adult population in Sweden is active in terms of outdoor recreation, i.e. has been outdoors in the nature at least once per week over the past year. During the years of the covid-19 pandemic, there was a clear peak in the proportion who were outdoors in nature every week.
There are variations in the practice between different groups in the population:
- It is more common to practice outdoor activities if you have higher education and income,
- live in the countryside or in a smaller urban area,
- have access to a car or
- if both of your parents were born in Sweden.
Those who are in the best physical and mental health are out in nature regularly to a significantly higher extent than those who say they have poor health or severe mental problems.
Our mission
The Public Health Agency of Sweden has responsibility for coordinating objective nine of the national outdoor recreation policy – Outdoor recreation for good public health. The target is to increase conditions for everyone to be outdoors in nature and perform outdoor recreational activities on equal terms.