Public Health Reporting
The aim of public health reporting is to provide a broad description of the state of public health in Sweden. It contains analyses of both the prevalence of diseases and of our lifestyles and living conditions, which to a large extent affect the development of public health.
Ill-health reduces the individual citizen's quality of life and also entails large costs for society. Many health determinants can be influenced by political decisions and individual choices. For several reasons it is therefore important to be able to describe and analyse the evolution of the population's health, lifestyles and living conditions. To enable this we need surveys and studies that follow the long-term evolution of public health and its determinants.
The results of these studies are available at the agency's website in the form of statistics, tables, graphs and maps. In addition to health, lifestyle and living conditions, the statistics are in many cases broken down by age and gender and – when data allows – also by ethnic or cultural background, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, LGBT identity, and disability.
The national public health survey
The national public health survey is a national study of health, lifestyle and living conditions. It is an ongoing collaborative project between the Public Health Agency of Sweden (PHAS) and the Swedish regional authorities. The purpose of the study is to show the population's state of health and to monitor changes in health over time as part of the follow-up of public health policy.
Data were collected annually over the period 2004–2016, by using random samples of between 10,000 and 20,000 persons aged 16–84 years. Since 2016, the data have been collected every second year, with an extra data collection in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the 2018, 2020 and 2021 studies, a random sample of 40,000 persons aged 16–84 years was used (the 2021 study also included a supplementary random sample of 10,000 persons aged 85 years and older). In the 2022 study, a random sample of 45,000 persons aged 16 years and older was used.
The results from the study are labelled Official Statistics of Sweden since 2022 and can be found in the PHAS’s statistical database Folkhälsodata (in English) and FolkhälsoStudio (in Swedish).
Folkhälsodata (fohm-app.folkhalsomyndigheten.se)
FolkhälsoStudio (external webbsite) (in Swedish)
To read more about what constitutes official statistics
Official Statistics of Sweden (scb.se)
The national environmental health survey
The national environmental health survey is a national survey on health in relation to exposure to environmental factors. The surveys have been conducted every fourth year since 1999, alternating between adults and children, and the last survey was performed in 2019 (children). The surveys provide cross-sectional data of exposure to environmental factors and self-reported health. The environmental factors include noise, air quality, green space, indoor environment, temperature, chemical exposure, climate change, sun exposure and environmental tobacco smoking as well as allergy and asthma related to environmental factors.
The aim of the surveys is to follow the population's health status in relation to environmental factors and provide data that can be used for policy making, mainly at a regional level. The surveys are conducted by the Public Health Agency of Sweden in collaboration with the Swedish regions.
The results of the surveys are analysed and presented in comprehensive reports and data is also made available online via Folkhälsodata/FolkhälsoStudio.
Folkhälsodata and FolkhälsoStudio (in Swedish)