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PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Henry Herrera
Phone: +1-301-801-0608
Email: davia@endtodv.org
Men and Boys in Sweden are Affected by Major Inequalities
February 6, 2025 — This communiqué highlights the overlooked challenges men face in Sweden, and calls for greater awareness and a shift in societal views to address these issues, fostering a more inclusive conversation on gender disparities.
Education: In Sweden, a high level of education is essential for securing employment, with 84% of adults aged 25 to 64 having completed upper secondary education, surpassing the OECD average of 79%. However, a gender disparity exists: while 83% of men have completed upper secondary education, the rate is slightly higher for women at 85%. (1)
The share of women with a post-secondary education of three years or more was higher than that of men; 45 percent of the female population had completed post-secondary education in 2022, compared to 33 percent of the male population. (2)
Health: Between 2011 and 2020, life expectancy was 84.0 years for women and 80.5 years for men. This represents an increase of 1.2 years for women and 1.9 years for men compared to the previous decade. (3)
Suicide: According to the most recent available data, 1,295 suicides were recorded in Sweden in 2022, which corresponds to a rate of 12 suicides per 100,000 inhabitants. Of these, 926 were men and 369 were women, representing rates of 17 per 100,000 men and 6.9 per 100,000 women, respectively. This indicates that the suicide rate among men is more than double that of women. (5)
Homicide: In Sweden, the distribution of homicides by gender shows a higher incidence in men than in women. For example, in 2023, 121 homicides were recorded in the country, of which 88 were men and 33 were women. This means that approximately 72.7% of the victims were men and 27.3% were women. (6)
Abuse: Between 2012 and 2022, there were more men than women among the victims of abuse in Sweden. In 2022, there were 84,000 abuse victims in the country, which was slightly more than the year before. Of these, more than 45,000 were men. (7). However, there are almost no abuse shelters for men.
Inger Björklund, a psychotherapist at the Swedish Association for Sexual Education recognized the need for resources for male abuse victims because “… myths about masculinity that make it difficult for men who have been victims of sexual violence to talk about their experiences,” she said. (8)
Homelessness: In Sweden, it’s a complex and growing issue. According to data, 38% of the homeless population in the country are women, while 62% are men (9), demonstrating men’s persistent economic vulnerability. (11)
Workplace: In 2023, men accounted for the vast majority of workplace deaths in Sweden, highlighting a marked gender inequality in occupational risks. According to Afa Försäkring, of the 24 deaths recorded in their report, 23 were men and only 1 was a woman. Data from the Swedish Work Environment Authority report a higher figure, with 55 deaths in the workplace, of which 50 were men. (12)
Conclusion: Lawmakers must take immediate action to address the overlooked challenges facing men and boys. We urge policymakers to implement equitable solutions, and we call on the media to report these issues with fairness and accuracy so Sweden can achieve true gender equality. (11)
Links:
1. https://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/es/countries/sweden-es/
2.https://www.statista.com/statistics/532459/sweden-population-2015-by-level-of-education/
4.https://datosmacro.expansion.com/demografia/mortalidad/suecia?utm
5. https://datosmacro.expansion.com/demografia/mortalidad/causas-muerte/suicidio/suecia?utm
6. https://datosmacro.expansion.com/demografia/homicidios/suecia?utm
9.https://webfs.oecd.org/Els-com/Affordable_Housing_Database/Country%20notes/Homelessness-SWE.pdf