Gender equality
Equal power and influence for women and men â that's what Sweden aims for.
Sweden is often described as one of the worldâs more gender-equal countries, supported by high employment among women, subsidised childcare, parental leave and strong representation in politics.
But equality has not been fully achieved. Differences remain in both income and leadership positions in business. Women in Sweden still do a larger share of unpaid care work, and women are disproportionately affected by violence in close relationships.
How gender-equal is Sweden today? Here's a closer look at the policies, statistics and everyday realities behind Sweden's reputation as a gender-equal country.
How does Sweden define gender equality?
Everyone, regardless of gender, has the right to work and support themselves, to balance career and family life, and to live without the fear of abuse or violence.
Thatâs a principle of gender equality Sweden is committed to.
What are Sweden's main strengths in gender equality?
Some of Sweden's strengths within gender equality are:
âą high female labour force participation
âą a parental leave system that promotes shared responsibility
âą a comprehensive system of public services, including affordable childcare and elderly care, in part designed to help women and men pursue the same career opportunities
âą a strong representation of women in politics
The World Economic Forum consistently ranks Sweden among the top countries for gender equality, and often singles out Sweden's female labour force participation rate. 80.4% Â per cent of women aged 15 to 64 are in employment, among the highest rates in the EU.
When both women and men participate equally in the workforce, the country as a whole benefits. Businesses gain from a wider pool of talent and diverse perspectives. Families enjoy greater financial security. Society at large prospers as more people contribute to growth.
But high employment does not by itself guarantee economic equality. Differences in pay, working hours, occupations and leadership representation still remain.Â
Parental leave and other work-related policies in Sweden
Swedenâs approach to gender equality is reflected in its labour market policies. Employers are expected to take active steps that promote equal pay and fair career development, while also ensuring workplaces are inclusive.
The parental leave system is designed to encourage both women and men to take time off with their children, and childcare is available at an affordable cost. Â
In 1974, Sweden introduced gender-neutral parental leave â a world-first back then. Today, fathers in Sweden take about 30 per cent of all paid parental leave, a high share by international standards.
Gender discrimination in the workplace has been illegal since 1980, and the 2009 Discrimination Act requires employers to promote equality and prevent harassment. The act also protects employees â women and men â from unfair treatment related to parental leave.
The pay gap between men and women is one of the challenges on the Swedish gender equality agenda. Photo: Sofia Sabel/imagebank.sweden.se
Sweden's parental leave system encourage both women and men to take time off with their children. Photo: Alexander Hall/imagebank.sweden.se
Fathers in Sweden average about 30 per cent of the paid parental leave. Photo: Magnus Liam Karlsson/imagebank.sweden.se
The pay gap between men and women is one of the challenges on the Swedish gender equality agenda. Photo: Sofia Sabel/imagebank.sweden.se
Sweden's parental leave system encourage both women and men to take time off with their children. Photo: Alexander Hall/imagebank.sweden.se
Fathers in Sweden average about 30 per cent of the paid parental leave. Photo: Magnus Liam Karlsson/imagebank.sweden.se
The pay gap between men and women is one of the challenges on the Swedish gender equality agenda. Photo: Sofia Sabel/imagebank.sweden.se
Sweden's parental leave system encourage both women and men to take time off with their children. Photo: Alexander Hall/imagebank.sweden.se
Fathers in Sweden average about 30 per cent of the paid parental leave. Photo: Magnus Liam Karlsson/imagebank.sweden.se
Equality Ombudsman
People can report cases of discrimination to the Swedish Equality Ombudsman (Diskrimineringsombudsmannen), a government agency that protects equal rights.
Gender pay gap and women in leadership
In 2025, womenâs average salaries in Sweden were approximately 10 per cent lower than menâs (link in Swedish), according to the Swedish National Mediation Office, the government agency responsible for Sweden's wage statistics. This percentage should be interpreted alongside differences such as occupation, sector, position and working hours.
In 2024, 49 per cent of Sweden's state-owned companies had a woman as CEO (link in Swedish), while 53 per cent of their chairpersons were women, according to a report by Statistics Sweden.
Swedenâs business sector, on the other hand, remains a male-dominated field. Among listed companies, 13 per cent had women chairpersons in 2024, 14 per cent had female CEOs, and 37 per cent of board members were women.
There is a more positive trend among listed large-cap companies in Sweden, defined as those with a market value of at least 1 billion euros. In these companies, women held 40 per cent of board seats in 2024, according to a report by Allbright, a non-profit foundation promoting diversity in business.
How about women's influence in politics?
In 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 Swedish parliament.
Swedenâs latest general election was held on 13 September 2026, and a government formation process is underway.
The Gender Equality Agency
The Swedish Gender Equality Agency is tasked by the Swedish government to support government agencies with the work of integrating a gender perspective in all of their operations.
Violence against women
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, Swedenâs legislation was changed so that a woman could not withdraw an allegation of violence once made â a measure to counter threats to women who reported violence.
In April 2026, the Swedish government presented a new national strategy for a society free from violence, oppression and exploitation, with a vision zero approach towards deadly violence against women. Many national government agencies are involved in the implementation of the strategy.
Women who need protection can turn to any of over 200 local womenâs shelters in Sweden. Most shelters are connected to either or both of two major national organisations, the Swedish Association of Womenâs Shelters or the National Organisation for Womenâs and Young Womenâs Shelters.
What about the men?
In Sweden, gender equality is not just a policy goal but part of everyday life.
Gender roles have become more flexible, and it is increasingly common for fathers to take parental leave and share responsibility for childcare and household work, although women still do a larger share of unpaid care.
At the same time, several Swedish studies show that boys and young men feel they are expected to adapt to certain norms of masculinity. These norms â reinforced by algorithms in digital feeds â are perceived to have a negative effect for both men and women.
A national review from 2026 by the Swedish Agency for Youth and Civil Society highlights the need to keep raising awareness about the challenges that boys and men are facing, as well as to further analyse the role that online content plays in shaping ideas of gender roles.
Transgender equality and legal gender recognition
Transgender people still face discrimination in Sweden, 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 legal gender change.
In 2025, a new law came into effect allowing people to change their legal gender from the age of 16, with parental or guardian approval for minors.
So how gender-equal is Sweden today?
All in all, Sweden ranks among the world's most gender-equal countries. Women participate in the labour market at high rates and are strongly represented in politics.
At the same time, differences in earnings, business leadership and unpaid care work show that gender equality remains a work in progress.
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SI operates on behalf of the Swedish parliament and government and is financed mainly through appropriations from the state budget.
