Sweden

The majority of women in Sweden live in relative equality. The country has a small, homogenous population, and differences between the cities and the rural areas are slight compared to most other countries.

The majority of women in Sweden live in relative equality. The country has a small, homogenous population, and differences between the cities and the rural areas are slight compared to most other countries.  

Population: 9.4 million (2011)

Religions: Christianity 74 %, mainly Evangelical-Lutheran, also Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christian; Islam (2007) 

Life expectancy: Men 79 years, women 83 years (2011)

Literacy rate: Almost 100 %

Income inequality: Gini coefficient 0.23 (2007) *

Ranking on the Transparency International list of Corruption Perceptions in 183 countries: 4 (2011) ** 

Ranking on the UNDP Human Development Index of 146 countries, taking gender equality into account: 1 (2011) **

Maternal deaths: 5 deaths per 100,000 births

Number of children/woman: 1.67 (2011)

Abortion legislation: Right to abortion up to the end of the 18th week of pregnancy

Law against rape within marriage: Yes

Violence against women in close relationships: On average 17 women are killed each year by their husband, boyfriend, ex-husband or ex-boyfriend.

* Gini coefficient:
An economic metric of inequality in a population, for example in income distribution. The Gini coefficient has a value of between 0 and 1, where 0 implies that the assets of all individuals are exactly the same (total equality) while 1 represents total inequality. The lower the Gini coefficient for income inequality, the greater the equality of distribution of salaries, profits, welfare benefits and other forms of compensation. 

** Corruption:
In 2011, Transparency International ranked 183 countries according to how widespread corruption was in the country.  Position 1 on the list showed the country where corruption was least widespread, position 183 the greatest. Corruption within, for example, the police and justice systems has a marked influence on women’s lives.  

*** Equality:
Every year, the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, measures human development in the world’s countries taking into account health, education and income, in the Human Development Index, HDI. In 2010 a new index was introduced: GII, Gender Inequality Index, which also takes gender equality into account. The countries are ranked from position 1 downwards.


Sources:
 

Statistics Sweden
Swedish Institute of International Affairs
CIA World Factbook
Transparency International
UNDP HDI2011
UNDP HDR2011
Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation
RFSU
The Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention