THE NATIONAL SYSTEM OF DEMOGRAPHIC STATISTICS
Population Structure
Sweden’s early state formation in conjunction with the Protestant tradition contributed to the early development
of population statistics, similar to Denmark, the other Nordic power centre. Population statistics of the provinces
of both kingdoms, Iceland and Norway on the one hand and Finland on the other, were strongly influenced by
developments in the mother country. The history of Swedish population statistics is well documented by
Sundbärg (1907 (1970)) and Statistiska Centralbyrån (1969).
Already in the eighteenth century Sweden began to conduct population censuses on a regular basis and to
exploit parish registers for population measurement. Censuses date back to the 1750s and became regular at the
beginning of the nineteenth century. Censuses in the first half of the nineteenth century were conducted in 1805,
1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, and 1850. Since 1810 population censuses have been conducted in every year ending
with zero. In 1935 additional censuses were introduced in years ending in a five, which often used a reduced
question programme or applied sampling methods in order to investigate important and new social problems.
Population by age, sex, and marital status was first published in the 1870 census. Prior to this census,
population figures were published by age and sex (in one-year age groups in 1860, grouped data for earlier
censuses). Already in 1870 the data on ages were presented in one-year age groups. All the censuses until 1945
maintained this detailed data publication.
Vital Statistics
The main variables of vital statistics, marriages, live births, and deaths, were introduced in 1749 and are
available for every year since then. Births by legitimacy are available as well since 1749. Infant deaths were
recorded or can be reconstructed from the source since 1751. Annual population figures by sex (on 31
December) are also available since 1749.
Other demographic distinctions were added later: stillbirths have been recorded and published since 1851.
Divorce figures are also available since 1851. Legal separations were published from 1916 until 1977 when
publication stopped. Synthetic fertility measures such as the total fertility rate or the cohort fertility rate were
recalculated beginning with the year 1901. Figures on the mean age at marriage have been available since the
1860s.
Households and Families
Data on households (hushåll) were first expressively recorded in 1860, but data are available since the beginning
of census-taking in 1751 for the years 1805, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, and 1855 (cf. Statistiska
Centralbyrån (1895: XXVII). Historical data on households from 1751 to 1855 are published in Statistiska
Central-Byrån (1860: text pp. 34–43, table p. XXXI).
From the beginning household statistics in Sweden were rather detailed and comprehensive. Already in 1860
the three main household types of one-person households, family households, and institutional households were
published. Furthermore, households were classified according to size (number of members). These household
statistics were maintained in 1870 and 1880 as well. In 1890, household members were published by sex; no size
distribution is available for this census. From 1900 to 1940 the classification of 1890 was published with the
addition of the size distribution. In the inter-war period some special investigations were added to these basic
statistics: in 1930 income and occupation of the family head was investigated; in 1935 family types were
constructed and the occupation of the family head was given. Only for 1940 were no household statistics
published.
Household composition became available for the first time in the 1930 census and was repeated in 1945.
Different categories of household members such as children, parents, servants, etc. were distinguished. In 1935 a
somewhat different typology was used, creating household types instead of calculating the number of different
household members with regard to their relationship to the household head.
From 1860 to 1945 the housekeeping-unit concept formed the basis for the definition of a household (hushåll).
Households were called ‘person households’ (personhushåll) in contrast to the household-dwelling concept used
in the censuses from 1945 and after, when households were called ‘dwelling households’ (bostadshushåll). The
definition of person households from 1860 to 1945 (and for dwelling households from 1945 to 1965) is given by
Statistiska Centralbyrån (1969: 25f.). It should nevertheless be noted that household data before and after 1920
are not completely comparable:
Med personhushåll avses kosthushåll (matlagshushåll), d. v. s. hushåll vilkas medlemmar bor och äter åtminstone huvudmålet
tillsammans. Till ett och samma hushåll räknas sålunda familjemedlemmar, personal i husbondens kost och inackorderingar
men ej inneboende och andra hyresgäster. Dessa anses bilda egna hushåll. För definitioner se vidare SOS. Folkräkningen
1945: 7: 1, s. 2*f.
Uppgifterna från 1945 års folkräkning grundar sig på ett stickprov som omfattade ca 8 per cent av befolkningen. Tebellen
innehåller tal som uppskrivits till att approximativt motsvara totalbefolkningens numerär.
I vår äldre befolkningsstatistik föreligger fr.o.m. år 1805 vissa uppgifter om hushåll. Någon modern bearbetning av
tabellverkets statistik över hishåll föreligger emellertid inte.
Family statistics in the sense of fertility statistics were first investigated in 1935 after the Swedish fertility crisis
of the early 1930s. At this time Swedish fertility figures had reached their lowest level in history, leading to the
implementation of a national population and family policy (cf. Myrdal and Myrdal, 1935). The 1935
investigation dealt mainly with the number of children in marriages, contracted after 1900, for different social
groups, distinguishing the duration of marriage and the age of the wife at marriage, taking into account the
different regions, the profession and social status and the educational level of the husband, the income of the
husband, and the work of the wife outside the home (Statistiska Centralbyrån, 1939: XVf.). This special
investigation of marital fertility was repeated in 1945 and in all the censuses at least until 1965.
Family statistics in the modern sense as a statistics of nuclear families (familjer) or the biological unit only
were introduced after World War II.
Remarks (also see introductory Table 6.1)
No peculiarities.