Folkbokföringsregister

Folkbokföringsregister, in Sweden, refers to the population registration system maintained by the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket). It records individuals who are or have been resident in Sweden and serves as the basis for civil administration, taxation, and public services. The register is used to determine eligibility for benefits, to verify identity, and to support statistics and planning across authorities.

The core data in the folkbokföringsregister typically include a person’s full name, personal identity number (personnummer), date of birth, sex, citizenship, current and former addresses, and information about household composition and civil status. It also records events such as changes of address, name changes, and death. The system is designed to reflect residency and relations that are relevant for public administration, while sensitive medical data are not stored in the population register.

Legal basis and privacy: The management and use of folkbokföringsdata are governed by Swedish law and EU data protection rules. Access to individual-level information is restricted and subject to secrecy rules; authorities may access data for official purposes, and individuals can obtain extracts of their own records (personbevis). Researchers may access anonymized or approved data under strict conditions.

Administration and impact: Skatteverket maintains the register, and data are shared with other government bodies as permitted by law. The information supports taxation, social security and benefits, health and social services, identity verification, and official statistics, while protecting personal privacy through regulated access and safeguards.

History and context: The register evolved from parish records into a centralized, digitized population registry, forming a core component of modern Swedish public administration.