Hushållen

Hushållen is the Swedish term for the basic economic unit consisting of one or more persons who live together and share housing and expenditures. In statistical and economic contexts, hushållen serves as the primary unit for measuring household income, consumption, saving, housing decisions, and living arrangements. In national accounts the household sector includes private households and non-profit institutions serving households (NPISH); it is distinguished from businesses and government as the main consumer of goods and services and a key source of saving.

Households vary in size and composition. They can be single-person, couples, or groups of relatives and non-relatives living together. The structure of hushållen affects demand for housing, energy, food, transport, and other goods, as well as patterns of taxation and welfare.

Trends in many developed economies, including Sweden, show a decrease in average household size and a rise in single-person households, driven by urbanization, changing family formation, and aging populations. These changes influence housing markets, social policy, and income distribution, as households adapt to economic conditions and policy environments.

Data on hushållen are collected and published by Statistics Sweden (SCB) and used by policymakers, researchers, and businesses to analyze living standards, consumer behavior, housing markets, and energy use. The concept remains central to macroeconomic analysis, providing a stable unit for understanding how households allocate resources and respond to economic incentives.