Nationalräkning

Nationalräkning is a Swedish term that translates to "national census" or "national count." It refers to a systematic collection of demographic, economic, and social data from all individuals residing within a country at a specific point in time. The primary purpose of a nationalräkning is to provide comprehensive and up-to-date statistics about the population, enabling governments and organizations to make informed decisions regarding public policy, resource allocation, and planning.

Historically, censuses have been conducted in Sweden for centuries, with early records focusing on population numbers and property ownership. In modern times, the scope of the nationalräkning has expanded significantly to include a wider range of information, such as age, gender, ethnicity, education level, employment status, household composition, and housing conditions. This detailed data is crucial for understanding societal trends, demographic changes, and the needs of different population groups.

The Swedish nationalräkning is typically conducted by Statistics Sweden (Statistiska centralbyrån, SCB). Traditionally, censuses were conducted through paper questionnaires distributed to households. However, in recent years, Sweden has transitioned to a register-based census. This means that much of the data is collected by linking together existing administrative registers, such as population registers, tax registers, and educational registers. This shift has made the process more efficient and reduced the burden on individuals, while still aiming to provide a complete picture of the population. The data collected is anonymized and aggregated to protect individual privacy.